How easy is it to strike up a conversation about genomics? Geno-what? Does the average person on the street know enough about the issues to even care? We’ve just launched a project called Socialising the Genome to explore how to turn genomics from an anti-social concept to a more social one. Animations were created from … Continue reading
We made it! Finally, the main set of results from our survey (opposite) have been published. Below is the press release the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute put out about the work. Thank you so much to those of you who took the time to complete the survey and tell us what you feel researchers should … Continue reading
This blog post is based on the talk I gave at the launch of the Nuffield Council of Bioethic’s report The collection, linking and use of data in biomedical research and health care: ethical issues on Tuesday 3 February 2015 in London. I was asked to offer a response to their report, drawing on my … Continue reading
In 2010, when the Deciphering Developmental Disorders project began screening patient genomes, we began talking to scientists, clinicians and patient families to uncover potential ethical issues. It was always our intention that the genetic data relevant to the patient’s developmental disorder would be shared with patient families as this, the diagnosis they had often waited … Continue reading
The genomic era is upon us. From the Government’s pledge to sequence 100,000 genomes to the launch of 23andMe, a private company that can offer personal genotyping for £125, having bits of your genome sequenced has become a very accessible option. Millions of us will be able to receive information encoded in the three billion chemical … Continue reading
“Why do we itch – what’s occurring in our bodies?” and “Do animals have belly buttons?” These are just a few of the questions that were fired at me by young people taking part in the Wellcome Trust funded online schools competition ‘I’m a Scientist Get Me Out of Here’. I’m really proud to have … Continue reading
Genetic screening: the voices that need to be heard.
This past Friday on the Genome Campus, Dr Anna Middleton of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute gave an interesting seminar about the method and findings of a survey she had delivered about genome ethics. I was interested because I use surveys in my work to understand people’s attitudes towards and experience of websites, but also … Continue reading
An ancestor of Prince William’s from the 19th century was half Indian, according to The Times. This claim is based on analysis of his distant cousins’ DNA. We have such technology today, but how comfortable would you be to find out what your DNA tells about you on the front page of a newspaper? Your … Continue reading
The world reacted with shock as Angelina Jolie, Hollywood actress, UN Ambassador and world renowned beauty announced in the New York Times that she had undergone a ‘cancer risk reducing’ mastectomy to decrease her chances of developing breast cancer. She had previously had genetic testing that had revealed she was a BRCA1 (Breast Cancer Gene … Continue reading
