Do you know where your DNA is?
Did you know that the greater Seattle region is a hotbed for large collections of biological information and personal health information? Experts claim the collection and management of this data stands to benefit large scale medical research and could lead to exciting breakthroughs in medicine.
But collecting large banks of such personal information raises questions among experts and public alike: How are biorepositories best governed? Can I trust that my specimens and health information are secure? What are the minimal standards of donor consent for working with specimens and information? What other ethical and legal issues are there to think about? And to what extent is the promise of medical progress from biorepositories real?
I am writing today from the event itself, 25 October 2010 at CityClub Seattle and will publish a series of short posts over the next hour.
A photo of me at my laptop today:
Blog author Brian Glanz, with laptop.
— Brian Glanz for NWABR
