Debating the Ethics of Consumer Genotyping February 11, 2009

Debating the Ethics of Consumer Genotyping
With science making leaps and bounds in genomics, experts debate the thorny ethical issues coming to the fore
INFORUM's SFDebate presents: Debating the Ethics of Personal Genetics

Mildred Cho, Associate Director, Stanford Center for BioMedical Ethics
Erin Davis Cline, Science Writer, 23 and me
Watson and Crick probably never dreamed they'd be able to sequence their own genomes less than 60 years after they discovered the structure of DNA. Flash forward to today: Technological breakthroughs allow us to cheaply and quickly sequence an individual's genome and look for specific genes. What do we do with this information, and what are the ethical concerns? Should genetic information be made public, regulated by the government, or done only through a doctor? Our SF Debate event will explore ethical questions around the information revealed by genome sequencing and how that information is used or protected.
SF Debate is INFORUM's bi-weekly event, and is structured somewhat like a formal debate, with participants posing arguments to support their views on the issue at hand.

Location: Exploratorium McBean Theatre
Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7-8:30 p.m. debate
Cost: INFORUM/EXPLORATORIUM MEMBERS FREE, $5 non-members
Also know: Co-presented by The Exploratorium:The Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception. The museum will not be open to the public during this event. The event is limited to 120 people.