Topics in Bioethics

Instructor: Jennifer Couzin-Frankel

Instructor's Bio: Jennifer graduated with a degree in history of science from Harvard and spent almost 25 years as an award-winning staff writer for Science. There, she covered biomedical research and bioethics as a reporter and sometimes editor, and also occasionally wrote for other publications. She left that position in April 2025 to take on other pursuits. These include teaching a personal essay class and science in society books class, both through Mount Airy Learning Tree, and volunteering with high schoolers as a college essay coach.

Sept 24

https://www.usuhs.edu/sites/default/files/202106/TimelineofLandmarkEventsinBioethics.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL-3VXs22hA

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/instance/2540719/pdf/bmj00449-0050.pdf 

Oct 1

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/12/the-last-children-of-down-syndrome/616928/?gift=W5RaURSE35FSGhQFOYa_kxtKmsUnZ2O5nY9brbgmVqY&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/science/embryos-gene-editing-crispr.html?unlocked_article_code=1.D1E.ZRny.Hi2wWt2WEIGO&smid=url-share

Oct 8

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/06/26/relyvrio-als-fda-approval

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/health/relyvrio-als-drug.html?unlocked_article_code=1.FlE.GSiF.95HKyesDOd3M&smid=url-share

https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/the-death-of-jesse-gelsinger-20-years-later/

Oct 15

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/16/health/assisted-death-alzheimers-netherlands.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HVE.m1Ep.UV91yBpbwnS4&smid=url-share

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/opinion/medical-assistance-in-dying-counseling.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HVE.iK6P.mt-tTSA_iYKS&smid=url-share