Speaker: Sarah Franklin, Professor of Sociology, University of Cambridge
Title: "Should the 14 Day Rule be Changed?"
The abstract is: The 14-day rule [limiting human embryo research] is at once a foundational piece of legislation and a symbol of the enduring social contract that has existed in the UK since 1990, by which controversial biomedical research is allowed subject to strict regulation. Recently, in no small part due to work carried out in Cambridge labs, calls have been made to revisit this key rule and to extend it to 20 or even 28 days. Following a brief account of the origin of the 14 day rule, this presentation will examine its sociological significance and ongoing significance within the wider context of social attitudes toward controversial biomedical research. We will also look at how public attitudes toward embryo research affect other areas of scientific research, such as work on CRISPR, regenerative medicine and stem cell research.
For more information email: events@stemcells.cam.ac.uk