PET Deputy Director
Sandy Starr is Deputy Director of the Progress Educational Trust (PET), and a member of the interdisciplinary network Embryo Model Ethics, Research, Governance and Engagement. He was Project Consultant for the Code of Practice for the Generation and Use of Human Stem-Cell-Based Embryo Models, published jointly by PET and Cambridge Reproduction, and he served on the working groups that produced the clinical practice guidance Ethical Issues in Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis and Prenatal Diagnosis and Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Germline Cancer Susceptibility Gene Variants. He has given a TEDx talk to mark the 70th anniversary of the discovery of DNA's double helix structure and the 20th anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project, and he has also lectured on the life and legacy of JBS Haldane.
Sandy has addressed MPs in the UK Parliament on the subject of human embryo research, debated the morality of genetics on The Moral Maze on BBC Radio 4, been interviewed about mitochondrial donation on the BBC World Service programme Newshour and in the book Legalising Mitochondrial Donation, and appeared as a guest on the Sunrise Paper Review on Sky News. He has lectured and written about genome editing for the Thackray Museum of Medicine, and has also written about genome editing in the in the British Medical Bulletin and in the European Journal. He is author of the pamphlet AI: Separating Man from Machine, and he has lectured and written about AI in relation to the history of algorithms and the life and work of Ada Lovelace.
As mitochondrial disease and mitochondrial donation hit the headlines, PET clears up misunderstandings with its 'Mythbusting Mitochondrial Donation' resource, and with a set of recommended videos...
100 years ago, JBS Haldane's 'Daedalus' – a lecture, subsequently a book – helped to pioneer the idea of IVF. In its public event '100 Years of Daedalus: The Birth of Assisted Reproductive Technology', PET will explore Haldane's legacy...
The International Society for Stem Cell Research has published wide-ranging new guidelines, covering a number of contentious areas of research and clinical practice...
A recently appointed adviser to the UK government, Andrew Sabisky, has resigned following widespread criticism of his views on topics including genetics and reproduction...
This film documents a debate about polygenic risk scores chaired by the deputy director of the Progress Educational Trust at the Battle of Ideas festival...
Advances in genomics are having a growing impact on fertility treatment and assisted reproduction...
The eminent developmental biologist Professor Robin Lovell-Badge has been appointed Chair of Trustees at the Progress Educational Trust (PET), the charity that publishes BioNews...
Leading figures in reproductive science and medicine have been recognised in the New Year's Honours list 2018, including two experts who have previously written for BioNews...
What do patients and laypeople think and know about genome editing and its implications? What are the best ways for experts and others to discuss genome editing in public, so as to improve public understanding and avoid confusion? The Progress Educational
Foremost among them is Professor Sir John Sulston, who played a central role in the Human Genome Project and founded the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute...
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