Genomic Messages: How the Evolving Science of Genetics Affects Our Health, Families, and Future

Two leaders in the field of genetics—a bioethicist-health lawyer and an obstetrician-gynecologist geneticist—answer the most pressing questions about the application of new genetics to our universal medicine and what personalized medicine means for individual healthcare.

Breakthroughs in genetic research are changing modern medicine and pharmaceuticals. But what are these changes and how do they affect our individual care? Genomic Messages examines these groundbreaking changes and the questions they raise: What kind of specific medical innovation do we have to look forward to now and tomorrow? How will this “flood” of genetic messages change our lives, our interaction with our physicians and our healthcare system?

Groundbreaking and provocative, Genomic Messages fuses the often conflicting worlds of medicine and law to provide information and insight that will impact the health choices of every one of us, from how medicine is practiced to concepts of privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent. Ultimately, it reveals how genetic information is changing how we think about ourselves, our health, and our future.

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Making Sense of Genomics, Personalized Medicine, and the Future of Healthcare

Two leaders in the field of genetics—a bioethicist-health lawyer and an obstetrician-gynecologist geneticist—answer the most pressing questions about the application of new genetics to our universal medicine and what personalized medicine means for individual healthcare.

Breakthroughs in genetic research are changing modern medicine and pharma-ceuticals. But what are these changes and how do they affect our individual care? Genomic Messages examines these groundbreaking changes and the questions they raise: What kind of specific medical innovation do we have to look forward to now and tomorrow? How will this “flood” of genetic messages change our lives, our interaction with our physicians, and our healthcare system?

Groundbreaking and provocative, Genomic Messages fuses the often conflicting worlds of medicine and law to provide information and insight that will impact the health choices of every one of us—from how medicine is practiced to concepts of privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent. Ultimately, it reveals how genetic information is changing how we think about ourselves, our health, and our future. |

“With compassion and insight, Annas and Elias weave scientific knowledge, legal principles, and social observations to help us confront our genetic future. As all of us face decisions as patients about whether to undergo genetic tests and as citizens about whether to ban genetic tampering, Genomic Messages provides direction as we unfold our genetic maps - Lori Andrews, Professor of Law, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law

“It is often said that the field of genetics is moving so fast that ethics and the law cannot keep up. This is not the case if you read this comprehensive, accessible, and engaging book by two of the world’s outstanding analysts of the issues raised by rapid advances in genomic science. Annas and Elias remove any reason for thinking science has outpaced society’s ability to wrestle with the key issues.” - Arthur L. Caplan, Ph.D Head Division of Medical Ethics, New York University Langone Medical Center

“Beginning tomorrow, your health, privacy, and peace of mind could be imperiled if you fail to heed the compelling content and insightful advice of George Annas and Sherman Elias in Genomic Messages.” - Jerome P. Kassirer, , M.D. Distinguished Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, The New England Journal of Medicine

“It is often said that the field of genetics is moving so fast that ethics and the law cannot keep up. This is not the case if you read this comprehensive, accessible, and engaging book …” - Arthur L. Caplan, Ph.D Head Division of Medical Ethics, New York University Langone Medical Center

“ As all of us face decisions as patients about whether to undergo genetic tests and as citizens about whether to ban genetic tampering, Genomic Messages provides direction as we unfold our genetic maps - Lori Andrews, Professor of Law, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law

“Using well-researched science and poignant stories of people who have benefited and been victimized by genomics, Annas and Elias propose ways we can control the use of genomics on ourselves and our families to gain its benefits, without falling prey to this unregulated technology, eroding our privacy, and becoming needlessly alarmed by unwanted genomic messages.” - Sidney M. Wolfe, MD, Founder, Senior Advisor, Public Citizen's Health Research Group and www.WorstPills.org

“ Annas and Elias propose ways we can control the use of genomics on ourselves and our families to gain its benefits, without falling prey to this unregulated technology, eroding our privacy, and becoming needlessly alarmed by unwanted genomic messages.” - Sidney M. Wolfe, MD, Founder, Senior Advisor Public Citizen's Health Research Group and www.WorstPills.org

“Through telling the stories of actual patients, Annas and Elias identify the key issues that need addressing as we advance toward a future where genomics will be commonplace in clinical care and precision medicine will be known as just medicine.” - The Scientist