Roundtable discussion: “Does genetic and genomic screening keep open the door to eugenics?”

Abstract: In December 2021, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) hosted an historic symposium that addressed the history of eugenics and scientific racism and their complex legacies in the modern health sciences. The symposium illustrated the urgent need for more public discussion on the connection between existing and emerging genetic and genomic screening technologies and the legacies of eugenics. During this roundtable, scholars and scientists will answer audience questions and address the complexities surrounding historical and present-day eugenics and scientific racism in the context of existing and developing genetic and genomic screening technologies. They will characterize the historical connections between the eugenics movement and genetic counseling, as well as charting the development of contemporary genetic counseling, reproductive choice and clinically informed decision-making. Panelists will also discuss societal, ethical and philosophical issues surrounding preimplantation genetic diagnosis, noninvasive prenatal testing, and newborn sequencing and screening. 
 
Program information and registration
 
Sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute