Genetic Testing: Promise and Peril
Ottawa, Ontario, May 5, 2003

Genetic testing enables us to identify and even prevent illness. But are you ready to find out what your genes might tell you about your future health? And if you know, who else should? Are we prepared for the difficult choices and consequences that go hand-in-hand with this ability to "predict" the future by decoding our genes?

"The genomics revolution is a tsunami wave of science that's now hitting the shores of our health care system," says Alan Bernstein, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

On the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA, several hundred Ottawa-area residents came together to listen to a panel of distinguished experts discuss and debate the issues around genetic testing. The event, held on May 5, 2003, was moderated by Bob McDonald, award-winning host of CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks.

Follow the links below to see how the panellists responded to questions from the audience.

• What are the benefits of genetic testing?
• What about the potential misuse of genetic testing?
• How do we avoid discrimination based on genetic testing?
• Does genetic testing matter if you're starving to death?
• Is the current legal regulation of genetic testing adequate?
• Is the genomics business unhealthy for the science?
• Should we be able to patent genes?
• Are we too gene-focused?