Anthropology, Genetic Diversity, and Ethics

Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13, 1999.

Researchers interested in genetic diversity of human populations face an
array of ethical questions including:

What is informed consent in a population that is unfamiliar with genetic
testing?
Does permission from the national, state, or local government to conduct a
project have meaning for the particular population studied?
What does informed consent mean when both the individual and the
population are involved? Can consent be withdrawn?
What benefits will a population derive from participation in these
projects?
Are there any detriments to participation in these projects?
How can the culture of the population be taken into account in the design
and implementation of these projects?
What about patents and other commercial agreements?

These questions and others that are vital for researchers in genetics and
anthropology will be addressed at the workshop, Anthropology, Genetic
Diversity, and Ethics. The goal of the workshop is to bring together
scientists interested in pursuing genetic research on diverse populations
with anthropologists, ethicists, attorneys, and representatives of
populations who have considerable familiarity with the ethical and
cultural issues involved in such undertakings. The workshop will use both
presentations and small group sessions to discuss issues such as informed
consent, commercial agreements, and the use of genetic information.

We invite participants to bring case studies, ethical issues, and other
topics for discussion. Participation is limited. Participants will be
provided with readings prior to the workshop.

Participants include:

Michael Bamshad (University of Utah)
Frank Duckepoo (Northern Arizona University)
Albert Flores (California State, Fullerton)
Morris Foster (Univ. of Oklahoma)
Jonathan Friedlaender (Temple Univ.)
Henry Greely (Stanford Univ.)
Lynn Jorde (Univ. of Utah)
Eric Juengst (Case Western Reserve)
Frederika Kaestle (Univ. of Michigan)
Jeffrey Long (NIH)
Alice Martin (Intellectual Property Attorney)
John Moore (Univ. of Florida)
Charmaine Royal (NIH)


The registration fee is $135.00 and includes one lunch and two dinners.
The deadline for registration is February 1, 1999. Because space is
limited, we suggest making reservations early. Please make all checks
payable to the Center for Twentieth Century Studies and mail to: Center
for Twentieth Century Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box
413, Milwaukee, WI 53201 USA.

Accommodations: The Park East Hotel (916 East State Street, Milwaukee;
tel: 414-276-8800 or 1-800-328-7275) is located downtown near the lake and
the Milwaukee Art Museum some 10-15 minutes from the University by car and
bus. Single room rate is $65; double and triple rate is $75, including
continental breakfast and free parking. Shuttle service will be available.
Please make hotel reservations directly by January 20 (when making
reservations, please indicate you are attending the workshop on
Anthropology, Genetic Diversity, and Ethics to secure special university
rates).

Preliminary Program
Anthropology, Genetic Diversity and Ethics

These topics will be addressed during the workshop. Each section will
include individual presentation followed by small group discussion and
full session summary.

I. Issues Relating to Population Definition
Who is the "group"? What constitutes group consent? What are the
potential problems?

Morris Foster
Charmaine Royal
Frank Dukepoo
John Moore

II. Examples of Successful Research Collaborations
Lynn Jorde
Michael Bamshad
Jonathan Friedlaender
Jeffrey Long

III. To what degree is ethics universal vs. culturally determined
Henry Greely
Eric Juengst
John Moore
Charmaine Royal
Albert Flores

IV. Ancient DNA
Frederika Kaestle
Dennis O'Rourke

V. Plenary Lecture
Legal Issues in Patent Law
Alice Martin

For further information, you can contact:
Angela C. Shand [[log in to unmask]]
Department of Anthropology
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: 414-229-6000
Fax: 414-229-5848






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