The Illinois Humanities Council presents the fifth program in their series: “Future Perfect: Conversations on the Meaning of the Genetics Revolution.”
CHICAGO –Genetic testing provides us with new, useful, yet complex information about our future health and the health of our families. How do we decide who gets tested and what we do with test results? Our panelists will illuminate some of the challenges of these decisions and offer suggestions for how to sort through the ethical, medical, and social considerations involved in genetic testing.
In addition to the panel of scientists and ethicists, Free Street, a youth theater company, will present fictional scenarios of families and individuals dealing with the challenging decisions around genetic testing. The program also features excerpts from Kartemquin Films’ forthcoming documentary In the Family–Chicago filmmaker Joanna Rudnick’s exploration of genetic testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
“What Would You Do? Genetic Testing and Life Decisions” will take place on Tuesday, February 13 from 6:00-8:00 P.M. atIllinois Institute of Technology (IIT),
McCormick Tribune Campus Center, 3201 S. State St., Chicago. This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. To make reservations or for more information, contact the IHC at 312.422.5580 or send an email to ihc@prairie.org. This event is wheelchair accessible.
“What Would You Do?” is presented in partnership with the American Medical Association, the Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders, Illinois Institute of Technology, and National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).
This program is made possible in part through the support of The Michael Reese Health Trust.
The speakers for this program are:
Dr. Wendy Rubinstein, Medical Director of the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Center for Medical Genetics and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
Joanna Rudnick, Director of Development, Producer, Kartemquin Films
Dr. Mark Sheldon, Assistant Dean, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences; College Lecturer in Philosophy; and in the Medical Ethics and Humanities Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University (moderator and presenter)
Dr. Marion S. Verp, Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago
“What Would You Do?” is part of the Illinois Humanities Council’s year-long series, “Future Perfect: Conversations on the Meaning of the Genetics Revolution.” Programs are taking place around the state — in Carbondale, Chicago, Decatur, Jacksonville, Lewistown, Peoria, and Springfield — to increase public knowledge of genetics by engaging Illinoisans in conversations about the genetics revolution and its impact on the individual and on society. Programs feature scholars, scientists, ethicists, artists, medical professionals, and philosophers as guest speakers. For the most recent calendar of events or for more information, please visit prairie.org/genetics.
“ Future Perfect ” is funded in part by grants from the Motorola Foundation and The Boeing Company. Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ 91.5) and Illinois Channel are media sponsors for “Future Perfect.”
The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.
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