Author Archives: laurahercher
A Culture Warrior Takes on Amniocentesis
I have never enjoyed participating in the Culture Wars. To begin with, I have the problem of unilateral disarmament, because I’m not a gun person. I do not buy guns. Not real guns, not bb guns, not paintball guns, not … Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
On The Old Saw: That Personalized Medicine Will Cost Money In Theory But Will Be A Money-Saver In Practice*
June, 2011 marked the 10th anniversary of the great ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment of the Human Genome Project, when President Clinton, with no regard whatsoever for his own personal safety, stood directly in between Francis Collins and Craig Venter to announce … Continue reading
Filed under Laura Hercher
Genetic Counseling and the Disability Community: A Cautionary Tale
A commentary by Anne Madeo, Barbara Biesecker, Campbell Brasington, Lori Erby and Kathryn Peters in the August issue of the American Journal of Medical Genetics (The Relationship Between the Genetic Counseling Profession and the Disability Community) is going to raise … Continue reading
Filed under Laura Hercher
Understanding What’s Difficult about ‘Understanding a Down Syndrome Diagnosis’
Recently, members of the NSGC received a booklet called Understanding a Down Syndrome Diagnosis, full of lovely pictures of children with Down syndrome and their families, accompanied by a factual but largely positive text (…“According to some studies, siblings of … Continue reading
Filed under Laura Hercher
There’s a Gene for Everything, Right?
Ten years after the completion of the Human Genome Project, our field is still debating genotype-phenotype correlations in single gene diseases, while the media is still searching for – and finding! – Gattacca. This week, the Washington Post ran an … Continue reading
Filed under Laura Hercher
The Abortion Provider Gets a Makeover
It’s Great For the Cause But How Will It Affect Our Patients? This weekend, The New York Times Sunday Magazine will feature a story on “The New Abortion Providers,” suggesting a major step forward in abortion rights – new … Continue reading
Filed under Laura Hercher
In Baseball as in Life, You Never Know
Sometimes the experts get it wrong. Just ask R. A. Dickey. In 1996, Dickey was a first round pick of the Texas Rangers, with a signing bonus of $810,000 on the table. At 21, he was on the cover of … Continue reading
Filed under Laura Hercher
Sweet!! The Judge Rules on the Myriad Patent Case
On Monday, Judge Robert Sweet of the Federal District Court in Southern New York shocked the world by ruling against Myriad Genetics, invalidating claims with regard to patents on BRCA 1 and 2. This morning, the genetic counselors, oncologists, patients … Continue reading
Filed under Laura Hercher
Glenn Beck Hates Babies: Death Panels, Newborn Screening, Fox News and Me
“You are from the Glenn Beck Show?” I asked. My voice betrayed what for lack of a nicer word might be called skepticism. “The Glenn Beck Show,” she answered, her tone sliding past defensive into a smug I-know-what-you-are-thinking defiance that … Continue reading
Filed under Laura Hercher
