We would like to acknowledge the generous support of the institutions funding this meeting–with our thanks to:
The Greenwall Foundation is an independent foundation created in 1949 by Frank and Anna Greenwall. Through its Interdisciplinary Program in Bioethics, The Greenwall Foundation provides funding for physicians, lawyers, philosophers, economists, theologians and other professionals to address micro and macro issues in bioethics, providing guidance for those engaged in decision making at the bedside as well as those responsible for shaping institutional and public policy. The Foundation is especially interested in supporting pilot projects and the work of junior investigators, and it is prepared to address issues regarded by some as sensitive or potentially controversial.
The Wellcome Trust is an independent research-funding charity, established under the will of Sir Henry Wellcome in 1936. It is funded from a private endowment which is managed with long-term stability and growth in mind. The Trust’s mission is to foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health. The Trust recognizes that stem cell research raises a number of complex social and ethical issues and provides financial support for a range of activities to explore and debate these questions through its biomedical ethics funding programme.
The institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation (iSEI) was established at The University of Manchester, School of Law, with the mission to observe and analyse the role and responsibilities of science and innovation. The institute will examine the ways in which science is used in the 21st Century, to evaluate possible or desirable changes and to consider the forms of regulation and control of the process that are appropriate or required.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a publicly-funded organization dedicated to improving human health through world-class medical research. To achieve this, we encourage and support research across the biomedical spectrum, from fundamental lab-based science to clinical trials, and in all major disease areas; produce skilled researchers; advance and disseminate knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the UK; and promote dialogue with the public about medical research. We work closely with the UK National Health Service and the UK Health Departments to deliver our mission, and give a high priority to research that is likely to make a real difference to clinical practice and the health of the population.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is one of seven Research Councils that work together as Research Councils UK. The BBSRCs mission is to advance knowledge and technology (including the promotion and support of the exploitation of research outcomes), and provide trained scientists and engineers, which meet the needs of users and beneficiaries (including the agriculture, bioprocessing, chemical, food, healthcare and other biotechnological related industries), thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom and the quality of life. Further and in relation to this mission, the BBSRC generates public awareness, communicates research outcomes, encourages public engagement and dialogue, and disseminates knowledge.
JDRF is the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease which strikes children suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation.
Proprietary Challenges in Stem Cell Research 