The birth of genetics: celebrating 200 years of Mendel
Professor Frances Flinter, emeritus professor of clinical genetics at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust discusses Gregor Mendel's life and works, 200 years after his birth...
Professor Frances Flinter
Emeritus Professor of Clinical Genetics
Frances Flinter is a Trustee at the Progress Educational Trust (PET), a Member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCoB), and Emeritus Professor of Clinical Genetics at King's College London. Previously, she was Consultant Clinical Geneticist and Caldicott Guardian at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. There, she worked with the Assisted Conception Unit to establish a Centre for Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) which is now the largest PGD centre in the UK. She originally worked in Paediatrics, until a period of research into inherited kidney diseases led her to specialise in Clinical Genetics.
Frances has worked as Clinical Director of the Evelina London Children's Hospital, President of the Clinical Genetics Society, founding Chair of the Medical Genetics Clinical Reference Group, and a Member of the Human Genetics Commission which previously advised the UK Government. She was also a member of the expert groups that reviewed mitochondrial donation for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and for NCoB, before the UK Parliament changed the law to permit the use of mitochondrial donation in treatment.
BioNews Articles by Professor Frances Flinter
Will a COVID-19 vaccine change my DNA?
In order to be approved for use in the UK, vaccines must meet the strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness set out by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency...
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Leading the way on mitochondrial donation
Over the last 30 years I have met some remarkable families, from whom I have learned about the rewards and challenges of caring for relatives with incurable genetic conditions....
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Mitochondrial donation as a clinical option: A response to Ted Morrow
Robust debate about the pros and cons of mitochondrial donation is essential, but the clinical reality of mitochondrial disorders is stark. Couples who have lost a child affected by a serious maternally-inherited mitochondrial disorder may have limited reproductive options...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
The Government's response 'largely restates past achievements'
The report from the UK House of Lords' Science and Technology Committee Inquiry into Genomic Medicine argued that rapid developments in genetic science require a new strategy for its delivery within health services and research. The Government's response to the Report largely restates past achievements and seems to suggest that minor modifications of current processes will allow delivery of the benefits of advances in knowledge....
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
A 'Common Framework of Principles' for direct-to-consumer genetic tests
The UK's Human Genetics Commission (HGC), the Government's advisory body on new developments in human genetics and how they impact on individuals' lives, is seeking views on a 'Common Framework of Principles' for direct-to-consumer genetic tests...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Funding for NHS genetic services in the UK
The Human Genetics Commission (HGC) is an independent body, which was established in 1999. Its role is to consider the ethical, social and legal implications of advances in human genetics, to listen to the public and to advise ministers on what, if anything, the government needs to do. The appointed...
