News

Palantir Has a Hand in NIH’s Most Ambitious Health Initiative

By Julia Métraux, Mother Jones [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 07.07.2026

During his 2015 State of the Union address, then-President Barack Obama announced what he promised would be an ambitious public health project. “Tonight, I’m launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes...

U.S. Federal

The Measured Listener

By Daniel Shanahan, Los Angeles Review of Books | 05.31.2026

This is the 15th installment in the Legacies of Eugenics series, which features essays by leading thinkers devoted to exploring the history of eugenics and the ways it shapes our present. You can read the first part here. The series...

U.S. States

These companies help parents try to pick their babies' traits. Experts are wary

By Rob Stein, NPR [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 05.06.2026

Justin Schleede reaches onto a black lab bench to pick up a tray of small plastic tubes.

"These are saliva...

Genetic Selection

The start-ups dreaming of creating genetically modified babies

By Alexandre Piquard, Le Monde [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 05.22.2026

"If proven to be safe, we believe preventive gene editing could be one of the most important health technologies of...

U.S. Federal
A laboratory scientist, in protective gear, holds a pippette to transfer samples from one test tube to several other test tubes on a rack.

Trump’s Proposed Budget Cuts Trouble Bioterrorism Experts

By Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times | 05.28.2017

WASHINGTON — President Trump has promoted his first budget proposal as placing one mission above all else — keeping America...

Biopolitics
Microscopic image of a mesenchymal stem cell

Stem cells show promise – but they also have a darker side

By Jill Johnson, The Conversation | 05.25.2017

Everyone seems to be excited about stem cells. Their excellent promise as a treatment for a range of diseases and...

Media Coverage
A white male reads over a pile of genetic testing kit contents on a kitchen stove top.

The direct-to-consumer genetic testing fog

By Timothy Caulfield, Policy Options | 05.25.2017

There is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing company that gives parents the opportunity to uncover their kids’ “hidden” talents. You...

Genomics
A DNA spit kit is shown, featuring a container and a specimen bag.

Ancestry.com denies exploiting users' DNA

By Harry Kretchmer, You and Yours, BBC Radio 4 | 05.25.2017

A leading genealogy service, Ancestry.com, has denied exploiting users' DNA following criticism of its terms and conditions.

The US...

Biotech & Pharma
A black and white image of a robotic hand lightly grasping a human hand.

Are we about to witness the most unequal societies in history?

By Yuval Noah Harari, The Guardian | 05.24.2017

Biotechnology and the rise of AI may split humankind into a small class of ‘superhumans’ and a huge underclass of

...
Biopolitics
Close up photo of a hand clock.

California's stem cell agency confronts uncertain future

By David Jensen, Capitol Weekly | 05.23.2017

C. Randal Mills, the 45-year-old CEO of California’s $3 billion stem cell research program, is a man who loves his...

Stem Cells
A judge's gavel sits upon an opened book.

Death row inmates granted direct DNA testing through Ohio Supreme Court under new rule

By Jim Provance, The Blade | 05.22.2017

New rule allows inmates to appeal lower courts decision

COLUMBUS—Inmates already on death row may appeal a lower court’s decision...
Genomics
A young mother holds a daughter with their heads gently touching. Their backs are away from the camera.

Uterus Transplants are Reinforcing Patriarchal Notions of ‘Biological Motherhood’

By Sneha Banerjee & Sarojini Nadimpally, The Wire [India] | 05.20.2017

Uterus transplants raise several ethical concerns drawing from the health risk posed to women, especially since the surgery is not

...
Bioethics