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Are you a fan of PGED? Consider supporting our work this summer to help us stay afloat. You can make a difference in one of three ways:
💝 1. Make a Donation
Everything PGED creates, delivers, and shares online—from our curriculum materials to videos, discussion tools, and community programming—is offered free of charge. By donating to PGED, you are helping us serve students, teachers, and communities.
💬 2. Share Your Story
Has PGED’s work sparked something special for you? Stories have the power to inspire others to participate in and support this work, and we need this now more than ever. Help us tell the story of PGED’s impact.
📣 3. Amplify Our Work
Our free educational resources open the door to informative, accessible, and engaging conversations about genetics. Want to help others find PGED? We’ve made it easy with our new Media Kit, available in our Resource Hub. Download social media graphics, images, sample posts, and an email template to share with your family, friends, and colleagues.
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GENOMICS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL MEETING
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We are grateful to our friends at the Genomics Education Partnership for inviting PGED to participate in their national meeting on June 23rd! Marnie gave a keynote presentation about PGED’s history and work, highlighting the importance of supporting educators to bring genetics and society issues into their classrooms and sharing our learning resources.
The keynote was followed by a workshop session by Gill and Robin with a group of GEP faculty who are particularly interested in this work. The purpose of the workshop was to co-develop a curriculum integration model to help undergraduate biology educators integrate ethics into their existing curriculum, with add-on modules created to supplement the core science content. This group will continue working on the model throughout the summer, and we are excited to see what they create!
We also raffled off five Share Your Stance card decks to lucky winners from the keynote and workshop. Congratulations to our winners, who will expand genetics dialogues with their students and communities!
- Judy Leatherman, University of Northern Colorado
- Christy Fleet, Emory & Henry University
- Zeynep Ozsoy, Colorado Mesa University
- Anya Goodman, California Polytechnic State University
- Doug Chalker, Washington University
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JAX TEACHING THE GENOME GENERATION WORKSHOPS
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Robin and Gill joined forces with the JAX Genomic Education team yet again during the last week of June to facilitate four TtGG professional development sessions for biology teachers focused on personal genetics and ethics.
The Teaching the Genome Generation (TtGG) program is designed to provide high school teachers the content knowledge, teaching strategies, and resources needed to enhance student learning in genetics, genomics, and personalized medicine.
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Rob was featured in an episode of the World of Paleoanthropology’s podcast, The Story of Us, hosted by Seth Chagi.
During their conversation, they discussed the vital role of science communication in today’s world. They explored the questions: How can researchers connect with the public in meaningful ways? What responsibilities do scientists have when it comes to sharing knowledge? And how can communication shape public trust, policy, and progress?
Rob reflected on his work across primatology and outreach, offering a candid and inspiring perspective on why science communication is not just a skill, but a necessity in shaping our shared future.
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Marnie was a guest on the Science & Spirituality Institute’s new podcast, Science & Spirituality for the Curious, hosted by Richard Randolph. Her episode is titled “Ep. 1.4: Genetics, CRISPR, Ethics, and Spirituality”. Marnie and Richard discussed the ethical challenges and spiritual questions raised by CRISPR. She emphasized the importance of fair access to CRISPR treatments and the need to build trust in the biomedical enterprise. They also discussed the philosophical and spiritual questions raised by CRISPR, especially the risk of undermining the respect and dignity owed to human persons and the potential risk for the commodification of reproduction and children.
The podcast covers a variety of topics, with recent episodes focused on genetics, neuroscience, & Big Bang cosmology. You can listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, & most other platforms.
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This month, PGED was busy teaching classroom lessons, facilitating teacher professional development workshops online, and delivering public library programs at locations in Connecticut!
Check out where we will be next:
- July 16 – Introduction to Personal Genetics at the Public Library of New London (New London, CT)
- August 6-8 – Personal Genetics in the Classroom with Amgen Biotech Experience (ONLINE)
- August 19 – DNA, Crime, & Law Enforcement at Hall Memorial Library (Ellington, CT)
- September 11 – Ancestry & Identity at Edward Smith Library (Northford, CT)
- September 17 – DNA, Crime, & Law Enforcement at Atwater Memorial Library (North Branford, CT)
- September 25 – Engineering the World Around Us at Edward Smith Library (Northford, CT)
- November 12 – Meeting the Moment: Impactful Science Communication & Education on Genetics with the American Society of Human Genetics (ONLINE)
Visit our Events Calendar for more information about our upcoming events.
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PGED’s Community Spotlight series showcases some of the remarkable people we’ve connected with through our mission to expand education and dialogue about genetics, health, and society.
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Gill chatted with Suzanne Watts Henderson to learn about her efforts to unlock the potential of our nation’s religious diversity in health-related spaces.
Read Suzanne’s Community Spotlight.
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Genetic tests can provide useful information for making healthcare decisions. However, patients often find it difficult to understand what the tests are looking for and what the results mean. How does someone decide which genetic test is appropriate for them? And how do they manage expectations and correctly interpret the results? Fortunately, there are healthcare professionals called genetic counselors (GCs) who can help with this overwhelming process.
Our mini-lesson, Who Are Genetic Counselors?, is a resource for teachers and students to learn about the critical role these professionals play in the lives of patients with genetic conditions.
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PERSONAL GENETICS IN THE NEWS
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Article: Using CRISPR to remove extra chromosomes in Down syndrome (EurekAlert). “Gene editing techniques may eventually allow trisomy to be treated at the cellular level, according to an in vitro proof-of-concept study.”[…]”According to the authors, similar approaches could eventually be used in neurons and glial cells and form the basis of novel medical interventions for people with Down syndrome.”
Opinion: I’m adopted. I still won’t use genetic testing services like 23andMe (STAT News). “As an adoptee who was placed in foster care at 18 months old, I’ve never known my full racial heritage, family tree, or medical history. People have often suggested I try 23andMe or a similar company to get more information on my genetics. But I’ve always felt uneasy about it.”
Article: Longevity Is Now a Factor When Picking an Embryo for IVF (Wall Street Journal). “Prospective parents using IVF will soon be able to rank embryos using genetic and other information in the hopes of extending the longevity of their offspring, according to the 25-year-old entrepreneur behind Nucleus Genomics, a DNA testing and analysis company.”
Article: Massive NIH study challenges use of race as a proxy for genetic ancestry in research (STAT News). “Self-reported racial categories shown to differ markedly from people’s genetic makeup.”
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Our team loves creating resources that make an impact in classrooms, community spaces, and beyond. Consider giving a gift to show some love for PGED resources in our Resource Hub.
All donations help keep our resources freely available online.
We are grateful for your generosity.
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Please note that 15% of donations pays for overhead which allows us to do the work that we do from our home in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School.
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WANT TO PLAN AN EVENT TOGETHER? LET’S DO IT!
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PGED is always looking for opportunities to engage with new audiences. Would you like to host a group to talk about the implications of personal genetics? What about a professional development workshop for teachers in your district?
We have staff in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Colorado, and Washington, DC – and we are willing to travel when possible. Contact us to find out about scheduling an event in your area!
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Our mailing address is:
pged@pged.med.harvard.edu
www.pged.org
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