Seminar: Towards International Principles and Guidelines for Human Gene Editing

Lecturer: Prof. Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH, Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

Abstract:  In 2017, the US National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine, in conjunction with the UK Royal Academy and the Chinese Academy of Sciences issued a consensus committee report, “Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance” (https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24623/human-genome-editing-science-ethics-an...).  Among its tasks was to identify principles and guidelines that should apply internationally to human applications of genome editing tools.  From my perspective as a member of the consensus committee, in this presentation I will (1) describe the committee’s task of identifying principles and guidelines and why it is important; (2) describe the principles and guidelines recommended by the committee; (3) examine the analysis supporting the principles and guidelines recommended; (4) examine the applicability of the analysis and recommended principles and guidelines in transnational contexts; and (5) assess what analysis, supporting arguments, and/or deliberative process(es) might be required going forward in support of achieving international approaches in gene editing and other emerging areas of science and medicine. 

Hosted by Prof. Israel Gannot (for meeting the speaker please contact Israel at: gannot@eng.tau.ac.il)