Description:

Aaron Goldenberg, Ph.D. MPH
Associate Professor of Bioethics
Associate Director of the Center for Genetic Research Ethics and Law
Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

The utilization of next generation genomic sequencing in newborns has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of childhood disease and improve the clinical care of newborns. However, the use of genomic platforms in the postnatal period raises a number of ethical and social challenges for providers, public health departments, and families as they attempt to manage and communicate large amounts of complex genomic information. This presentation will explore both the potential benefits and ethical challenges of utilizing genomic sequencing in newborns. Additionally, it will review findings from a recent set of empirical studies on public health and parental perspectives on "genomic newborn screening."

Dr. Aaron Goldenberg is an Associate Professor of Bioethics and Associate Director of the Center for Genetic Research Ethics and Law at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Goldenberg’s work has focused on the ethical, legal, and social implications of advances in genomics within clinical and public health settings. His research program has been grounded by a number of major project areas, including: 1) ethical implications of expanding newborn screening programs; 2) storage and use of perinatal and pediatric biological specimens for future research; 3) implications of genetics and gene-environment interactions for racial/ethnic minorities and other communities experiencing health disparities. Dr. Goldenberg is also the Director of Research for the Department of Bioethics at Case Western and the Ethics Core Director for the Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology.

Reception to follow.