Project Narrative This study would be the first to develop an initial bioethics framework to meet a critical gap in biomedical data modeling activities, where the downstream consequences of developing data models without careful and comprehensive review of ethical issues can be severe?not least because poorly developed data models have the potential to impact adversely the health of individuals, groups, and communities.
PROJECT NARRATIVE This project will identify ways to demonstrate respect to prospective research participants that incorporate the perspectives of diverse patient populations who have been historically underrepresented in research. Demonstrating respect in a way that is meaningful to patients from diverse backgrounds has the potential to contribute positively to trusting, collaborative investigator-participant partnerships and to increase recruitment and retention in both the short term and the long term.
PROJECT NARRATIVE The goal of the biennial ELSI Congress is to provide a dedicated, regularly scheduled meeting for researchers focused on the ethical, legal and social implications of genetic and genomic research and its translation into clinical care.
PROJECT NARRATIVE The proposed K01 Award?'Evaluating the Risks and Benefits of the Next Generation of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Tests??will enable the candidate to acquire the academic background, research experience, and professional skills to become an independent ELSI investigator exploring the risks and benefits of current and emerging direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests.
PROJECT NARRATIVE Advances in genome editing, embryology, and stem cell science are making it possible to imagine, and create, new kinds of human-animal chimeras that are both more biologically and more ethically complex than previously created chimeras. This project aims to develop clear, reasoned, and practical recommendations and educational materials to assist researchers, research institutions and their oversight bodies, funders and the public in identifying, understanding, and managing the ethical issues associated with human-animal chimera research.
The proposed R25 Research Education Program is devoted to building a 15-month research mentorship program at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (BI) for students from diverse, underrepresented groups and backgrounds, to help diversify the pool of ELSI researchers and thus enrich scholarship in genomics and society studies. Trainees will learn research skills, build networks, and gain exposure to the range of possible training and career options in ELSI research.
PROJECT NARRATIVE The goal of this study is to study the effect of COVID-19 on prenatal healthcare delivery, specifically patients' ability to access prenatal genetic screening and diagnostic tests in an informed and evidence- based fashion. By doing so, we will identify whether serious short term health issues for women, children, and families are resulting from the pandemic and develop readily-deployable and scalable solutions to ensure women's informed access to high-quality prenatal care during future public health crises.
This Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) will prepare the candidate to become an interdisciplinary ELSI researcher with a high-quality, independently funded research program exploring the influence of the genome sciences ? including epigenetics ? on conceptualizations and understandings of health, disease, and individual responsibility. This study examines conceptualizations of epigenetics related to children's psychiatric, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental health and their translation to community settings.
PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project will explore the ethical, social, and cultural issues of the American Indians in regards to genetic research. Engaging tribal leaders and relevant stakeholders such as scientists, clinicians, and policy makers on issues around genetic research will create a more complete understanding of these challenges and enable them to create policies that may permit greater participation by American Indians and their tribes.
PROJECT NARRATIVE We will undertake epidemiological, historical and mixed-methods analysis of nearly 30,000 eugenic sterilization requests processed by three U.S. states: California, North Carolina, and Iowa, between 1919 and 1974. Working with de-identified datasets and using methods we developed during the R21 phase of this project, we will estimate and compare population-based rates of sterilization according to gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, diagnosis, state, and time period.