Introduction

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part includes the ways that the still mostly elusive promise of personalised or precision medicine, which continues to drive the field of genomics, is dependent on the participation of wider groups of people defined often as themselves 'underserved' populations or communities. It focuses on notion of enhancement in contemporary genomics. The part discusses the history of human enhancement where individual 'choices' and practices always reflect and in turn refine collective norms. It engages with what might be seen as the 'collective turn' in genomics, albeit from different perspectives and with varying consequences. The part examines the intricate difficulties in conceptualising 'race' in genomic medicine. It provides an answer of sorts in the reflection on the genealogies and contemporary histories of genomics in Brazil and Africa.