Science, Technology & Society Program Continues at VCU

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Science, Technology, & Society Program continues with a lecture that examines the impact on families of mandatory genetic screenings of newborns.

“Testing Baby: Dilemmas Posed by the Rapid Expansion of Newborn Screening” takes place from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, in the Jackson Ward Room of the Larrick Student Center, 900 Turpin St., on the VCU Medical Campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Rachel Grob, Ph.D., associate dean of graduate studies at Sarah Lawrence College, will discuss how mandatory newborn screening for genetic disorders, the most widely used form of genetic testing in the United States, affects families.

“As an award-winning scholar and engaged healthcare and community advocate, Rachel Grob narrates the human side of this important healthcare policy: how receipt of a genetic diagnosis at birth affects early parenting, mothers’ perceptions of their babies, and relations between parents and their medical providers,” said Karen Rader, Ph.D., director of the Science, Technology & Society Program and professor of history.

“Grob's take-home message for policy-makers is that understanding social context is crucial for delivering more effective healthcare for pregnant women, newborns and families,” Rader said.
The Science, Technology & Society Program began in 2006 to encourage VCU students, faculty and staff to think broadly about scientific, technological, and medical work through campus and community lectures, coordinated curricular planning, and faculty research and teaching development.

For more information about this lecture and other Science, Technology & Society Program offerings, visit http://www.has.vcu.edu/sts/ or contact Wanda Clary at wclary@vcu.edu or 804-828-8427.