Valerie Gutmann Koch
vgkoch.bsky.social
Valerie Gutmann Koch
@vgkoch.bsky.social
Medical ethics and law. Law prof at DePaul University College of Law and Faculty Director of the Jaharis Health Law Institute. Director of Law & Ethics at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, the University of Chicago.
Proud that my article, The Opioid Crisis Meets Genomics, is now published in the Seton Hall Law Review. Thanks to everyone who provided thoughtful commentary and insights!

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The Opioid Crisis Meets Genomics
<p>The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent approval of the first polygenic risk score test has been met with powerful criticism. The test, AvertD, was ap
papers.ssrn.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Another year of uplifting bioethics and law news at our annual Legal Updates panel. #asbh25 @thaddeuspope.bsky.social @aderse.bsky.social Katie Watson
October 24, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
This year marks an exciting new chapter for DePaul Law. Under the leadership of Dean Geoffrey Rapp, we continue to advance academic excellence, innovation and public engagement.

We invite you to read about all of our 2024-2025 achievements here: ow.ly/QQNa50Xb8LA
2024-2025 DePaul Law Faculty Achievements
Flipsnack is a digital catalog maker that makes it easy to create, publish and share html5 flipbooks. Upload a PDF or design from scratch flyers, magazines, books and more.
ow.ly
October 15, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Patients shouldn’t be pressured to ‘just check that box’ on informed consent forms www.statnews.com/2025/10/08/i... via @statnews.com
Patients shouldn’t be pressured to ‘just check that box’ on informed consent forms
Doctors should actually discuss informed-consent paperwork with their patients.
www.statnews.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
The CDC has accepted advisers' recommendations on Covid vaccinations, though there may still be uncertainty in some states about whether a prescription is needed to access them.
www.statnews.com/2025/10/06/c...
CDC approves updated Covid-19, chickenpox vaccine recommendations
The CDC has accepted advisers' recommendations on Covid vaccinations, though there may still be uncertainty in some states about whether a prescription is needed to access them.
www.statnews.com
October 6, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
'According to a recent lawsuit, 23andMe failed to notify consumers with Chinese and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage that their personal genetic information appeared to have been compiled into “specially curated lists” that were shared and sold on the dark web.'
The precarious future of consumer genetic privacy
Congress and other lawmakers must act to robustly protect direct-to-consumer genetic data and biospecimens into the future
www.science.org
September 13, 2025 at 5:49 AM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
Can anyone get a Covid shot if they want one? The answer, in short, is no.
www.statnews.com/2025/09/04/c...
Can anyone get a Covid shot if they want one? No
Can anyone get a Covid shot if they want one? It's not that simple.
www.statnews.com
September 4, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
Blood taken from Danish babies ended up in huge genetic study—without consent: The iPsych project, which investigates the genetics of psychiatric disorders, has sent 140,000 opt-out notices amid backlash | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...
Blood taken from Danish babies ended up in huge genetic study—without consent
The iPsych project, which investigates the genetics of psychiatric disorders, has sent 140,000 opt-out notices amid backlash
www.science.org
August 1, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
The NIH archives of the Human Genome Project could fall victim to Trump administration cuts, writes a former archivist. buff.ly/H1WkRpn
Do you remember the Human Genome Project? I’m not sure the Trump administration wants you to
The NIH archives of the Human Genome Project could fall victim to Trump administration cuts, writes a former archivist.
buff.ly
June 5, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
At the start of the year, WIRED made a commitment to stop paywalling articles primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act @freedom.press. This includes this critical piece here.

The US Is storing migrant children’s DNA in a criminal database:
The US Is Storing Migrant Children’s DNA in a Criminal Database
Customs and Border Protection has swabbed the DNA of migrant children as young as 4, whose genetic data is uploaded to an FBI-run database that can track them if they commit crimes in the future.
www.wired.com
May 29, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
Happy Friday #HealthLaw friends! The deadline for abstract submissions for the 2025 @slulaw.bsky.social & ASLME Health Law Scholars Workshop is MONDAY, APRIL 14th.

Your taxes can wait; this can't!

More info about the workshop & the submission process here: www.slu.edu/law/health/s...
April 11, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I’ve got some news! This summer, I’ll be heading to @depaullaw.bsky.social as an associate professor and the faculty director of @jaharishli.bsky.social! I couldn’t be more excited to rejoin the Chicago health law community!
April 2, 2025 at 7:03 PM
This is an incredible opportunity! If you can, submit!
We @slulaw.bsky.social @sluhealthlaw.bsky.social (in conjunction with ASLME) invite you to submit an abstract for the 2025 Health Law Scholars Workshop!

Abstracts are due by April 14th! More info here:

t.e2ma.net/message/nqot...
April 1, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Valerie Gutmann Koch
Vence Bonham, who became acting director of the National Human Genome Research Institute less than two weeks ago, is "unexpectedly" placed on leave.

www.statnews.com/2025/03/31/t...
Vence Bonham, acting chief of National Human Genome Research Institute, 'unexpectedly' put on leave
Vence Bonham, who became acting director of the National Human Genome Research Institute less than two weeks ago, is "unexpectedly" placed on leave.
www.statnews.com
April 1, 2025 at 4:12 AM