Marsha Michie, PhD

I am an anthropologist and bioethicist.
I research ethical and social issues in biomedicine, ways that genetics
and genomics intersect with disability and identity,
and everyday religious practice.

Current projects:

Translating cfDNA testing

This study focuses on the case of prenatal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening, popularly known as non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). The long-term goal is to learn how and when to intervene with guidance, critique, and/or collaboration in order to help produce technologies that are ethically and socially valuable.

The PREPARE study

Recent advances in prenatal genetic testing have renewed concerns from some quarters that prenatal diagnoses serve primarily to enable elective terminations. Yet many women say they choose prenatal testing for a very different reason, one that is largely unexamined in clinical literature: ‘preparation’.

Born Well

Advancements in prenatal genomics research and medicine have brought renewed ethical worries about eugenics and its philosophy of producing “good stock” or “well born.” Today our concerns are not only the import of valuing the “well born,” but the many meanings and values implicit in being “born well.”

Genomic research participation

Research participants are pivotal stakeholders in genomic medicine. However, research participants often see their role in broader terms than researchers do, and that role frequently includes bonds of teamwork and reciprocity. Honoring the priorities and values of these participants goes beyond assuring informed consent.


Recent publications:

Gene modification: Views of parents of people with Down syndrome

Parents of people with Down syndrome responded to an anonymous online survey on potential genome-based interventions. Their responses were significantly affected by their assessments of the impact of DS on their children’s and their families’ lives.

Towards an Ethically Sensitive Implementation of Non-invasive Prenatal Screening in the Global Context

Western moral assumptions permeate the debate over how to use cell-free DNA screening to identify genetic conditions in a developing fetus. Here we highlight 8 key insights from an international, interdisciplinary workshop on cell-free DNA screening in different cultures and contexts.

Conflicts of Interest in Genetic Counseling: Acknowledging and Accepting

Implying that genetic counselors may have conflicts of interest (COI) seems to strike at the heart of the profession’s integrity and identity. Yet it is crucial that genetic counselors acknowledge that they, like all medical professionals, can and do have COI, and work to manage them.