The Bioethics Center for Health and Genomics
At the Bioethics Center for Health and Genomics (CHANGE), we stand at the intersection of cutting-edge genomic science and ethical healthcare advancement. Our mission is to navigate the complex moral landscape of rapidly evolving genomic technologies, ensuring that innovation progresses with humanity at its center.
CHANGE brings together bioethicists, scientists, healthcare practitioners, and community voices to address the profound questions that arise with genomic innovation, We encourage thoughtful dialogue throughout research, education, policy development, and public engagement.
Promoting genomics through research, education, and partnership with local communities.
To support and foster community-engaged research, education and service that advances health through genomics.
Director: Aaron Goldenberg, PhD, MPH
Associate Director: Marsha Michie, PhD
Scientific Director: Lynette Hammond Gerido, PhD, MPH, MBA
Assistant Director: Roselle Ponsaran, MA
Senior Advisor: Patricia Marshall, PhD
Our center will build partnerships between researchers across the CWRU campus and with local and national organizations.
Current projects include:
- the Cleveland African American Prostate Cancer Project (CAAPP)
- the Framework for Advances in Reprogenomics Ethics and Regulation (FAIRER) project
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“Community Engagement Strategies for Genomic Studies in Africa: A Review of the Literature.” BMC Medical Ethics 16, no. 1 (2015): 1–12.
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“Photo-Documentation in the Community: Reflections on Genetics, Health and Health Disparities.” International Journal of Epidemiology 46, no. 2 (2017): 385–89.
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“Ethical Challenges in Community-Based Research.” The American Journal of the Medical Sciences 322, no. 5 (2001): 241–45.Michie,
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“Pathways to Affluence: Socioeconomic Incentives in Prenatal Testing and Abortion.” In Born Well: Prenatal Genetics and the Future of Having Children, 105–22. Springer, 2022.
CHANGE to Collaborate on Expansion of Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications in Genomics Research Hub
CHANGE is set to play a key role in a multi-institutional effort to expand research on the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of advances in human genomics. This initiative, known as the Center for ELSI Resources and Analysis (CERA), has received a nearly $9.4 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) for its second phase.
Dr. Aaron Goldenberg, PhD, MA, MPH, director of CHANGE, will serve as the Site Principal Investigator for CWRU's involvement in this collaborative project. CWRU will work alongside Stanford University, Columbia University, The Hastings Center, and other allied organizations.
The CERA effort is led by Principal Investigators Dr. Mildred Cho, PhD, Associate Director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, and Dr. Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, PhD, Chief of the Division of Ethics and Professor of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University.
Dr. Goldenberg said “We are thrilled to collaborate on this multi-institutional initiative, which will bring together scholars, trainees, and community members to support research on the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic advancements. This partnership represents an exciting opportunity to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and contribute to the equitable integration of these innovations into society.”
The CERA initiative aims to build a community that contributes to the production of knowledge about the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics. It will utilize both relationships and technology to make this knowledge accessible and understandable to experts and members of the public alike.
The project will leverage CWRU's expertise in bioethics and community engagement, particularly through the CHANGE center, to help foster connections between ELSI scholars, genome scientists, and diverse communities. This approach aims to ensure that ethical considerations are integrated throughout the genomic research and application process.
A key component of the initiative is the ELSIhub.org online knowledge portal, which will be enhanced with new tools to enable global, online discussions between scholars in ethics, social science, public health, and law, as well as other stakeholders.
The involvement of CHANGE in this project underscores the center’s commitment to advancing ethical research practices and addressing the complex societal implications of scientific advancements. It also provides opportunities for CWRU students and researchers to engage with cutting-edge issues in bioethics and genomics.