POLICY, PRIVACY, AND PERSONAL IDENTITY IN THE POSTGENOMICS ERA

GENETICS 335

The ability to sequence genomes rapidly has transformed our understanding of the evolution of species and human history, our approaches to improve health and medicine, as well as how we tackle global environmental challenges, and increasingly impacts our modern world. Explore the interdisciplinary connections between genetics- and genomics-based research and important current questions related to ethics, history, and public policy.

GENETICS 234

The sequencing of genomes has transformed our understanding of the evolution of species and human history, our approaches to improve health and medicine, as well as how we tackle global environmental challenges. Explore the many ways in which the sequencing of genomes is revolutionizing our world, and dive into DNA from viral to human genomes. Understand how genomes are expressed, the impact on phenotype, as well as how it can change over time and in different conditions, are processes that are essential for life and the evolution of species.

PUBAFFR 242

We have entered a new era of "big data." It is now possible to collect and analyze genetic information, digital health records, and many other types of data quickly, cheaply, and non-invasively from large numbers of people. This new wealth of information creates exciting opportunities for more targeted, individualized approaches to health care and better management of public health risks such as age-related diseases or pandemics. However, it also creates policy challenges such as privacy, discrimination, equality, and fairness. Covers what types of health-relevant data exist, how such data is typically analyzed and used, and discuss what types of applications this enables, what type of policy challenges this brings about, and which options policy makers have to deal with these challenges. Analytic methods will include regression, principal component and cluster analysis, statistical approaches for prediction, how to interpret the results of such analyses and their limitations.

ZOOLOGY 415

Covers a range of topics related to human genetics and evolution. Explores questions about what genetic differences between humans tell us about our species' evolutionary and demographic history, and conversely, how our history has shaped the genetic diversity of people living today. At a time of rapidly increasing ability to sequence huge numbers of genomes such questions play a central role in understanding how genetics impacts individuals' disease risks, how to interpret reported ancestry and family history from direct-to-consumer genotyping kits, and how genetics can (or importantly, cannot) inform descriptions of human diversity and concepts of race. Includes topics of diversity and inclusion in genomics studies, with a focus on the application and limits of results obtained from one group to our understanding of other groups.

GENETICS/MDGENET/POPHLTH 636

Provides an introduction to public health genomics through a review of fundamental principles of genetics, the use of genetic information in clinical and research settings, and its implications for disease management and prevention, and health promotion. Explores policies that guide public health and discusses current ethical, legal, and social implications of these policies.