Eric T. Juengst, PhD

Director, UNC Center for Bioethics,Professor, Departments of Social Medicine and Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

The application of translational genomic research to health care was initially heralded as offering a new vision of “personalized genomic medicine” that would tailor care to patients’ molecular profiles and empower them to take more active roles. As this movement evolves, odd things are happening. First, the effort to make genomic findings ‘actionable’ has led to the movement’s rebranding as “precision medicine,” seeking integration of genomic risk data with patients’ social histories and environmental exposures. Meanwhile, the same genomic variation studies that fuel the drive to individualization are reorienting the field from individuals to populations, suggesting group-targeted “precision prevention” designed to redress health disparities. Finally, as we learn more about genomic variants associated with beneficial traits, “wellness genomics” aspires go beyond traditional healthcare altogether, to help people with their personal and social goals. As each of these trajectories unfolds, it is important for “all of us” to anticipate and address their ethical pitfalls.

Seminar on Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of Genetics 

Monday, December 17, 2018 12:00-1:00pm

Rm. 10-204, Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, 10th Floor, Presbyterian Hospital (PH) Building, 622 W. 168th Street