Information about the University of Exeter, United Kingdom, including for prospective students, current students, international students, academic staff, job applicants, business, professionals, community, alumni and the media
The treatment of inherited mitochondrial abnormalities in human embryos using donor mitochondria is an advancing area of research. The techniques involved could have profound implications for future generations. This project will explore the ethical issues relevant to affected families, potential donors, researchers, medical professionals and others trying to understand and respond to the therapeutic possibility of mitochondrial transfer.
The Forum's Bright Ideas programme provides an exciting opportunity for individuals to spend a period of time - anything between a few days and two months - in residence at the Forum. With comfortable, modern offices on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, we offer our visitors time and space to undertake a programme of work tailored to their own interests that can also contribute to in some way to the Forum's aims and objectives. The scheme is open to anyone concerned with the social dimensions of genetics, genomics and the new life sciences, whether natural or medical scientists, medical practitioners, social scientists, artists, writers and musicians, policy makers and others working in public service and civil society, and individuals from the worlds of industry and commerce. Financial assistance is available for travel, accommodation and subsistence.
The Neuromedia Corner aims to share news and stimulate an effective dialogue about the state of the art of neuroscience technologies, their risks and benefits and the associated ethical and social issues. The Neuromedia Corner is an idea of the bid - Brains in Dialogue project.
Predictive testing for Huntington’s disease was introduced in the late 1980s. It was offered reluctantly, however, because of the lack of treatment available for identified gene carriers and the potential for genetic discrimination—that is, the unfair and inappropriate treatment of a person or group on the basis of genetic information. In the linked cross sectional survey (doi:10.1136/bmj.b2175), Bombard and colleagues assess the nature and prevalence of genetic discrimination in a cohort of asymptomatic genetically tested and untested people at risk for Huntington’s disease.
Genetic tests for which the results are likely to have a big impact on the person being tested should be provided to the public only within the framework of a consultation with a medical practitioner, recommend draft principles for direct to consumer genetic tests. The number of genetic tests available on the open market has increased in the past few years and will continue to grow as the technology develops. The Human Genetics Commission, the UK government’s advisory body on developments in human genetics, set up a working group with expertise in regulation, clinical, and molecular genetics and genetic counselling. The group includes representatives from the genetic testing industry and will develop a framework of "high level principles" to promote consistency in the provision of direct to consumer genetic tests at an international level.
The mission of the National-Tay Sachs & Allied Diseases Association is to lead the fight to treat and cure Tay-Sachs, Canavan and related genetic diseases and to support affected families and individuals in leading fuller lives.
Geneforum was established to ensure that the decisions about genetic research and biotechnology are informed by public values. Geneforum's approach is similar to the widely respected and extensively field-tested model of public engagement created by Orego