Science, Ethics & Governance of Human Genome Editing

Dr. Oliver Feeney (University of Tübingen) – BIP coordinator

Oliver Feeney, PhD. is based in the Medical Faculty’s Institute of Ethics and History of Medicine at the University of Tübingen. Working with the ‘Ethics of Genome Editing’ Research Unit, his primary research is on the ethical, legal, and social (justice) implications of biomedical technologies, particularly the ethics and governance of genome editing; ethics of human enhancement; fostering trust with participatory involvement in science and medicine, and the role of patents in the context of new technologies. His publications have appeared in Bioethics, Developing World Bioethics, Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, and The American Journal of Bioethics.

Visiting lecturers – CIVIS partners

Prof. Greg Bognar (Stockholm University)

Greg Bognar is Professor of Practical Philosophy at Stockholm University and a Senior Researcher at the Stockholm Centre for Healthcare Ethics (CHE). His research is in normative and applied ethics, especially bioethics and public health ethics, PPE (politics, philosophy, and economics) and the intersection between bioethics and political philosophy. He is co-author of the book The Ethics of Health Care Rationing: An Introduction (Routledge, 2014; Second, expanded edition 2022) and co-editor of Ageing without Ageism: Conceptual Puzzles and Policy Proposals (Oxford University Press, 2023).

Prof. José María Carrascosa (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)

José María Carrascosa is Full Professor of biochemistry at the Universidad Autónoma in Madrid (UAM). His research focused on diabetes and obesity associated to ageing being project leader for more than 30 years. Since 2008 he has been teaching bioethics and science ethics to undergraduate and postgraduate students. His main areas of interests include the ethics of genome editing, neuroethics and the ethics of ageing research. He is member of the Research Ethics Committee of UAM and was Dean of the Faculty of Sciences (2013–2021).

Dr. Aurélie Mahalatchimy (Aix-Marseille Université)

Aurélie Mahalatchimy’s main research interest is biomedical innovation, especially the uses of human genes, cells and tissues for therapeutic, scientific, commercial and industrial purposes. She has a Doctorate in law from the Law Faculty of Toulouse, France. Her PhD thesis was on the impact of European Union law on the regulation of advanced therapy medicinal products in France and in the UK. She is permanent Researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS, chargée de recherche), Aix Marseille University, Toulon University, Pau & Pays Adour University, International, Comparative and European laws (DICE- CERIC) research lab, Aix-en-Provence, France.

University of Tübingen – Host University partners – other national/international partners

Prof. Julia Skokowa (University Hospital Tübingen: Gene & RNA Therapy Centre)

Prof. Julia Skokowa MD, Ph.D. is Professor and Head of the Division of Translational Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine II - Haematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen. Her expertise and interest in gene therapy covers novel therapeutic modalities of severe congenital neutropenia using gene editing; disease modelling of severe congenital neutropenia in vitro and in vivo; design and development of novel therapeutic proteins for gene editing; establishment of novel gene therapy delivery routes for hematopoietic stem cells and development of AAV constructs with tropism for hematopoietic stem cells.

Prof. Dr. phil. Hans-Jörg Ehni (University of Tübingen)

Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Ehni has a background in philosophy with a focus on moral philosophy and medical ethics. He is currently deputy director of the Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine, University of Tübingen. His main areas of research are ethics and ageing and ethics of biomedical research involving human subjects. He is a member of the ethics commission of the federal board of physicians, Baden Wuerttemberg, and of the clinical ethics committee, University Clinic Tübingen.

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Lauer (University Tübingen)

Ulrich Lauer, Dr. Med is Professor and Deputy Director of Dept. of Medical Oncology and Pneumology, University Tübingen and Head of the Virotherapy Center in Tübingen. His expertise and interest in gene therapy covers suicide gene-enhanced 2nd generation measles vaccine virus oncolytic virotherapeutic compound (completely developed bench-to-bedside at University Tübingen, Germany); Germany ́s top Clinical Virotherapy Center carrying out numerous Phase I/II virotherapy trials; AAV gene complementation in hepatic disorders (e.g., Phase I clinical trials in Morbus Wilson); Sendai Virus (SeV) based novel vaccine type inducing sterilizing immunity against pandemic threats caused by viruses – e.g. COVID-19 or other respiratory pathogens.

Dr. med. Reka Haraszti (University Tübingen)

Reka Haraszti, Dr. med; PhD., is Junior Group Leader & Hematology/Oncology Fellow in the Department of Medicine II, University Tübingen. Her expertise and interest in gene therapy covers Chemically modified siRNAs; Extracellular vesicles for gene/RNA therapy delivery; Immunomodulation via siRNAs; siRNA pharmacokinetics; and Mesenchymal stem cells.

Prof. Dr. Marius Ueffing (University of Tübingen)

Marius Ueffing is the Director of the Institute for Ophthalmic Research and Co-Chair of the Centre for Ophthalmology at the University Medical Center in Tübingen, one of the largest centres for ophthalmology in Europe. His research combines cellular and molecular physiology with genome and proteome analysis to analyse the impact of genetic and environmental factors on human health on a systemic level. The focus of the Ueffing lab is neurodegeneration in the retina with specific emphasis on the molecular mechanisms of disease towards the development of targeted therapy.

Dr. Thorsten Schmidt (University of Tübingen)

Thorsten Schmidt is Group Leader and Head of the Research Laboratory of the Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics of the University of Tübingen. He has a background in Biochemistry and holds an additional Master’s degree in Medical Education. For more than twenty-five years, he has worked in the field of human genetics, inherited (neurodegenerative) diseases, their pathophysiology and (genetic and non-genetic) treatment strategies. In his research, he pursues, together with his group, molecular biological, biochemical, cell biological and genetical methods including in vivo studies in genetically modified animal models.

Prof. Robert Ranisch (University of Potsdam) 

Robert Ranisch is Junior Professor of Medical Ethics at the Faculty of Health Sciences Brandenburg, University of Potsdam, and head of the research unit "Ethics of Genome Editing" at the Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Tübingen. His areas of interest include biomedical ethics, genetics and ethics, digital ethics (with a focus on medicine), intergenerational justice, organizational ethics, and moral theory.

Dr Katharina Peters (University of Tübingen)

With a background between biochemistry, psychology, neuroscience and medicine, Katharina has been a member of the research group Ethics of Genome Editing at the Institute for the Ethics and History of Medicine since 2017. Her dissertation project deals with the ethical challenges of translational research in Germline Genome Editing. Aside from research ethics, her research interests include neuroethics, the ethics of (bio)technologies and their intersections with the philosophy of medicine.

Prof. Heidi Howard (University College Cork)

Heidi Carmen Howard is a University College Cork (Ireland), working on the policy, ethical, legal, and social aspects of new technologies, especially in genetics and genomics. Her research focuses on using multi- and interdisciplinary approaches with a large emphasis on empirical research to study the challenges and implications of novel technologies (e.g. gene editing, next generation sequencing, Artificial intelligence in health care) and their responsible translation for end users and society.