Date/Time
Date(s) - 14/09/2021
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Homo sapiens have been altering their environment deliberately to address a wide range of needs and unintentionally through various activities for millennia – and likely will continue to do so. However, changes that are acceptable to some may appear unacceptable to others for very different reasons. What are the ethical concerns at play in these disagreements? This panel discussion series will explore and juxtapose various ethics perspectives and their relation to the emerging gene editing technologies collectively known as ‘gene drive’ and will culminate in a discussion about exceptionalism. The panel discussions will be held on every second Tuesday of each month for five months, from July to November 2021. Registration required.

• July 13, 2021 10:00 am Eastern US time
  Is there a moral difference between the natural and synthetic?
  Moderator: Fredros Okumu, Ph.D., Ifakara Health Institute
• August 10, 2021 10:00 am Eastern US time
  Do justice and equity concerns bolster or hinder the case for the use of gene drive applications?
  Moderator: Sam Weiss Evans, D.Phil., Harvard University
• September 14, 2021 10:00 am Eastern US time
  Who owes what to whom: What is the nature and scope of responsibilities of the various actors in gene drive research?
  Moderator: Jim Lavery, Ph.D., Emory University
• October 12, 2021 10 am Eastern US time
  From principles to principled action: What ethical principles ought to govern gene drive research?
  Moderator: Katherine Littler, World Health Organization
• November 9, 2021 10 am Eastern US time
  Does gene drive technology raise exceptional ethical issues?
  Moderator: Claudia Emerson, Ph.D., McMaster University

Want to be in virtual attendance, but have a conflict with one of the scheduled events? Not to worry, each of the panel discussions is recorded and available for public viewing on the GeneConvene Global Collaborative YouTube channel.