Genomics Enters the Clinic: What Should Savvy Consumers Know?

Sixteen years after completion of The Human Genome Project, and more than half a century after the discovery of the structure of DNA, genetics is finally being integrated into the clinic. Cancer patients are having their cancer’s genome sequenced, fertility patients are having their embryos tested, and parents are being offered sequencing of their newborn babies. At the same time, genetics services are also being offered directly to consumers, sold as a way to complete their family trees or identify their risk for a variety of health conditions. These scientific advances bring huge benefits to human health and scientific understanding. But as with all major scientific advances, maximizing the benefits requires knowledge of the pitfalls, limitations, and trade-offs. As we enter the new era, what do potential users of genomics—whether they be patients or consumers—need to know?

To explore these questions, The New York Academy of Sciences, jointly with the Aspen Brain Institute, and The Hastings Center, will bring together scientists, ethicists, philosophers, and other experts, for an evening public event titled Genomics Enters the Clinic: What Should Savvy Consumers Know? The program will examine the history of genomics and recent advances in genomic technologies with a twin focus on the science and ethics of gene editing, cancer genetics, reproductive medicine, and direct-to-consumer tests.











When: Tue., Jun. 11, 2019 at 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Where: New York Academy of Sciences
250 Greenwich St., 40th Floor
212-298-8600
Price: $40
Buy tickets/get more info now
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Sixteen years after completion of The Human Genome Project, and more than half a century after the discovery of the structure of DNA, genetics is finally being integrated into the clinic. Cancer patients are having their cancer’s genome sequenced, fertility patients are having their embryos tested, and parents are being offered sequencing of their newborn babies. At the same time, genetics services are also being offered directly to consumers, sold as a way to complete their family trees or identify their risk for a variety of health conditions. These scientific advances bring huge benefits to human health and scientific understanding. But as with all major scientific advances, maximizing the benefits requires knowledge of the pitfalls, limitations, and trade-offs. As we enter the new era, what do potential users of genomics—whether they be patients or consumers—need to know?

To explore these questions, The New York Academy of Sciences, jointly with the Aspen Brain Institute, and The Hastings Center, will bring together scientists, ethicists, philosophers, and other experts, for an evening public event titled Genomics Enters the Clinic: What Should Savvy Consumers Know? The program will examine the history of genomics and recent advances in genomic technologies with a twin focus on the science and ethics of gene editing, cancer genetics, reproductive medicine, and direct-to-consumer tests.

Buy tickets/get more info now