Book Review: Genetic Twists of Fate
News reports that researchers have linked a certain gene to a disease, condition or trait appear almost daily. The most recent include multiple sclerosis, ovarian cancer, schizophrenia and even intelligence...
Ruth Saunders
Ruth Saunders was previously a Volunteer Writer at BioNews, having originally joined the publication under the auspices of its writing scheme; and a Volunteer at the charity that publishes BioNews, the Progress Educational Trust (PET). She is currently studying for a PhD at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), where she also teaches Business Law. Her PhD research focuses on the legal, ethical and social implications of direct-to-consumer genetic testing for common diseases, pharmacogenetics, nutrigenomics and ancestry. Previously she studied Law at QMUL, where she went on to obtain an MA in Medical Law and Ethics. She tweets as @Ruth_Saunders
BioNews Articles by Ruth Saunders
Discretion isn't the better part of regulation
The market for direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests has grown dramatically as more companies offer tests for disease susceptibility, carrier status and drug response. While ethical and policy debates surround the tests, they have remained largely unregulated...
Event Review: Making Babies in the 21st Century - The Rise of Reproductive Technologies
Academics, clinicians and other interested people came together last week to discuss the rise of reproductive technologies. The event was the first of three 'public dialogues', organised by the Cambridge University Centre for Gender Studies in association with the Guardian newspaper. The aim of this series is to aid conversation between experts and the general public on issues of gender and 21st century biomedical advances...
Film Review: The Kids Are All Right
The Kids Are All Right is about the long-term committed lesbian relationship of Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) and their relationship with their two teenage children, 18-year-old Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and 15-year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson), one born to each mother using the same unknown sperm donor. There is nothing particularly unusual about this film to begin with. Both kids call their parents 'Mum' and behave towards them like normal teenagers, with a mixture of love and ...
Film Review: The Switch / The Back-Up Plan
The Switch and The Back-Up Plan are films about donor insemination and the single woman. Two New York women opt to use a donor's sperm after their dreams of settling down with 'Mr Right' and starting a family don't go to plan. Both films treat the topic of donor insemination as rom-com territory rather than the makings of a gritty drama...
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts equipment used for embryo biopsy.
Book Review: Making Babies the Hard Way - Living with Infertility and Treatment
The use of fertility treatment is continually increasing in the UK. Despite this, it is successful in only about 20 per cent of cases. Making Babies the Hard Way is an autobiographical account that charts four years of one couple's struggle to conceive a child, through the eyes of author Caroline Gallup and her husband Bruce...