Twenty-three years ago, Arizona State University geneticist Teri Markow collected samples of blood from the Havasupai Indians, who live in a remote corner of the Grand Canyon. She was looking for genetic markers of diabetes, but instead, used the DNA in the blood to study schizophrenia — or so the story goes.
In 2003, the Havasupai sued ASU and Dr. Markow.
But it never happened. Dr. Markow never probed the DNA for anything other than standard, generic markers. So how did she wind up the tarnished target of a classic case study in bioethics?
Related on the SLP
Read the full, original story here: Is the Havasupai Indian Case a Fairy Tale?
Additional Resources:
- “HeLa, the Havasupai, and Informed Consent,” PLOS One
Ricki Lewis’s previous article on the Havasupai Indians informed consent story. - “Indian Tribe Wins Fight to Limit Research of Its DNA,” New York Times
The New York Times’ damaging and inaccurate article on the issue.
