Monday Afternoon Series

This four-semester seminar combines speakers, class discussions, books, and film to familiarize students with some of the rapidly changing topics in human genetics. Lectures cover state-of-the-art subjects that have not been fully covered elsewhere in the curriculum. Recent topics have included adult siblings with Down Syndrome, positive exposure, and direct-to-consumer testing. Activities are designed to stimulate discussion about a variety of issues facing families dealing with genetic conditions or risk, including: familial relationships and conflicts, morbidity and chronic illness, death and dying, personal and familial crises, and birth defects. Lastly, discussions, debates, and panels are scheduled to stimulate discourse about other critical aspects of genetic counseling, including provision of health care, sensitization to minority issues and disability, and ethical dilemmas.