The KIE, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Czech Republic, is holding a symposium on the ethics of genetic medicine and technologies. The symposium, titled Mendel’s Peas and Today’s Genes: Healthcare, Ethics, and Genetics, is part of the Embassy’s 2017 Mutual Inspirations Festival, celebrating the life and legacy of Gregor Mendel. The symposium will be held September 28 at 10 a.m. in the Fisher Colloquium at Georgetown University. Opening remarks will be offered by Czech Ambassador Hynek Kmoníček.

Ondřej Dostál, Director of the Mendel Museum in the Czech Republic, will deliver the keynote address on Gregor Mendel and his legacy, followed by an expert panel discussion covering contemporary topics in genetics such as inherited breast cancer, reproductive ethics, genomic medicine, and eugenics. Panelists include Professor of Oncology and Senior Genetic Counselor at Lombardi Cancer Center Beth N. Peshkin, legal expert and scholar at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law Susan Crockin, Dr. David Lauler Chair of Catholic Health Care Ethics in the Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University and Associate Professor of Oncology Kevin T. FitzGerald, and KIE Professor Emeritus LeRoy Walters.

Admission is free; however RSVP is required by September 25, 2017. Registration and check-in will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the morning of the event. A light buffet lunch of Czech cuisine prepared by the Embassy will follow the event.