PET director Sarah Norcross and deputy director Sandy Starr were thrilled to be invited to participate in a Future of Human Reproduction project workshop. The project is being carried out at Lancaster University and the University of Sheffield and is funded by the Wellcome Trust.
The theme was 'Embryos and liminal entities: Rethinking questions of status and protection in shifting scientific, legal and ethical landscapes'.
The workshop brought together experts in law, bioethics, policy, developmental biology and reproductive science from the UK and beyond to explore how scientific advances are influencing existing legal and ethical frameworks around embryo protection. Sarah and Sandy chaired sessions on science and regulation and policy respectively.
It was interesting to see participants from different disciplines explain and debate
- What is an embryo?
- Do all embryos and embryo models merit the same protections in law?
The workshop was also a useful opportunity to learn how countries outside of the UK approach these questions.
Thanks so much to Professor Sara Fovargue and Dr Laura O'Donovan for organising the workshop and for the invitations to chair.
You can find out more about this Future of Human Reproduction workshop here.