Giovanni Parmigiani (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
First-Year Seminar 22H | 4 Credits (Fall 2024) | CANVAS SITE
Thursday, 03:45 PM–05:45 PM
The effect of a persons genetic background on whether they will develop cancer, and when, is atthe center of scientific and societal dilemmas which will be explored in this seminar. The seminar will include a brief didactic phase, followed by student‐led learning activities and by final debates, moderated by students. Learning will cover genetic inheritance of cancer; cancer evolutionary theories; conceptual and technical notions of probability and risk; and their use in personalized medicine. Debates will emerge from the students interest. Examples may include: should we test all children at birth? Should we research methods for editing genetic susceptibility to cancer out of embryos? Should race be part of the construction of personalized cancer risk? NASA is both an employer and a health care provider for astronauts: space missions increase astronauts risk of cancer; should Nasa test astronauts for inherited susceptibility to cancer, and how should they use the information?
Note: There are no strict prerequisites, though some familiarity with the basic concepts of probability and genetics will be very helpful.