SUMMIT, NJ - Anna Hogarth, Kent Place School Class of 2019 and a Summit resident, was among a dozen students presenting their research at the school's fifth annual Bioethics Project Symposium.

The event marked the end of an intensive program developed through a partnership with The Ethics Institute at Kent Place School and The Hastings Center in Garrison, NY. Planned and hosted by the 12 Upper School bioethics-scholars whose work was presented through a series of workshops, the sessions were designed by the students and were highly engaging with thought-provoking questions and case studies presented for audience members to discuss and analyze.

The students were selected last spring after an extensive application process to participate in the project titled, Genetically Modified Life: Science, Ethics and Medical Innovation. Their work began in the first trimester, where faculty from both The Ethics Institute and The Hastings Center provided the students with an intensive introduction to ethics, bioethics and advanced study of the ethics of medical decision-making, genetics and medical innovation. Topics explored included: organ donation, genetic engineering, eugenics, embryo selection using PGD, CRISPR and genetic editing.

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Throughout the second and third trimesters, students worked on their individual research projects through collaboration with Kent Place faculty and Hastings Center research assistants, who served as mentors. Symposium topics include: genetics and medical innovation, such as the genetics of intelligence, challenges associated with genome sequencing and genetically modifying cells.

In addition to Hogarth, participants: Hannah Abere ’19 of Millington, Gaby Branin ’17 of Scotch Plains, Elynn Chang ’19 of Livingston, Rebecca Del Rio ’18 of Fair Lawn, Keerthi Jayaraman ’19 of Livingston, Emma Littlejohn ’19 of New Providence, Isabella Racioppi ’19 of Morristown, Lily Roberts ’19 of South Orange, Sophia Sinins ’18 of Short Hills, Maris Zammataro ’17 of Chatham, and Maddie Zietsman ’19 of Madison.

For more information about the Bioethics Project, visit kentplace.org/ethics