Project Narrative The lack of American Indian and Alaska Native professionals in genomic sciences today highlights the tremendous need for effective training and research programs to prepare the next generation of indigenous students to be successful in their pursuit of careers in genetics research. This program combines didactic and experiential training activities, together with indigenous and community-based models of learning, to engage underrepresented Native students in research on the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics research.

Biomedical research involving humans generates results that fall on a continuum of potential interest to participants. Some results, such as blood pressure, have obvious clinical utility, and elevated blood pressure is actionable by taking blood pressure medication. At the other end of the continuum, results from research on the genetics of complex diseases holds great promise for future clinical management; however the results are not immediately actionable and may only be of scientific interest.

American Indian and Alaska Native concerns about genomic research have, in a very real sense, been foundational in ethical, legal, and social implications scholarship. Sadly, many of these issues remain unresolved. Concerns about the protection of samples and data continue to engage many tribal communities, as do problems with the actual and potential abuse of genetic information. At the same time, many tribes are creating new relationships between science and society, especially in tribal research offices that are increasingly common.

Prenatal genetic services have expanded at an extraordinary pace over the past 4 years with the development of fetal genome sequencing using cell-free placental DNA in maternal serum. Some commentators predict that this new technology, which allows for noninvasive determination of an increasingly wide range of maternal-fetal health conditions, will improve prenatal care, especially in lower-resource areas.

The lack of American Indian and Alaska Native professionals in genomic sciences today highlights the tremendous need for effective training and research programs to prepare the next generation of Native students to be successful in their pursuit of careers in genetics research. Early and meaningful exposure to degree programs and research experiences are critical for the inclusion and advancement of Native students in establishing pathways toward careers in genomics.

The purpose of this study is to assess assenting and consenting adolescents choices about learning genomic research results. We will refine existing decision tools and processes to promote informed genomic decision-making through the use of focus groups with adolescents and parents recruited from an existing genomic research study and a diverse, medically-underserved community to assess whether and how recruitment pathways impact perceived value, risks, and benefits of participation in genomic research and return of personal genomic information.

Project Narrative The lack of American Indian and Alaska Native professionals in genomic sciences today highlights the tremendous need for effective training and research programs to prepare the next generation of indigenous students to be successful in their pursuit of careers in genetics research. This program combines didactic and experiential training activities, together with indigenous and community-based models of learning, to engage underrepresented Native students in research on the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics research.