Project name: Ethical and legal aspects of non-viable embryos from hiPSC-gametes
I have an educational background in both neuroscience and (health) law. I obtained my degree(s) at the University of Amsterdam. I am currently teaching and coordinating a course in the Health Law masters at the Law faculty of the University of Amsterdam. The course ‘Legal issues at the beginning and the end of life’ explores the ethical and legal issues regarding sensitive topics at the beginning of life, such as human embryo research and artificial reproductive technologies (e.g. surrogate and homologous insemination), but also at the end of life, such as abortion and euthanasia.
My fields of interest have always been on the intersection of biosciences, health law and society. My previous research experience has mostly been on cognitive neuroscience, such as the impact of sleep (deprivation) on the regulation of emotions and the neural correlates of antisocial behavior in youth.
In HipGametes, I work on WP6, which explores the legal aspects of non-viable embryos from hiPSC-gametes. What is the (inter)national regulatory system with regard to the development of hiPSC-gametes and what are important legal discussions and developments? In the Netherlands, the Dutch Embryo Act regulates research with human embryos. However, the medical-scientific developments within the field of hiPSC-gametes and the possibility to generate embryos raises new questions about the scope of the Embryo Act. What defines a (human) embryo? How do human embryos and other embryo-like structures (legally) relate to embryos from hiPSC-gametes?