HBEHED 610: Issues in Public Health Ethics

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Fall term; 3 credit hours

This course will address a range of issues in public health ethics. The first part of the course will provide an introduction to key ethical frameworks and concepts relevant to public health, and it will describe the overlap and the distinctions between public health and medical ethics. The remainder of the course will use a case-based approach to considering ethical dilemmas in several domains including the following: 1) resource allocation and distributive justice; 2) questions of autonomy and paternalism; 3) health promotion & disease prevention; 4) clinical care; 5) research ethics; and 6) emerging issues in public health ethics. The course will use a blend of lectures and group discussions to consider topics of interest. Students will play an active role in researching, presenting, and writing up case studies that will be used to illustrate ethical concepts and conflicts and to facilitate class discussion.

HBEHED 669: Genetics, Health Behavior and Health Education

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Winter term; 3 credit hours

This course addresses the following topics: genetics and risk communication; ethical issues in genetics research; the psychological and behavioral impact of genetic testing; public and professional knowledge and attitudes about genetics; health education needs in genetics; and emerging issues in the field (e.g. computerized delivery of genetic counseling services).

HBEHED 715: Ethical, Legal, & Social Issues in Genomics and Health

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Fall and Winter terms; 3 credit hours

Genetics and genomics research are rapidly generating scientific discoveries, technological advances, and clinical applications, each with important implications for medicine and public health. In order for the promise of the “genomics revolution” to be achieved, however, numerous ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) will need to be addresses. This weekly seminar will address a wide range of ELSI issues involved in the following areas: implementation of genetic screening and testing in medical, public health and direct-to-consumer contexts; ethics of genetics research, including challenges around informed consent, data privacy, and return of individual research results; and legal and policy options for the regulation of genetic testing, genomic research, and precision medicine.