Should Police Detectives Have Total Access to Public Genetic Databases?

Should Police Detectives Have Total Access to Public Genetic Databases?

A crime scene photograph.

(© prathaan/Fotolia)


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Stephanie Fullerton And Rori Rohlfs
Stephanie Fullerton (left) is Associate Professor of Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Washington in Seattle. She received a DPhil in Human Population Genetics from the University of Oxford and later re-trained in Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) research with a fellowship from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Fullerton’s work focuses on the ethical and societal implications of genomic research and its equitable and safe translation for clinical and public health benefit. // RORI ROHLFS: With her background in statistical genetics and molecular evolution, Rori Rohlfs is currently an Assistant Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University. In addition to researching the evolution of gene expression, and women’s contribution to science, some of Rori’s work focuses on forensic genetics: estimating error rates of familial searching, and investigating how well statistical frameworks used in forensic genetics describe human genetic variation.
Breast cancer patients can now remove their tumors with ice instead of surgery

A woman receives a mammogram, which can detect the presence of tumors in a patient's breast.

When a patient is diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, having surgery to remove the tumor is considered the standard of care. But what happens when a patient can’t have surgery?

Whether it’s due to high blood pressure, advanced age, heart issues, or other reasons, some breast cancer patients don’t qualify for a lumpectomy—one of the most common treatment options for early-stage breast cancer. A lumpectomy surgically removes the tumor while keeping the patient’s breast intact, while a mastectomy removes the entire breast and nearby lymph nodes.

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Sarah Watts

Sarah Watts is a health and science writer based in Chicago.

A new oral vaccine could prevent urinary tract infections for years

Urinary tract infections account for more than 8 million trips to the doctor each year.

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Few things are more painful than a urinary tract infection (UTI). Common in men and women, these infections account for more than 8 million trips to the doctor each year and can cause an array of uncomfortable symptoms, from a burning feeling during urination to fever, vomiting, and chills. For an unlucky few, UTIs can be chronic—meaning that, despite treatment, they just keep coming back.

But new research, presented at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress in Paris this week, brings some hope to people who suffer from UTIs.

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Sarah Watts

Sarah Watts is a health and science writer based in Chicago.