Alyssa’s Big Apple Adventures Part Three

Alyssa’s Big Apple Adventures Part Three: “Genomics Enters the Clinic: What Should Savvy Consumers Know?”

I was greeted in the lobby of 7 World Trade Center by two receptionists who checked me into the event by verifying my registration information I completed in the Spring. Then they gave me directions to the event on the 40^th floor of the World Trade Center building. The elevator ride alone felt like a roller-coaster, it took no more than a few seconds to zip all the way up to one of the top floors of the building, and when the elevator doors opened, I was amazed. The New York Academy of Sciences has a beautiful space, it is very open and welcoming with huge glass windows lighting the interior. The foyer was elegantly designed with a standout white piece of architecture dividing the reception area from the lounge with an extraordinary view. The view was one I could never forget. The sights of the city at dusk right before the conference began with all of its lights and grandeur was breathtaking. I felt as though I could see every inch of Manhattan from the position I was standing. The view from a skyscraper is definitely something a girl from a small, flat South Floridian beach town could never get used to! And with that, I had finally arrived at the “Genomics Enters the Clinic: What Should Savvy Consumers Know?” conference, a bioethics conference which analyzed the progression of ethics in the historical context of technological advancements in genomics. The conference was presented by the Aspen Brain Institute, The Hastings Center, and The New York Academy of Sciences. 

I proceeded down the hallway to the conference room and was amazed by the magnitude of the conference. Seating was arranged in 3 large sections that arced around the stage. The first couple of rows were already full of reporters and there were photographers and videographers throughout the room. I sat next to and befriended a recent Auburn graduate who was interning at a local radio station. They had sent her to the conference to later do a report on their show about the conference's discussion and findings. The topics of conversation were very interesting and highlighted my favorite topics. The conference as a whole was meant to serve as a communal discussion. There was an open dialogue amongst the panelists that later integrated  two doctors from Columbia University who study technological advancements in gene editing and law, a doctor from Weil Cornell Medical College who studies epigenetics and gene therapy, and a doctor from the University of Pennsylvania who studies neuroscience. The panel was moderated by Dr. Solomon, an affiliate of The Hasting's Center and Harvard Medical School’s Bioethics program. My favorite discussion during the conference had to be the ethics behind sequencing newborns, whether mandatory policies should be implemented in hospitals, and who has the right to access that information.
the audience about the popularization of having access to your personal genetic information and how new technologies allowing for this have adjusted clinical practices and created a new popular market that is reaping in profits. The panelists included a bioethicist from The Hastings Center who focuses on the application of biotech in reproduction,


After the conference, there was a reception where I was able to discuss some of my personal inquiries about the content discussed with the panelists one-on-one. I was able to ask about and discuss the possible effects of accessibility to genetic information from commercialized products on HIPAA laws with the Columbia University law school affiliate. I also had a stimulating conversation with the affiliate of UPenn about the innate human curiosity to want to know specific information about your genes. We discussed how personal reasons for submitting your DNA to a company could vary, but also about how certain genomic companies offer better services through their more intriguing findings. Some companies will discover your ancestry and lineage which is interesting, especially considering how many people might have lost touch with their early roots. Other companies that also make large profits, which is perplexing to me because their services seem almost trivial compared to other companies, determine whether you are genetically inclined to have a widow’s peak or detached earlobes. In summation, however, we could all agree that genomics is a rising field no longer just in the scientific world but also now in public popularity. All in all, it was my favorite night in the big city!