The impact of genetic knowledge on human life
The impact of genetic knowledge on human life
Das genetische Wissen und die Zukunft des Menschen
Berlin, 10th-12th March, 2002
Introduction
The sequencing of the human genome has initiated a new era in the development of human genome research. It will allow scientists to advance into new and as yet uncharted areas of research and open up profound new insights in the fields of human biology as well as medical basic research and its application in diagnostics and therapy.
This goal not only requires access to adequate and sufficient resources, but also calls for new and interdisciplinary lines of research combining the efforts of human genome research as well as developmental and cell biology with those of clinical medicine and research into the causes of diseases. The new and far-reaching opportunities - not only to analyse the human genome, but also to modify it - confront the scientific community and society as a whole with profound anthropological, sociocultural, ethical and legal questions. Dealing with these new questions is of fundamental importance and requires an intensive exchange between all relevant disciplines.
This international conference on “The Impact of Genetic Knowledge on Human Life” aims at describing the emerging developments in the relevant fields of human genome research and molecular medicine. Moreover, it seeks to assess possibilities of their application and discuss the resulting ethical, legal and social implications.
By involving leading researchers from around the world the organizers wish to promote an intensive exchange between the development in Germany and the respective debate as well as approaches and solutions chosen in other countries.
Following an introductory survey of the current state of research and debate, three fields deserving special attention will be targeted in particular: genetic diagnosis, functional research involving therapeutic goals and pharmacogenetics including visions of a future individualised medicine.
Papers on the scientific and medical state of the art as well as on the ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) will be complemented by invited statements as well as panel and plenary discussions. The panel discussions aim to involve those most affected by the developments and their points of view as well as address the consequences for health policy. All contributions will focus on current scientific and ELSI research.
Prior to the conference a collection of material documenting the current state of the discussion will be available. Proceedings of the conference itself will be published later this year.
Host:
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Organisation:
German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (DRZE), Bonn
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ludger Honnefelder,
Dr. Rudolf Teuwsen M.A.
Partners in cooperation:
German Human Genome Project
Department of Ethics and History of Medicine / Academy for Ethics in Medicine, Göttingen
Institute for Science and Ethics, Bonn
Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities, Tübingen
Contact:
Rimas Cuplinskas M.A.
+49 (0)228 3364 1920
+49 (0)228 3364 1940
Conference language:
English and German (with simultaneous translation into both languages)
Venue:
Rathaus Schöneberg
John-F.-Kennedy-Platz
10820 Berlin
Germany
