This image is the cover for the book Double-Edged Helix

Double-Edged Helix

This bioethics anthology exploring the questions and controversies surrounding the innovations of 21st century genetics.

When the Human Genome Project completed its work in the early 2000s, it was hailed as a watershed moment in the history of medicine. But not everyone felt the same optimism about where the breakthrough might lead. The Double-Edged Helix explores the impact of recent genetic discoveries on society as a whole as well as individual populations and communities.

This volume outlines potential positive and negative effects of genetic research on minorities, individuals with disabilities, and those of diverse sexual orientations. Presenting a wide array of perspectives, contributors address the medical and ethical implications of newly available technologies, from prenatal genetic screenings to the so-called “gay gene” debates. They emphasize the need to ensure that genetics research does not lead to discrimination against people on the basis of their DNA.

A Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title

Joseph S. Alper, Catherine Ard, Adrienne Asch, Jon Beckwith, Peter Conrad, Lisa N Geller

Joseph S. Alper, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts. Catherine Ard, M.M.H.S., is a doctoral candidate in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Adrienne Asch, Ph.D., is the Henry Luce Professor in Biology, Ethics, and the Politics of Human Reproduction at Wellesley College. Jon Beckwith, Ph.D., is American Cancer Society Research Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Peter Conrad, Ph.D., is the Harry Coplan Professor of Social Sciences at Brandeis University. Lisa N. Geller, Ph.D., J.D., is an associate at Fish and Richardson, P.C., in Boston.

Johns Hopkins University Press