David is a bioethicist by background researching ethical, legal, and policy implications of emerging biotechnologies, including neurotechnologies, implantable devices, and human enhancement. He has other research interests in bioethics and the medical law more generally, with a current project focussing on the creation of new lifeforms through synthetic biology. He is an editor for the journals Clinical Neuroethics and Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics.

Garðar's research focuses on ethics and philosophy of science and technology, and the philosophy of education.

Richard’s research focusses on the ethical and legal implications of emerging medical and biotechnologies, examining how innovations such as cryopreservation, xenotransplantation, gene editing, and body modification challenge existing moral frameworks and regulatory structures.

Susanne van den Brink pioneered the stem cell-based 3D mouse gastruloids (“embryonic organoids”) model system during her Master’s internship in the Martinez Arias laboratory (Cambridge University, UK, 2012-2013). During her Ph.D. in the Alexander van Oudenaarden laboratory (Hubrecht Institute, The Netherlands, 2014-2020), she characterized mouse and human gastruloids in detail using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, which resulted in a first somite-forming version of the gastruloids model. She recently completed her postdoc in Barcelona, where she characterized and improved mouse haemogenic gastruloids, which reconstruct embryonic blood development in vitro with spatial and temporal accuracy. In October 2025, she started a short second postdoc in the Cristina Pina lab in Sanquin (Dutch blood bank, Amsterdam), where she plans to develop human stem cell-based embryo models that capture embryonic blood development in vitro.

Sarah Chan is an interdisciplinary bioethicist whose research explores the ethics of emerging modes of biomedicine. She works actively to engage scientists, policymakers, and wider publics in discussions around these issues.

Lien De Proost is a researcher with a background in philosophy and bioethics. She obtained her PhD at Erasmus MC in the Netherlands, focusing on the ethics of extreme prematurity. Her previous work addressed ethical issues related to pregnancy termination, artificial placenta technology, and embryo models. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at KU Leuven, Belgium. Her interdisciplinary research profile centers on perinatal ethics, reproductive ethics, and care ethics.

Andy led a programme of research in developmental genetics at the UKRI’s MRC Harwell Institute for 25 years. He now focuses on matters of governance and regulation. He was a board member of the HFEA for almost 10 years and chaired two expert panels that considered the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation. He was a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCoB) and in 2016 chaired its working group that considered the ethics of genome editing. He was also a member of NCoB’s recent SCBEM working group. In 2019-2020, he was a member of the National Academies International Commission that considered possible clinical uses of heritable human genome editing. Since 2020, he has been a member of the Regulatory Horizons Council, an expert committee that advises the UK Government on the regulation of emerging technologies in diverse sectors. He also works with a number of UK regulators.

Søren Holm is a Danish medical doctor and philosopher. He has been researching ethical and legal issues in human reproduction since the mid-1980s and issues raised by human stem cell lines since they first became available. He sees himself as the thinking person’s conservative.

Rosario Isasi is Director of the Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy at the University of Miami and Associate Professor in the John T. Macdonald Department of Human Genetics at the Miller School of Medicine, with affiliations to the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, and the University of Miami School of Law. An internationally recognized scholar, her work focuses on the ethical, legal, and policy dimensions of emerging biotechnologies, including genomics, precision medicine, regenerative medicine, and artificial intelligence. Her global leadership has been widely recognized, co-receipt of the 2025 Public Service Award from the International Society for Stem Cell Research. Professor Isasi holds several prominent leadership roles across national and international organizations.

Kirstin's research focuses on ethical and policy issues related to biomedicine. Specifically, in emerging technologies including vaccines, stem cells, human embryo research, as well as how the federal government funds and gets advice on science research.

Heidi Mertes is an associate professor in Medical Ethics at Ghent University, where she is a founding member of the Bioethics Institute Ghent and of the Metamedica platform. Her main area of research is the ethics of reproductive medicine in general and more specifically ethical challenges in embryo research, fertility preservation, preimplantation and prenatal genetic testing, social egg freezing, stem cell derived gametes, genetic parenthood, genome editing, etc. She teaches courses in medical ethics, bioethics and moral sciences. She is the current chair of the Belgian Federal Commission for medical and scientific research on Embryo’s in vitro. She is also a member of the Belgian Advisory Committee on Bioethics and of the Ethics Committee of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).

Naomi's research focuses on how cells make fate decisions, and in particular, how these decisions are coordinated between cells to give rise the patterns that arise through development.

Ana's research focusses on exploring the ethical ramifications of stem cell-derived gametes (SCDGs) and contributing to the development of tangible guidelines, capable of harnessing the potential of SCDGs as valuable research tools, whilst remaining conscientious of morally and legally acceptable practices.

Professor Jose M. Polo FAA, FAHMS, is the inaugural Director of the Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics (ACE), Program Leader at SAiGENCI, Adelaide University, and Group Leader at Monash University. A leading expert in cellular reprogramming, epigenetics, and stem cell biology, his work includes developing organoid models from iPSCs and in vitro models of placenta and early human embryos. Since earning his PhD in 2008, he has advanced research in development, cancer, ageing, and neurodegenerative diseases. His contributions have earned multiple accolades, including the Metcalf Award, NHMRC Fiona Stanley Research Excellence Award, and the President’s Medal from ANZSCDB. In 2024, he was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and in 2025 he was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science and appointed Scientic Lead for EMBL Australia. He co-founded Cell Mogrify Pty Ltd in 2016 to translate reprogramming into therapies, with the company receiving several innovation awards.

Jeremy Sugarman, MD, MPH, MA is the Harvey M. Meyerhoff Professor of Bioethics and Medicine in the Department of Medicine and the Berman Institute of Bioethics at the Johns Hopkins University. He is an internationally recognized leader in bioethics with particular expertise in applying empirical methods for evaluating and analyzing bioethical issues. His contributions include work on the ethics of informed consent, stem cell-related research, international HIV prevention research, global health and research oversight. Dr. Sugarman has been elected as a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians, and the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine). He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American College of Physicians and the Hastings Center. He also received a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from New York Medical College.

Dr Ilke Turkmendag is Reader in Biomedicine and Society at Newcastle Law School, Newcastle University. Her interdisciplinary research spans Science and Technology Studies (STS), medical sociology, and bioethics, focusing on the socio-legal and ethical implications of emerging biotechnologies. Her research focused on human reproductive and biomedical technologies, including donor conception, embryo research, human egg provision for stem-cell science, mitochondrial replacement techniques, maternal epigenetics, human germline editing, and longevity technologies, with particular attention to their social, ethical, and regulatory consequences. She has received funding from the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness, ESRC/BBSRC, and the British Academy/Leverhulme Trust. She currently holds a BBSRC grant supporting collaborative ageing-research initiatives with the Babraham Institute and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Staff Exchange award (REVICON). Dr Turkmendag is a member of the Wellcome Trust Social Sciences Discovery Advisory Group and the AHRC Peer Review College, has served on leading socio-legal committees, and regularly contributes to public and policy engagement, including work with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

Hannes Wolff studied law at the University of Passau after training and working as a ship mechanic with Hamburg Süd, Hamburg. Hannes participated in the Vis Moot in 2015/16. He is a Legal Research Officer at the German Federal Constitutional Court. He worked previously at the University of Passau, where he coached the Jessup Team and obtained his doctoral degree with a thesis in bioethics and biotechnology law. Hannes is certified as a translator for the English language by the Regional Court of Hannover.