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Nathaniel Comfort, PhD, author of The Science of Human Perfection: How Genes Became the Heart of American Medicine and a forthcoming biography on James Watson, talks about medical genetics and eugenics as "two sides of the same coin," and cautions that there is no simple, bright line between the two pursuits. KEY TOPICS Reading from The Science of Human Perfection: How Genes Became the Heart of American Medicine by Nathaniel Comfort, PhD How should clinicians and prospective parents think about ...
In this open and vulnerable conversation, host Susanna Smith talks with Tiffany Graham Charkosky, author of Living Proof: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy , about their shared experiences of living with genetic risks, in Tiffany's case Lynch syndrome and in Susanna's case CADASIL. They chat about the unique psychological state of living for decades as a healthy person who is also at risk of a serious disease, their feelings of guilt, responsibility, and shame, and the spaciousness that can be foun...
Summary Alexandra Minna Stern, PhD, author of Proud Boys and the White Ethnostate talks about how the American far right views genetics, genetic technologies, eugenics, and science and the emerging political threat of 21st century eugenics ideology and policies. Episode Transcript available at: https://www.geneticfrontiers.org/transcript-ep-12 Key Topics How does the American far right view genetics and genetic technologies? What is the history of the American pursuit of choosing smarter childre...
Part of Genetic Frontiers Season 2: Genetics in American Politics & Culture, Sue Currell, PhD, discusses the disturbing echoes of eugenic thinking in American politics today. She calls eugenics "the backbone of political control and a progressive meritocracy," and argues that "grip of eugenic ideas on American politics today is a political failure to imagine a world where value is not profit." Visit geneticfrontiers.org to hear more episodes on the promise, power, and perils of genetic infor...
Timnit Gebru, PhD, AI expert, advocate, and founder of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and Émile P. Torres, PhD, a philosopher, discuss how eugenic ideologies are influencing Silicon Valley and driving the push for artificial general intelligence. They talk about how eugenic thinking pervades American culture, including Big Tech and medicine, and is foundational to the worldviews of some of the powerful people in the United States today. KEY TOPICS Introduction to main idea of TESCR...
A conversation with an award-winning science journalist and author, Angela Saini, about the alluring but dangerous pursuit of "improving" the human species through genetics and how it's driving American politics and policy today. TOPICS The ideology of eugenics is fundamentally driven by a pursuit that can seem deceptively desirable: the "improvement of the human species." What does it really mean to "improve" people? How does the pursuit of perfection drive eugenic thinking? How are you thinkin...
In this episode, Chelsey Carter, PhD, and Brett Maricque, PhD, founders of the Black Genome Project ( https://www.blackgenomeproject.org/) talk about their work to understand how Black communities value their genomes and genetic data, how genetic research is impacting Black communities in St. Louis, and whether genomic sequencing is valuable for everyone. TOPICS Introduction to the Chelsey Carter, PhD; Brett Marique, PhD, and the Black Genome Project Discussion of how the Black Genome Project is...
In this episode, Arielle Silverman, PhD, Director of Research for the American Foundation for the Blind, discusses genetic difference and disability, including her own congenital blindness and the need to move towards a more inclusivity-focused mindset. She shares insights from her book Just Human: The Quest for Disability Wisdom, Respect, and Inclusion as well as her research. KEY TOPICS Introduction to genetic difference & disability, Dr. Arielle Silverman, Director of Research for the Ame...
Eugenics is at the core of the emergence of the genetic counseling profession. In this episode, Alexandra Minna Stern, PhD, the Humanities Dean at UCLA, a historian, and researcher, discusses how this entanglement casts a long shadow over the profession and offers important historical context for some of the present day challenges facing the fields of genetics and genomics. KEY TOPICS Introduction to the Professor Alexandra Minna Stern and background on the genetic counseling profession and the ...
"Informed consent" has long been held up as the gold standard of patient care in Western medicine. In this episode of Genetic Frontiers, Blair Stevens, MS, CGC, Director of Prenatal Genetic Counseling Services at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston talks about what informed consent means when it comes to making hundreds of choices about genetic testing around pregnancy. She also discusses the computer module a team at UTHealth Houston created to support prenatal genetic decision-making a...
Episode Summary In this episode, Lisa Schlager, the Vice President of Public Policy at FORCE, a national advocacy organization, discusses genetic testing, prevention, treatment, and legal protections for people at risk for hereditary cancer. KEY TOPICS Introduction: concerns of people at risk of hereditary cancer; FORCE, a national advocacy organization; and Lisa Schlager, VP of Public Policy at FORCE [00:00 - 3:15] Tell us about your personal journey with hereditary cancer, and how you got invo...
Episode Summary In this episode, Kendra Schaa, ScM, LGC, a prenatal genetic counselor at a major medical center talks about the importance of the therapeutic model in meeting patients where they are. She also discusses how prenatal genetic counseling is influenced by the profession's roots in biology over psychology, the skyrocketing number of genetic tests, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Full episode & transcript at: https://www.geneticfrontiers.org/episode3-kendra-schaa KEY TOPICS Int...
Genetic Frontiers delves into how direct-to-consumer DNA testing and advanced genetic screening have profoundly impacted the sperm banking industry. Guest Katie Lee Hornberger, a certified genetic counselor, discusses the shift from anonymity to greater transparency regarding biological relationships, genetic risks, and family medical histories. The episode examines current donor limitations, evolving risk perceptions, and the future of sperm banking with a focus on openness, new legislation, and ongoing relationships with donors and recipients.
In this episode, Dr. Nerine Gregersen discusses the profound emotional and existential impacts of learning genetic information. She shares her journey from clinical genetics to logotherapy, a form of psychotherapy focused on finding meaning, explaining how it provides crucial support beyond just medical information. The conversation explores how logotherapy can help individuals navigate the challenges and identity shifts triggered by genetic discoveries and advocates for a more humanistic and empathetic approach in healthcare.
In this episode of Genetic Frontiers, host, Susanna Smith, MPH, shares her personal story of living as a previvor of an incurable, genetic disease, which is part of the impetus for the podcast and at the center of a book she is working on. Get episode details on Genetic Frontiers .
