Dr. Bryn Williams-Jones

Biography:
Bryn Williams-Jones, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Bioethics Programmes, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, at the University of Montreal. Bryn is an interdisciplinary scholar who employs analytic tools from applied ethics, health policy and the social sciences to explore the socio-ethical implications of new biotechnologies. His current research focuses on the commercialization of biomedical technologies, the integration of ethical analyses in the evaluation of health innovations, and the management of conflicts of interest that arise in the context of university research and in particular university-industry relations.

Abstract:
With the emergence over the last 3 years of “personal genomics” companies such as 23andMe, deCodeMe and Navigenics offering personalised lifestyle and health information to consumers, there has been renewed academic and public policy debate about the social, ethical and policy implications associated with consumer/patient access to genomic screening technologies. Much of the current debate focuses on issues related to clinical utility of resulting information, truth in advertising, cost-effectiveness and inclusion in health insurance plans, and the need to regulate (or not) how these technologies are made available to the public. Interestingly, these are almost exactly the same issues that have been under discussion for more than a decade, in the context of direct-to-consumer genetic testing. What is missing from much of the current debate, however, is a recognition that the information provided by personal genomics companies surpasses simple “medical / non-medical information” classifications. There is a blurring of boundaries or convergence of categories occurring, and this poses serious challenges for existing public health policies, and any moves to regulate or govern emerging personal genomics technologies.