What is personal genetics? What might it mean for me, my family and society? What is personal genetics? What might it mean for me, my family and society? Personal Genetics Education Project Harvard Medical School

Do Now: Discuss with the following questions with the person (or people) next to you - 1.What are the potential benefits to knowing more about your genetic predisposition to disease? 2.What are the possible negatives to knowing?

Why is genetics getting more personal? Insights about our health, behavior, family history and other traits Highly personal information with personal, social and familial impact Genetic testing available directly to consumers Because learning about our own DNA is rapidly becoming inexpensive and accessible

“Under $1000 dollars in this decade” “Widely available in the next 5-10 years” “Transforming health care for the next generation” Sources: New York Times Why does this matter to you?

A true story highlights the promise of personalized medicine

Angelina Jolie reveals she chose to undergo a double mastectomy Jolie had a genetic test and found she carried a genetic mutation – doctors estimated an 87% chance she would get breast cancer Personal Choices Based on Genetic Information

Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Fetus and mother share a blood supply Fetal cells release DNA that enters the maternal blood stream Maternal blood now contains a mixture of maternal cell-free DNA and fetal cell-free DNA

What might a “sports gene test” tell us?

“DNA tests locate genetic branches of African American’s family trees” Photo credit: Steve Mellon

iPad 2012 ENIAC 1946 Technological Advances

Oxford Nanopore MinION 2012 Applied Biosystems 3730 DNA Analyzers 2002 Genome Sequencing Technology

Direct-to-consumer analysis for sale on the internet

Fun Stuff

Health-related Risks

personal genetics education project Personal genomes: what are the challenges? 1. How far ahead is the technology of its clinical usefulness? 2. How much might this information impact you and your family? 3. Will fair weight be given to environmental & social factors? 4. How much should we be concerned about discrimination at work and by insurance companies? 5. How can we ensure access for all?

Four Corners activity

People should get counseling from a doctor or genetic counselor when they get genetic testing because they won’t be able to handle the information otherwise.

People should have the right to learn whatever they want to about their DNA because it is their own body.

I would only want to find out my likelihood of developing a disease if there are ways to prevent or treat it.

Parents undergoing in-vitro fertilization should have the option to screen embryos for serious disease.

Parents should be able to choose a child’s traits for non- medical issues such as as eye color, sex, and athletic ability.

Some people are better suited for certain jobs based on their DNA.

Parents should be able to find out whatever they would like about their children’s DNA before they turn 18.

I would want to know if someone I was dating had a genetic condition that would likely cause a serious disease.