HEALTH SCIENCE 2: BIOMEDICAL DILEMMA PROJECT PATHFINDER

Northwind Staff (2022). Pumpkin surgery day in Health Science [Photograph]. Use permitted by NWHS 2022-23 yearbook staff.

Pathfinder Target Audience: NWHS Health Science 2 students

Pathfinder Purpose: This pathfinder is intended to assist Health Science 2 students with the Biomedical Dilemma Project research. For this assignment, there are many interesting and often controversial topics from which to choose, so this pathfinder will help students in both selecting a topic and completing the required research. Both online and print sources are provided.

Reminders: Don't forget to review the project instructions given to you by your Health Science teacher. Here is a link to the list of possible project topics.

Need More Help?: Feel free to contact the lead Health Science teacher, Mr. Jamie Miles [email protected] or the media coordinator, Mrs. Melissa Walker [email protected] if more help is needed.

Quick Links to the Pathfinder Sections
Online Sources	Print Sources	Videos & Podcasts

GREAT ONLINE SOURCES:

Browse, pick a topic, and start gathering your research!

These sources are perfect for browsing potential topics and for providing research for your project once you've chosen your topic.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention - The CDC is an organization run by the U.S. government. This site offers a wealth of trusted information about various medical topics. In addition, data and statistics are available for specific health concerns and in specific geographic regions.
World Health Organization - The World Health Organization is recognized as the global authority in all things health and medical, and you will find information on various health related topics here.
Research at Mayo Clinic - This specialized section of the Mayo Clinic website offers the latest news and information about medical research. It also provides links to a wealth of other medical research sources.
MedlinePlus - There are a wealth of topics to be explored on this site including some of the more controversial–like end of life care and gene therapy. The information is laid out in an online encyclopedia format, so it's easy to navigate.
PubMed - A subsidiary of the National Library of Medicine, the National Center for Biotechnology Information “comprises more than 35 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books” (National Center for Biotechnology Information).
SAMHSA - This site is run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and it has lots of information on various mental health related topics.

Overhead view of open laptop with stethoscope.

Freepik (n.d.) Free photo overhead view of healthcare desk with laptop and succelent plant [Photograph]. CCO. https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/overhead-view-healthcare-desk-with-laptop-succulent-plant_5234443.htm#page

PRINT SOURCES IN OUR MEDIA CENTER:

For this project, the Health Science teachers strongly encourage you to use at least one print source for your research. Here are some of the books available for checkout from our media center, and some of them cover multiple project topics.
Stem Cell Research: Medical Applications and Ethical Controversy by Joseph Panno Call #616 PAN Discusses human stem cells, medical applications, commercialization of human stem cells, stem cell problems, and ethical and legal issues, and presents overviews of related topics.	Humans 2.0: Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Perspectives on Transhumanism by Fazale R. Rana and Kenneth R. Samples Call #201.6 RAN Unprecedented developments in bioengineering, biotechnology, and biomedicine...can also serve as stepping-stones to technologies that can enhance human beings and alter human nature, raising fears about how biotechnologies could be misused.	Organ Donation by Sarah Boslaugh Call #617.9 BOS Offers an overview of the donation and transplantation process and is written for non-specialists, including people needing a transplanted organ, potential donors and their families, and students considering a career related to organ donation and transplantation.	Genetics for Dummies by Tara Rodden Robinson and Lisa Cushman Spock Call #576.5 ROB A comprehensive overview of genetics that covers what it is, the job of a geneticist, basic cell biology, inheritance, complex traits, sex determination, DNA, replication, RNA, the genetic code, gene expression, mutations, chromosome disorders, forensic genetics, and other topics.
Medicine: A Matter of Life and Death by Russell Roberts Call #610 ROB Looks at the history of the science of medicine. Traces the development of the methods and technology used in medicine through the successes and achievements of the field's scientists and innovators.	Human Enhancement Technologies and Our Merger With Machines edited by Woodrow Barfield and Sayoko Blodgett-Ford Call #615 BAR A cross-disciplinary approach is offered to consider the challenge of emerging technologies designed to enhance human bodies and minds.	Bioethics: Principles, Issues, and Cases by Lewis Vaughn Call #174.2 VAU Explores the philosophical, medical, social, and legal aspects of key bioethical issues. Opening with a thorough introduction to ethics, bioethics, and moral reasoning, it then covers influential moral theories and the criteria for evaluating them.	Physician-Assisted Death by L. W. Sumner Call #179.7 SUM Explores the debate surrounding physician-assisted death, discussing such topics as end-of-life care, patient autonomy and the relief of suffering, and the possible routes to legalization.
Want to add a little something extra to your project presentation? Consider the family and patient point of view from those affected by biomedical research, related medication, and/or medical procedures. These memoirs and biographies give their viewpoints and add a level of humanity to the issues you'll research.
Blood Matters: From Inherited Illness to Designer Babies, How the World and I Found Ourselves in the Future of the Gene by Masha Gessen Call #616 GES Several years after Masha Gessen’s mother died of breast cancer, she discovered she too had the BRCA1 gene mutation, which predisposes women to high rates of ovarian and breast cancer.	Dancing At the Pity Party: A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder Call #741.5 FED Tyler Feder shares her story of her mother's first oncology appointment to facing reality as a motherless daughter in this frank and refreshingly funny graphic memoir.	The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot Call #CS 616 SKL Examines the experiences of the children and husband of Henrietta Lacks, who, twenty years after her death from cervical cancer in 1951, learned doctors and researchers took cells from her cervix without consent which were used to create the immortal cell line known as the HeLa cell; provides an overview of Henrietta's life; and explores issues of experimentation on African-Americans and bioethics.	Skinny Boy: A Young Man’s Battle and Triumph Over Anorexia by Gary Grahl Call #CS 616 GRA The author, now a counselor, describes the beginning of his compulsive exercise and starvation in his teens and chronicles his battle with anorexia, discussing his hospitalizations and therapy.

Cover images and book summaries from Follett Destiny and Amazon used under Fair Use guidelines for educational use only.

VIDEOS & PODCASTS:

Are you more of an audio/visual learner?

Instead of reading about your topic, would you rather watch or listen to find out more about biomedical dilemma issues? Check out these podcasts and videos for an alternative to the written word.

Podcasts:

The Pursuit of Precision: The Science Advancing Individualized Medicine - Each episode of this podcast features a guest host Mayo Clinic health care professional or researcher and a guest from a non-Mayo Clinic institution. Cutting-edge medical research and practices are discussed.
TED Health - Various TED speakers discuss everything from healthy living advice to advancements in modern medicine.

Videos: