Do We Own Our Genes & A Third Act Career Change

Her cells allowed researchers to develop vaccines for polio, the coronavirus, and treatments for disease including cancer, Parkinson’s, and the flu. But they were taken from Henrietta Lacks, a poor Black mother of five, who was dying of cervical cancer in 1951, without her knowledge or consent. Her descendants recently reached a settlement with a biotech company they claimed were profiting from her cell line named for her. But it raises the question: do we own our genes and DNA? Libby Znaimer reached medical ethicist Dr. Kerry Bowman AND For most Zoomers, it’s a choice between retiring or continuing to work at a slower pace or volunteering. But what about taking up something entirely different? Libby Znaimer spoke with barber’s apprentice Brad Ross, the former chief spokesman for the city of Toronto.