What are the benefits and concerns of using a direct-to-consumer genetic testing service?
As new “personalized medicines” enter the market for patients who carry specific genetic variants, how will health care systems cover the costs, which could be as high as hundreds of thousands of pounds, while ensuring equitable access?
As law enforcement agencies increasingly make use of DNA technologies to solve crime, how do we ensure that this is done fairly, providing protections for individuals’ privacy and without increasing discrimination?
Should genome editing technology be used to change the genetic makeup of embryos? For what purposes, and who decides?
With rapid advances in genetic technologies, these are just some of the questions on the table for all of us, as individual consumers and as societal participants, to grapple with.
Founded in 2006 in the lab of Prof. Ting Wu in the department of genetics at Harvard Medical School, the Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd) is working to increase awareness and conversation about the benefits and ethical, legal, and social implications of personal genetics. We aim to be inclusive of all voices in these discussions, regardless of socioeconomic or educational background, cultural or religious affiliation, and ethnic or personal identity. Our strategy is varied and includes:
- Creating curriculum materials that are freely available online
- Organizing workshops for teachers
- Working with writers and producers of TV and film
- Engaging with policymakers
- Partnering with faith institutions and other community organizations
- And much more
In the coming months and years, pgEd is taking steps to engage with more communities and partners, to expand our efforts around the United States, Europe, and beyond. We hope to start more conversations about the past, present and future of genetics with more people around the world.
Thank you to the Festival of Genomics for its revenue-sharing model to support the work of pgEd.
And thank YOU for choosing the paid registration options for the Festival. Your support will help realize the goal of raising broad societal awareness of the benefits and implications of personal genetics.