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The Neuromedia Corner is an idea of the bid - Brains in Dialogue project. [read more]
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Neuromedia >> News >> Events >>brains in dialogue on genetic testing
28-29 January 2010, Trieste, Italy

brains in dialogue on genetic testing

The bid-brains in dialogue team in collaboration with Prof Gasparini of IRCCS-Burlo/University of Trieste is pleased to announce the second bid-workshop brains in dialogue on genetic testing which will take place on 28-29 January 2010 in Trieste, Italy. 
 In recent years genetic research has lead to the development of hundreds of genetic tests which are now easily accessible to healthy individuals who want to find out whether or not they will develop a certain disorder. An increasing number of these tests are also available for main neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer, Parkinson and Huntington, which are still incurable. But how reliable are these tests and what type of information are they offering? Do they help people to take decisions about their life? And who should be notified of the results?
 
Such controversial issues and many more will be addressed during the bid-workshopbrains in dialogue on genetic testing, organised in collaboration with Prof Gasparini of IRCCS Burlo and Trieste University, which will take place on 28-29 January 2010 in Trieste, Italy.
 
Scientists, clinicians, lawyers, philosophers, sociologists, journalists and other stakeholders will gather to discuss the state of the art of genetic testing for main neurodegenerative diseases and the ethical, legal and social implications. Together with patients, delegates of patients’ organizations and experts in genetic counselling we will discuss the impact of genetic tests for incurable diseases like Alzheimer, Parkinson and Huntington. We will consider the situation at the European level, comparing the public perception in the different countries and analyzing the existing recommendations.
 
Programme  with abstracts and biographies.
Workshop venue: Adriatico Guesthouse (Registration closed).
 
 
The workshop will finish with the public round table Health and DNA: my life, my genes on Friday 29 January 17.30, Aula Magna della Scuola Superiore di Lingue Moderne per Interpreti e Traduttori (Via Filzi 14, Trieste, Italy).
 
Genetic tests promise to reveal the chance of developing acertain disease, from tumors to most common dementias (Parkinson,Alzheimer), to cardiovascular pathologies. However the increasing use ofgenetics, even in the health system, raises controversial and complexissues which deal with our health and our identity, today and tomorrow.Are the destiny and diseases of our life really written in our DNA? Canour life style affect our genetic destiny? Is it useful to know thegenetic risk even when there is no cure? What is the impact of genetictesting on the health system?
 
With: 
Marina Frontali, associate director at the Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular  Medicine of CNR, Rome 
Judit Sandor, director of the Centre for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, Central European University, Hungary 
Hub Zwart, Centre for Society & Genomics, The Netherlands 
Verena Schmocker, Parkinson Association Switzerland 
Giovanni Scapagnini, Professor in Clinical Biochemistry at University of Molise 
Chair: Elisabetta Tola, science journalist, formicablu, Bologna
 
 
Please see here if you want to find out more about our first bid-workshop brains in dialogue on brain imaging.
 
 
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