Assemblymember Marty Block (AD-78) issued the following statement in response to UC Berkeley announcing that they will alter their Bring Your Genes to Cal Freshmen Orientation Project, to comply with instructions from the California Department of Public Health indicating the university should not distribute individual results to the students:

“After a healthy debate on the privacy and biomedical ethics issues surrounding UC Berkeley’s DNA testing program, it is welcomed news that the university will alter their program to comply with the state directive to ensure that laws assuring the accuracy and quality of medical testing are observed.

“While I believe the professors behind this project had the best intentions from the start, protecting student privacy and the confidentiality of their health information is critically important. I am glad to see the university taking appropriate steps to address some of the problems that have arisen.

“This certainly will not be the last research project of this nature, and I believe it is our responsibility, as a legislative body, to engage in a similar educational process, to ensure that future pursuits are executed in a sound and ethical manner.”

Contact: Mike Naple (916) 202-0003