The “2011 ELSI Congress: Expanding the ELSI Universe” was held in Chapel Hill, NC, from April 12–14, hosted by the Center for Genomics and Society at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an NHGRI-funded Center of Excellence in ELSI Research (P50 HG004488, Gail Henderson, PI). The Congress was funded by a supplement to this center grant. Other sponsors included the Carolina Center for Genome Sciences; the UNC School of Medicine, Department of Social Medicine; the UNC Center for Bioethics; the Wake Forest University Center for Bioethics, Health and Society; and the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute.Google Scholar

In the fall of 2003, the NHGRI in collaboration with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) launched a new initiative to create interdisciplinary Centers of Excellence in ELSI Research (CEER). The CEERs are designed to bring investigators from multiple disciplines together to work in innovative ways to address important new, or particularly persistent, ethical, legal, and social issues related to advances in genetics and genomics. In addition, the centers will support the growth of the next generation of researchers on the ethical, legal and social implications of genomic research. Special efforts will be made to recruit potential researchers from under-represented groups. See <http://www.genome.gov/ELSI/#al-4> (last visited December 7, 2012).+(last+visited+December+7,+2012).>Google Scholar

In January, 1990, the ELSI Working Group issued its first report and defined the function and purpose of the ELSI program as follows: “1. To anticipate and address the implications for individuals and society of mapping and sequencing the human genome; 2. To examine the ethical, legal and social consequences of mapping and sequencing the human genome; 3. To stimulate public discussion of the issues; 4. To develop policy options that would assure that the information be used to benefit individuals and society.” The ELSI Working Group envisioned a program that would anticipate problems and identify possible solutions and suggested a number of means to accomplish these goals. Specifically, it encouraged the research community to explore and gather data on a wide range of issues pertinent to the Human Genome Project that could be used to develop education programs, policy recommendations or possible legislative solutions. A number of focus areas were identified, including: fairness in the use of genetic information; the impact of knowledge of genetic variation on individuals; and privacy and confidentiality of genetic information. See <https://www.genome.gov/10001754#al-2accessed12/14/2012> (last visited December 14, 2012).+(last+visited+December+14,+2012).>Google Scholar

The Planning Committee was composed of ELSI researchers, both CEER and non-CEER affiliated. It also included two individuals from outside the U.S. and members of the ELSI program staff. The following were members: Bernhardt, Barbara Boyer, Joy Caulfield, Tim Chung, Wendy Cook-Deegan, Bob Goldenberg, Aaron Henderson, Gail Juengst, Eric Kaye, Jane King, Nancy Lee, Sandra McEwen, Jean Press, Nancy Royal, Charmaine Thomson, Elizabeth, and Van Riper, Marcia.Google Scholar

Volunteer note takers for the Congress included: Ertola, Astrid Cunningham, Brooke Caga-Anan, Charlisse Brewer, Cheryl Clarke, Colleen Lassiter, Dragana Guzaukas, Greg Peace, Jane Erickson, Jessica Yu, Joon-Ho Sutton, Karey West, Kate McGlone Maxson, Kathryn Byerly, Katie Hogan, Kelly Shutske, Krysta Wagner, Laura Milner, Lauren Sayres, Lauryn Jamal, Leila Barata, Llida Michie, Marsha King, Martha Allyse, Megan Easter, Michele Montgomery, Michelle Garrison, Nanibaaa' Haase, Rachel Knerr, Sarah Smolek, Sondra Tuteja-Stevens, Sony, and Fortson, Wendell.Google Scholar

On February 10, 2011, Nature magazine published NHGRI's strategic plan for the future of human genome research: “Charting a course for genomic medicine from base pairs to bedside.” This plan includes a section on Genomics and Society that outlines four areas that will need to be addressed as genomic science and medicine move forward. Based on these areas, the NHGRI has developed the following broad research priorities: 1. Genomic Research. The issues that arise in the design and conduct of genomic research, particularly as it increasingly involves the production, analysis and broad sharing of individual genomic information that is frequently coupled with detailed health information. 2. Genomic Health Care. How rapid advances in genomic technologies and the availability of increasing amounts of genomic information influence how health care is provided and how it affects the health of individuals, families and communities. 3. Broader Societal Issues. The normative underpinnings of beliefs, practices and policies regarding genomic information and technologies, as well as the implications of genomics for how we conceptualize and understand such issues as health, disease, and individual responsibility. 4. Legal, Regulatory and Public Policy Issues. The effects of existing genomic research, health and public policies and regulations and the development of new policies and regulatory approaches. See <http://www.genome.gov/10001618#al-2> (last visited December 7, 2012). (last visited December 7, 2012).' href=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=On+February+10,+2011,+Nature+magazine+published+NHGRI's+strategic+plan+for+the+future+of+human+genome+research:+“Charting+a+course+for+genomic+medicine+from+base+pairs+to+bedside.”+This+plan+includes+a+section+on+Genomics+and+Society+that+outlines+four+areas+that+will+need+to+be+addressed+as+genomic+science+and+medicine+move+forward.+Based+on+these+areas,+the+NHGRI+has+developed+the+following+broad+research+priorities:+1.+Genomic+Research.+The+issues+that+arise+in+the+design+and+conduct+of+genomic+research,+particularly+as+it+increasingly+involves+the+production,+analysis+and+broad+sharing+of+individual+genomic+information+that+is+frequently+coupled+with+detailed+health+information.+2.+Genomic+Health+Care.+How+rapid+advances+in+genomic+technologies+and+the+availability+of+increasing+amounts+of+genomic+information+influence+how+health+care+is+provided+and+how+it+affects+the+health+of+individuals,+families+and+communities.+3.+Broader+Societal+Issues.+The+normative+underpinnings+of+beliefs,+practices+and+policies+regarding+genomic+information+and+technologies,+as+well+as+the+implications+of+genomics+for+how+we+conceptualize+and+understand+such+issues+as+health,+disease,+and+individual+responsibility.+4.+Legal,+Regulatory+and+Public+Policy+Issues.+The+effects+of+existing+genomic+research,+health+and+public+policies+and+regulations+and+the+development+of+new+policies+and+regulatory+approaches.+See++(last+visited+December+7,+2012).>Google Scholar

Appelbaum and colleagues coined the term “therapeutic misconception” in 1982. Appelbaum, P. S. Roth, L.H., and Lidz, C., “The Therapeutic Misconception: Informed Consent in Psychiatric Research,” International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 5, no. 3-4(1982): 319–329. See also subsequent work on assessment of informed consent, perceptions of benefit in research, and the therapeutic misconception: Appelbaum, P. S. Roth, L. H. Lidz, C. W. Benson, P., and Winslade, W., “False Hopes and Best Data: Consent to Research and the Therapeutic Misconception,” Hastings Center Report 17, no. 2 (1987): 20–24; King, N. M. P., “Defining and Describing Benefit Appropriately in Clinical Trials,” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 28, no. 4 (2000): 332–343; Miller, M., “Phase I Cancer Trials: A Collusion of Misunderstanding,” Hastings Center Report 30, no. 4 (2000): 34–43; Joffe, S. and Weeks, J. C., “Views of American Oncologists about the Purposes of Clinical Trials,” Journal of the National Cancer Institute 94, no. 24 (2002): 1847–1853; Dresser, R., “The Ubiquity and Utility of the Therapeutic Misconception,” Social Philosophy and Policy 19, (2002): 271–294; Horng, S. and Grady, C., “Misunderstanding in Clinical Research: Distinguishing Therapeutic Misconception, Therapeutic Misestimation, and Therapeutic Optimism,” IRB 25, no. 1 (2003): 11–16; Sankar, P., “Communication and Miscommunication in Informed Consent to Research,” Medical Anthropology Quarterly 18, no. 4 (2004): 429–446; Brody, B. A. McCullough, L. B., and Sharp, R. R., “Consensus and Controversy in Clinical Research Ethics,” JAMA 294, no. 11 (2005): 1411–1414; Miller, F. G. and Joffe, S., “Evaluating the Therapeutic Misconception,” Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 16, no. 4 (2006): 353–366; Appelbaum, P. S. and Lidz, C., “Re-evaluating the Therapeutic Misconception: Response to Miller and Joffe,” Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 16, no. 4 (2006): 367–373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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See, for example, Wolf, S. M. and colleagues, “Managing Incidental Findings in Human Subjects Research: Analysis and Recommendations,” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 38, no. 2 (2008): 216–435. Wolf has argued that clinical researchers have an obligation to return incidental findings, while Clayton, E., among others, has argued for caution; see Clayton, E. W., “Incidental Findings in Genetics Research Using Archived DNA,” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 38, no. 2 (2008): 286–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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See the Institute of Medicine volume which documents the impacts of uncertainty on racial stereotyping in clinical care. Smedley, B. D. Stith, A. Y., and Nelson, A. R., eds., Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2003).Google Scholar

A phrase coined by Eric Juengst to illustrate our point on behalf of the Center for Genetic Research Ethics and Law (CGREAL) at Case Western Reserve University. Juengst, E., NIH Grant Application # 2 P50-HG003390–06, “Center for Genetic Research Ethics and Law,” April 15, 2009.Google Scholar

A typology also anticipated by the research plan that currently frames the work of our CGREAL colleagues at Case Western Reserve University. Juengst, E., NIH Grant Application # 2 P50-HG003390–06, “Center for Genetic Research Ethics and Law,” April 15, 2009.Google Scholar

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