April 24 in Portland, Oregon Convention Center

http://www.publicforuminstitute.org/

(From Press Release)

The Genetics and Public Policy Center will conduct a series of public town hall meetings to gather feedback from the public on their views related to a proposed large cohort study on the role of genes and environment in health. The town halls are part of a public consultation effort to inform the National Institutes of Health and other federal health agencies’ discussions as they decide whether and how such a study might go forward.

The National Institutes of Health and other federal health agencies are considering developing a biobank of samples and information from hundreds of thousands of volunteers who would then be followed for many years, and they have asked the Center to gather feedback from the general public. As part of a two-year, $2 million pilot project funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the Center is gathering input on issues related to large, population-based studies through a series of focus groups, community leader interviews, and town halls, as well as a national survey of more than 4,000 individuals.

Members of the public can register to attend by calling Erin Wiley at (202) 374-0840, http://www.dnapolicy.org/event.registration.php?event_id=28