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*NEW* SHARE YOUR STANCE IS OFFICIALLY ONLINE
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Share Your Stance on Personal Genetics (SYS) is an opinion-sharing card game for curious explorers of science, policy, technology, and identity in the genomic age.
Members of our community let us know that it would be helpful to have an online option for SYS gameplay. So, we created a fully interactive online version of the game, which can be played as a self-driven inquiry activity or a conversation-sparking game in groups.
Teaching an online class this summer? Play SYS Online with your students!
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UPCOMING: PGED FEATURED BY AMGEN BIOTECH EXPERIENCE
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We’re thrilled to team up with the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) at Northeastern University to provide professional development for Massachusetts high school teachers as part of their workshop on precision medicine! PGED was invited to introduce teachers to our learning resources and Share Your Stance game.
ABE MA is part of a global network that serves thousands of teachers and students each year with free curricula that tie laboratory experiences to the development of medicines, using technologies employed by the biotechnology industry.
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COMMUNITY EXPLORATION OF PERSONAL GENETICS
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This spring and summer, Gill undertook a multi-library tour across CT, delivering PGED programs at seven public libraries, visiting the Public Library of New London most recently. Gill was also invited back for a second program with the Alliance in Genetic Counseling consortium, supported by the Warren Alpert Foundation, to engage with undergraduate summer interns from five colleges and diverse backgrounds. These future leaders, interested in pursuing careers in genetic counseling, learned about and discussed personal genetics and the impact of the evolving landscape of genetics on society.
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Stay updated on our activities, projects, and features by checking our Impacts page on our website! Here, we post regular updates about our awards, media features, publications, and more. We recently published a report on our activities through May of this year. Read our 2025 6-Month Report.
💝 Support PGED: By donating to PGED, you are helping us serve students, teachers, and communities with free resources and programs.
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This month, our team has been gearing up for library programs, online sessions with students, and preparing for teacher professional development trainings with new collaborators!
Check out where we will be next:
- August 7 – Personal Genetics in the Classroom with Amgen Biotech Experience (ONLINE)
- August 19 – DNA, Crime, & Law Enforcement at Hall Memorial Library (Ellington, CT)
- August 27 – Sex, Genetics, and Athletics at Baltimore Underground Science Space (Baltimore, MD)
- September 11 – Ancestry & Identity at Edward Smith Library (Northford, CT)
- September 20 – Community STEM Day at Rockville Science Center (Rockville, MD)
- September 17 – DNA, Crime, & Law Enforcement at Atwater Memorial Library (North Branford, CT)
- September 23 – Personal Genetics Engagement in Classrooms & Communities Livestream w/ Skype-a-Scientist (ONLINE)
- September 25 – Engineering the World Around Us at Edward Smith Library (Northford, CT)
Visit our Events Calendar for more information about our upcoming events. Don’t see an event near you? Contact us to let us know what you’d like to see in your area.
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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 Guy Gottlieb to learn about his exploration of civic science as a college student.
Guy is a rising junior at Tufts University, studying biology with a minor in chemistry. Guy was PGED’s Civic Biology Intern from January to April 2025 through the Tufts Civic Biology Fellowship program. The program’s curriculum is centered around civic engagement, cultural humility, and equity in science. Guy worked with Gill to coordinate community programs across the Tufts campus, where he utilized PGED’s Share Your Stance on Personal Genetics card game to facilitate discussions about genetics and society.
Read Guy’s Community Spotlight
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The development of human traits, including health, is complex. Scientific studies have found that a person’s traits are the result of their genetic makeup, environment, and interactions between these two factors. In other words, nature AND nurture both affect a person’s health. So, how might a person modify these factors to alter the quality of their health?
Our mini-lesson, Are My Genes My Destiny? Examining Determinants of Health, is a resource that supports learners in exploring the complexity of how most health conditions develop.
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PERSONAL GENETICS IN THE NEWS
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Article: New Florida law targets rare pediatric diseases by offering free genetic screening for newborns, bolstering research (CBS News). “The law creates a pilot program led by the Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases at Florida State University, with families able to choose to have their babies’ full genetic codes sequenced. The goal is to identify potentially serious but treatable conditions early, so that doctors can begin care before symptoms appear.”
Article: One potent gene raises risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other brain diseases (Nature News). “Massive proteomics database links gene variant APOE4 to chronic inflammation.”
Article: ‘Landmark’ study: three-person IVF leads to eight healthy children (Nature News). “Long-awaited results suggest that mitochondrial donation can prevent babies from inheriting diseases caused by mutant mitochondria.”
Article: Gwada-negative: the rarest blood group on Earth (The Conversation). “In a routine blood test that turned extraordinary, French scientists have identified the world’s newest and rarest blood group. The sole known carrier is a woman from Guadeloupe whose blood is so unique that doctors couldn’t find a single compatible donor.”
Article: Queer runner Caster Semenya wins again in court against the athletic body that sidelined her (Pride News). “The cisgender Olympian with naturally high testosterone has fought for years against a World Athletics decision that kicked her to the sidelines.”
Article: Child walks again after receiving experimental treatment for rare genetic condition (STAT News). “The treatment was based on a recent biochemical discovery partly funded by NIH.”
Interview: Moa “de-extinction” plans announced – Expert Reaction (Science Media Centre). “An overseas company has announced plans to “bring back” the South Island giant moa. Colossal Biosciences, working with Ngāi Tahu Research Centre and Canterbury Museum, says it expects to “resurrect” the moa within five to eight years, aiming to release the animal into “expansive, secure ecological reserves.” The SMC asked experts to comment.”
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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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Copyright © 2025 PGED, Harvard Medical School. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
pged@pged.med.harvard.edu
www.pged.org
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