PGES General Information
The Stanford Program in Genomics, Ethics, and Society (PGES) addresses
a broad range of social, ethical, legal, and political implications
of advances in human genetics from multiple perspectives, creating
at Stanford an internationally renowned center for scholarship on genomics,
ethics, and society. Housed within the Stanford University Center for
Biomedical Ethics, PGES was launched in 1995 with a three-year unrestricted
gift from SmithKline Beecham Corporation. Other sources of operational
funding include the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Molecular and
Genetic Medicine, and the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.
Primary Goals at Start Up
- To create annually a multi-disciplinary Working Group charged with conducting major policy reviews and developing a "white paper," including specific recommendations, on crucial emerging issues in genomics;
- to provide a program of funding for PGES Fellows, including Stanford faculty and individuals recruited internationally, who serve as core members of the Working Group while conducting innovative research on the social and ethical impact of advances in genomics;
- to produce model educational programs for Stanford students, health care professionals, the general public, and representatives of local, state, and federal governments; and
- to establish mechanisms for on-going cooperation and collaboration between leaders in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and the unique resources developed and fostered through PGES.
Major Activities
Multi-Disciplinary Working Groups (1995-1998)
Each year, for three years, a Working Group with approximately 35 - 40 members was assembled, representing the fields of medicine, economics, sociology, anthropology, biochemistry, law, education, journalism, health policy, genetics, biology, psychology, psychiatry and biomedical ethics. Members included faculty and health professionals from Stanford and other institutions, undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students, activists and laypersons from the surrounding community, and representatives from the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Through a series of educational presentations and round table debate over a period of months, three white papers were developed. These reports contain comprehensive recommendations -- some expressed as general principles, some which could be implemented by health care providers or organizations at the level of policy, and others which address needed legislative change. The white papers were presented at a major conferences, and subsequently disseminated in a number of forms to a national and international audience.
White Paper Topics
Fellowship Program
To promote local and global understanding of key issues in molecular genetics, PGES provides Visiting Fellows, drawn from experts in a variety of disciplines, the opportunity to interact with Stanford faculty, students and staff who share similar or complementary expertise and interests. Visiting Fellows either have their own financial support or apply from a variety of governmental or foundation sources to support their fellowships, with the mentorship or collaboration of Stanford PGES faculty and research staff.
- How to apply for a PGES Visiting or Faculty Fellowship
Education and Outreach
A primary contribution of PGES is the formation of a "community of interest" devoted to issues of major social concern. Through a range of educational activities, PGES helps raise public and professional awareness of ethical, legal, and social implications of genetic technology.
PGES Executive Committee
- Henry T. Greely, J.D., Co-Director (650-723-2517 or )
- Barbara A. Koenig, Ph.D., Co-Director (650-725-6103 or )
- Thomas A. Raffin, M.D., Co-Director (650-723-6381 or )
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