WHO Names Members Of Advisory Committee On Human Genome Editing

The World Health Organization today announced the membership of its advisory committee that will assist in the development of global standards for the governance and oversight of human genome editing.

The first meeting of the committee will be on 18-19 March at WHO headquarters.

“The panel will review the current literature on the state of the research and its applications, and societal attitudes towards the different uses of this technology. WHO will then receive advice from the panel on appropriate oversight and governance mechanisms, both at the national and global level,” according to a press release.

The list of 16 members (plus two co-chairs) of the multidisciplinary advisory committee is available on the WHO website here. The site includes bios for all members.

The committee co-chairs are Justice Edwin Cameron of South Africa’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, and Margaret A. (Peggy) Hamburg (US), foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine, and former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

“The Committee was formed after an open call for members. Members will serve in an independent and personal capacity and represent a broad range of disciplines, expertise, and experience,” the website states.

At its first meeting in March, the website says, the committee will “review the current landscape and discuss and agree the workplan for the coming 12-18 months.”

According to the bios, the committee representation appears to include: United States (3), Canada, Germany, France, South Africa, Australia, United Kingdom, Poland, India, Japan, Panama, Burkina Faso, Kenya, and China.

 

Image Credits: Flickr.

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