EDST 391 Ethics & the Human Genome

Name:
Date:
"Calendar"

Required readings:

• McGuire et al. (2007).The future of personal genomics, Science, 317(5845), 1687.

• Please conduct a survey of at least 5 individuals. They should represent a wide spread of ages.
  • Say something like the following to your participants: "In the not too distant future, it may be possible for people to get their full genome sequenced in order to find gene combinations that indicate their probabilities of developing various diseases later in life (heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, late-onset Alzheimers, ALS, and much more)."

  • Then ask them a series of questions, of your choosing, to get their opinions on the following.
    1. Would your participants want to get their own genome scanned to learn their disease probabilities? Why or why not?
    2. Do they think that everyone should get their genomes scanned, say, for their medical records? Why or why not?

• Analyze the responses you get. What patterns, if any, do you see in their answers?

• Please refer to the reading when answering the following questions.
  1. What are the potential costs and benefits of genome screening for one's own:
     • health?
     • employment?
     • family?
  2. What are the potential costs and benefits of widespread genome screening for:
     • physicians?
     • the health system?
     • society in general?

• There will be a short quiz at the beginning of class.