S&S Roundtable - To Test or Not To Test: Ethical Decision-Making & Genetic Diseases, with Jeff Carroll

Huntington’s Disease is a dominant, fatal, neurodegenerative disease. These features suggest that studies of Huntington’s Disease should focus on prevention, not symptom relief, and clinical trials should focus on pre-symptomatic disease carriers. However, these trials require a large number of participants willing to undergo predictive genetic testing.

How can we balance patient choice with the potential benefits of predictive testing to get beyond symptom treatment towards prevention? Dr. Jeff Carroll will discuss the challenges and ethical questions around patient autonomy, genetic testing, and the search for a cure.

Jeff Carroll is a Huntington’s Disease family member, a mutation carrier, and a researcher at Western Washington University. He received his positive genetic test result for HD in 2003 and is the father to twins born from a successful round of PGD (pre-implantation genetic diagnosis) started in 2005.

Co-sponsored with the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine. No RSVP is required for this event, but if you would like a reminder as the date approaches, submit your info below.

Map – Duke Hospital Lecture Hall 2002 is located one floor directly above the hospital’s main lobby entrance.

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