Save the date! 2026 Jaharis Health Law Symposium: “Wired Minds, Legal Lines: Governing Neurotechnology.” Explore privacy, consent and innovation in the age of neurotech with experts, including Minnesota Law’s Francis X. Shen. Mar 12 | In-person & Online: https://2026JHLI.eventbrite.com

Proud that my article, The Opioid Crisis Meets Genomics, is now published in the Seton Hall Law Review. Thanks to everyone who provided thoughtful commentary and insights! papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Another year of uplifting bioethics and law news at our annual Legal Updates panel. #asbh25 @thaddeuspope.bsky.social @aderse.bsky.social Katie Watson

This year marks an exciting new chapter for DePaul Law. Under the leadership of Dean Geoffrey Rapp, we continue to advance academic excellence, innovation and public engagement. We invite you to read about all of our 2024-2025 achievements here: ow.ly/QQNa50Xb8LA

Patients shouldn’t be pressured to ‘just check that box’ on informed consent forms www.statnews.com/2025/10/08/i... via @statnews.com

The CDC has accepted advisers' recommendations on Covid vaccinations, though there may still be uncertainty in some states about whether a prescription is needed to access them. www.statnews.com/2025/10/06/c...

'According to a recent lawsuit, 23andMe failed to notify consumers with Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage that their personal genetic information appeared to have been compiled into “specially curated lists” that were shared and sold on the dark web.'

Can anyone get a Covid shot if they want one? The answer, in short, is no. www.statnews.com/2025/09/04/c...

Blood taken from Danish babies ended up in huge genetic study—without consent: The iPsych project, which investigates the genetics of psychiatric disorders, has sent 140,000 opt-out notices amid backlash | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

The NIH archives of the Human Genome Project could fall victim to Trump administration cuts, writes a former archivist. buff.ly/H1WkRpn

At the start of the year, WIRED made a commitment to stop paywalling articles primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act @freedom.press. This includes this critical piece here. The US Is storing migrant children’s DNA in a criminal database:

Happy Friday #HealthLaw friends! The deadline for abstract submissions for the 2025 @slulaw.bsky.social & ASLME Health Law Scholars Workshop is MONDAY, APRIL 14th. Your taxes can wait; this can't! More info about the workshop & the submission process here: www.slu.edu/law/health/s...

I’ve got some news! This summer, I’ll be heading to @depaullaw.bsky.social as an associate professor and the faculty director of @jaharishli.bsky.social! I couldn’t be more excited to rejoin the Chicago health law community!

Oh man, fellow Gen Xrs—RIP www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/m...

This is an incredible opportunity! If you can, submit!

Vence Bonham, who became acting director of the National Human Genome Research Institute less than two weeks ago, is "unexpectedly" placed on leave. www.statnews.com/2025/03/31/t...

@23andme.bsky.social put out a press release today, saying "Any buyer will be required to comply w/our privacy policy" & "Our privacy policy will remain in place. Any buyer of 23andMe will be required to agree to comply w/our privacy policy..." I don't think they can promise that in bankruptcy.

A federal judge in Texas squashed the Food and Drug Administration’s plan to regulate lab-developed tests

I've somehow been writing about LDTs since my student note in 2013, so I recall FDA issuing reports on this topic back in 2015, analyzing LDTs that have harmed patients. /2

One of many striking things about this 51-page opinion is how disconnected it is from the reality of these technologies. There's no recognition of the detailed history FDA relates in its NPRM/final rule of how these technologies have changed over time, or of the risks they now pose for patients. /1

Guess I’ll be updating my forthcoming article…. “the ‘text, structure, and history’ of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and CLIA ‘make clear that FDA lacks the authority to regulate’ LDTs.” www.genomeweb.com/clinical-lab...

Speaking of polygenic risk scores… Excited to share my new essay, “Previvorship and Medical Uncertainty” as part of the Harvard Journal of Law & Technology symposium on Medical and Legal Uncertainty in Emerging Genetic Technologies! jolt.law.harvard.edu/assets/artic...

Comments/feedback welcome!

“Physician Liability for Genetic Risk-Based Prescription Decisions” (forthcoming American Journal of Law & Medicine) analyzes existing tort frameworks, concluding that they offer insufficient protection for patients and fail to ensure appropriate integration of PGS tests into clinical practice.

I have 2 pieces that I have just posted to SSRN that address what happens when genomics and the opioid crisis collide. “The Opioid Crisis Meets Genomics” (forthcoming Seton Hall Law Review) addresses existing legal rules and policy tools, concluding they are insufficient to address these concerns.

In late 2024, FDA approved the first polygenic risk score test, which claims to assess genetic risk of developing opioid use disorder. But reliance on sociobehavioral PGS to make clinical decisions will lead to individual patient injuries and population-level harms.

23andMe Bankruptcy Leaves Troves of Genetic Data at Risk | Scientific American www.scientificamerican.com/article/23an...

The problem with the 23andMe data, or one problem, is that even if you didn’t contribute your DNA, if a family member did, you’re interpolated into their network.

Almost 700 IVF users are bringing lawsuits against clinics and companies that convinced them to use preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy to select embryos in the IVF process despite lack of evidence that it is clinically useful and accurate. time.com/7264271/ivf...

Many who undergo direct-to-consumer genetic testing don’t realize that their data are being licensed to pharmaceutical and biotech companies. JAMA Viewpoint authors @kaytesb.bsky.social and Anya E. R. Prince discuss this gap between consumer expectations and what is being done. ja.ma/40uGL7q

RFK Jr. moves to eliminate public comment in HHS decisions: In notice to Federal Register, health agency says public participation is not needed in many decisions www.statnews.com/2025/02/28/r... via @statnews.com

The federal government *regularly* spends money to encourage behavior it couldn’t compel directly. Like paying states to build roads or fund healthcare for those who can’t afford it. It’s called the Spending Clause—and it’s the very first enumerated power that the Constitution gives to Congress. 🤦🏻‍♂️