Radio Review: The Life Scientific - Professor Sir John Gurdon |
4 February 2013 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
Shortly after being awarded the 2012 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine, Professor Sir John Gurdon was interviewed for the BBC Radio 4 programme 'The Life Scientific'... [Read More] |
Book Review: Bring It On Baby - How to Have a Dudelike Pregnancy |
9 July 2012 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
From natural childbirth to infertility, breastfeeding to immunisations, there are few areas of pregnancy and childcare that are free from judgment and well-meaning advice.... [Read More] |
TV Review: Health Explained - Epigenetics |
16 April 2012 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
Epigenetics is a complex subject, so explaining it in just two minutes is a big ask. But that's what the short video clip, 'Health explained: epigenetics', on the BBC website attempts to do. Aimed at a general audience, the video succeeds in giving us a very basic introduction, but doesn't manage to capture what is new and exciting about this field of research... [Read More] |
Film Review: Anonymous Father's Day |
27 February 2012 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
As a generation of donor-conceived children reach adulthood, Anonymous Father's Day looks at donor conception from the perspective of the children. It follows three donor conceived people who are actively raising awareness of donor conception, and the rights of donor-conceived children... [Read More] |
Book Review: What's the Use of Race? Modern Governance and the Biology of Difference |
21 November 2011 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
The study of genetic diversity between ethnic groups can help explain the ways in which race influences our biology and susceptibility to disease. But what do we mean by 'race', exactly? These issues are considered in the collection of essays 'What's the use of race? Modern governance and the biology of difference', edited by Dr Ian Whitmarsh and Dr David Jones... [Read More] |
Book Review: Unnatural - The Heretical Idea of Making People |
18 April 2011 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
What does Mary Shelley's Frankenstein have in common with Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner', Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go' and Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World'? According to Philip Ball, these are all permutations of the myth of anthropoieia - the artificial creation of human life... [Read More] |
Event Review: Unnatural - The Heretical Idea of Making People |
14 February 2011 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
The creation of human life through artificial means is often portrayed as an inherently dangerous and unnatural process, where the product of any such attempt is assumed to be somehow inferior and lacking in humanity. This is a recurrent idea that looms over contemporary debate surrounding many scientific advances and technologies in biology, from reproductive cloning to embryonic stem cell (ESC) research, IVF and human genetics.... [Read More] |
Book Review: Knock Yourself Up - A Tell-All Guide to Becoming a Single Mom |
6 September 2008 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
Were it not for the unconventional way she conceived her child, Louise Sloan would otherwise seem like a characteristic New York yummy mummy. Author and magazine editor, she manages to balance her family life with her young toddler with her busy work schedule, with the help of a live-in nanny and flexible working hours. However, single and lesbian, Sloan became pregnant with her son Scott through donor insemination, and her experience of assisted reproductive technology as a single woman is t... [Read More] |
Book Review: Defending the Genetic Supermarket - Law and Ethics of Selecting the Next Generation |
26 July 2008 - by Dr Rachael Panizzo |
The philosopher Robert Nozick introduced the idea of a genetic supermarket in 1974, before the first IVF birth and the era of medical genetics. At the genetic supermarket, he imagined, prospective parents could shop for desired traits, and design a child to their particular specifications. In 'Defending the Genetic Supermarket', Colin Gavaghan explores the ethics underlying the use of assisted reproductive technologies, in particular preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), as well as the cur... [Read More] |