Technology and Citizenry: A Model for Public Consultation in Science Policy Formation
Gregory Fowler and Kirk Allison
Journal of Evolution and Technology, Vol. 18 Issue 1 – May 2008 – pgs 56-69
Probably the most interesting feature of the 40-year history of biomedical biotechnology is the extent to which it has been open to — and influenced by — concerns over social values and the public’s voice. Good intentions notwithstanding, however, benchmarks and best practices are woefully lacking for informing the policy-making process with public values. This is particularly true in the United States where the call for “public debate” is often heard but seldom heeded by policy-making bodies. This paper describes the Geneforum model structured to intensify the democratization of policy decision-making, in general, using genomic science, in particular, as one example of its application.
Linking the Public Voice with the Genetic Policy Process: A Case Study
Gregory Fowler, Ph.D.
August, 2001
The application of genetic information will shape economies and lives throughout the next century and beyond. At the current pace of discovery, genetic research will bring advances in pharmaceuticals and therapeutic treatments that not only serve to reduce human suffering, but also offer people new choices and greater control over their lives. But, what humanity will do with this new technology and knowledge remains to be seen.
Linking Scientific Progress with Public Participation
Gregory L. Fowler
Provender Journal, May-June 2001, Vol. 18, Issue 3
Whether we like it or not, the world we live in has changed a great deal in the last hundred years. Of all the great inventions and discoveries during that time, perhaps the most impressive is our improved understanding of the structure and function of living cells and particularly the discovery of the double DNA helix by Watson and Crick, in 1953.
Rewards and Risks of Genetic Research: The Oregon Story
Gregory Fowler, Barry Anderson and Michael Garland
National Conference of State Legislatures, Genetics Technologies Project, Blue Ribbon Panel on Human Genetic Technologies, Committee on Privacy, Privacy White Paper, April 15, 2001
How do we make laws which assure health care consumers that their personal privacy will be maintained-and their own genetic information will not be used against them-at the same time, encourage the advancement of genetic research designed to improve human health and enrich the quality of human life?
Genetic Privacy Issues Call for Public Discussion
Gregory L. Fowler
The Oregonian, 10/14/2000
Virtually no part of our individual and collective lives will remain untouched by the genetic revolution of the 21st century: the food we eat, the way we date and marry, the way we have our babies, the way our children are raised and educated, the way we work, the way we engage in politics, the way we express our faith, the way we perceive the world around us and our place in it.
The Public Perceptions of the Rewards and Risks of Genetic Research: The Oregon Story
Greg Fowler and Barry Anderson
AAAS Professional Ethics Report, Volume 13 (4), Fall 2000
How does the public perceive the rewards and risks of Genetic Research? Geneforum has been working in conjunction with Oregonians throughout the state to find out what the public really thinks.
Bioethics: On the Move in Oregon High Schools
Gregory L. Fowler
The Oregon Science Teacher, Volume 40, Issue 5, May/June 1999
Visits to five Oregon high schools lying in each of Oregon’s four geographical quadrants, pre- and post-visit curriculum planning sessions with ten science teachers, and lively classroom discussions about the “new genetics” with more than 350 energized high school students has convinced me Aristotle had the right idea about education.
Guest Editorial: The Human Genome Project–What’s The Public Got To Do With It?
Gregory L. Fowler
Public Understanding of Science 8 (1999) 153-159
The potential application of genetic technology to humans raises a host of moral, ethical, and religious questions about who we are, where we come from, and the ends and purposes of our lives.