Sociology Professor appointed to work with International Stem Cell Forum
Professor Clare Williams has been appointed as UK representative on the Ethics Working Party (EWP) of the International Stem Cell Forum organization. The EWP is comprised of independent experts who are appointed by each of the Forum’s member organizations - in the UK, the Medical Research Council. The primary purpose of the Working Party is to assist member countries to undertake stem cell research within a transparent and well-considered ethical framework. It seeks to identify prospective strategies to foster the scientific and ethical integrity of research in a global context.
Clare commented "I am delighted to have been asked to represent the UK's perspectives on the ISCF Ethics Working Party. My appointment provides further evidence of the value placed on the research of social scientists in areas such as this, at the intersection of innovative medical technologies and ethics".
The ISCF is composed of twenty-one partners and research funding institutions from around the world. It faces the challenge of conflicting regulatory and policy approaches regarding the exchange of materials and data adopted by its various partners. The divergent policy frameworks and governing regulations affect the permissibility of conducting stem cell research (i.e. procurement, derivation, banking, distribution and use of stem cell lines) and thus, they could potentially inhibit collaboration at the national and international level.
The EWP initiative was set up on behalf of the International Stem Cell Forum by its member - the Canadian Institute of Health Research.
