Study title

The data collection consists of: a list of technologies resulting from an online survey of 'bio' products available on the market and the companies marketing them (see Related resources); a collection of bibliographic references and abstracts of published scientific articles on biological therapy topics including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), stem cells, and others in trial or sporting contexts; notes made by researchers at sports medicine conferences; transcripts of relevant selected presentations at sports medicine conferences and related fieldwork notes; and interviews with medical members of national and elite UK football clubs and cycling organisations and sports authorities and companies providing products and services to them.Biotechnological medicine and elite sport are two of the most powerful symbolic institutions of the contemporary era. Yet there is no systematic investigation of the intersections of these fields and their significance for society. The project examines the development and application of innovative biomedical technologies relevant to musculoskeletal injury, enabling analysis of two types of questions. Against a mapping of emerging interactions between sports and biomedicine, the research asks, first: What are the effects of sports patronage and collaboration on biomedical innovation, and conversely, how does biomedical research and innovation impact on elite sports and its athletes? Second, the research sets out to clarify the ethical issues raised by these developments and how publics and stakeholders understand and evaluate them (including the 'human enhancement' debate). A multi-method research design sets the study in the context of sports in general, focusing on football (soccer) and cycling as case studies because of their different funding regimes and injury profiles. Data are collected via documents, interviews, and observation methods (eg at sports' medical conferences). We undertake ethical analysis and public engagement...