Religion and Genomics: Navigating Pathways and Perspectives of Patient Care

Individuals' religious beliefs and practices can be implicated and challenged as they deal with the consequences of advances in genomics. While many people can reconcile these two bodies of knowledge, others are made uneasy or distressed by this new science in ways that affect their personal and political choices. For the past two years with the support of the Center for the Study of Religion and Culture at Vanderbilt, faculty, staff, and graduate students at Vanderbilt University and Meharry Medical College, one of the nation's most distinguished historically black medical schools, have been working together to understand the role religion plays as clinicians - genetic counselors, nurses, and physicians, - clergy, and patients deal with learning about genetic contributions to disease in the clinical setting. Our work in this area has been both conceptual and empirical, with each inquiry informing and enriching the other. Other scholars around the country have been exploring this critical intersection as well. We seek funding in this application for a pre-conference meeting and an invited conference to bring our group together with investigators involved in transdisciplinary projects around the country as well as local participants from the clinic, the church, and the public. Our purpose is to identify: 1) What is currently understood about the role religion plays in individuals' response to genetic information; 2) What is currently understood about the role religion plays in shaping clinicians' and clergy's efforts to assist patients and parishioners when dealing with genetic information; and 3) What resources are needed to assist patients, clinicians, and clergy. We anticipate that the outcomes of our work together will be a richer understanding of these issues, a series of publications directed toward clinicians and clergy, and collaborations for future explorations.