How has the genetic revolution changed our ideas of the human body and
human identity? How has it changed diagnosis and treatment of serious
illnesses?
It is more than one hundred years since the term ‘genetics’ was
coined, more than fifty years since the determination of the structure
of DNA, the genetic blueprint, and ten years since the entire human
genome was sequenced. What have these discoveries taught humans about
themselves, and how can we use this knowledge to improve our lives?
This discussion will examine how the genetic revolution has
influenced our understanding of health and human identity. The success
of the Human Genome Project was announced with much fanfare,
congratulations and speculation about the applications of the knowledge
that was made available, but what did humans know about the practical
implications of genetics before it was a laboratory science? How can the
information contained within the human genome be used to improve human
health? And what can we determine about the evolution of the human
species from our genetic code? Prominent scientists in the field of
molecular genetics will introduce these topics before a broader panel
discussion about how our ideas of the human health and identity have
been, and will continue to be shaped by our genome.