GCC1904: Ethics, Society, and Contemporary Biotechnologies

This seminar course will examine a wide range of complex ethical, social, and legal issues related to stem cells, regenerative medicine, “young blood” plasma transfusions, fecal microbiota transplants, and other contemporary biotechnologies. The seminar will address the Grand Challenges of “Fostering Just and Equitable Communities” and “Advancing Health Through Tailored Solutions.” In exploring ethical and social issues related to stem cells, regenerative medicine therapies, and other novel biotechnologies, the seminar will promote thoughtful discussion of the Liberal Education theme of “Technology and Society.” The course will situate ethical and social analysis of biomedical technologies within domestic and global contexts. Taking a multidisciplinary approach that embraces contributions from scholarship in bioethics, health policy, health law, and social studies of medicine, the course will benefit first year students seeking to examine ethical and social issues from a cross-disciplinary perspective. By the conclusion of the seminar, class participants will have an informed understanding of various contemporary biotechnologies and their moral, social, and legal significance.

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