Simone Harmsen

Project name: Societal participation on the topic of hiPSC-gametes and derived non-viable embryos

In our project, we will assess the impact of and societal attitudes towards the development of stem cell-derived gametes and the generation of (non-viable) embryos. We will do this via desk-research, focus groups, and the organization of board societal dialogue events in different cities, where we will engage participants in a dialogue to share their perspectives, questions, and considerations with regards to IVG and IVG-embryos.

Background
Simone is interested in strengthening the dialogue between health science and society. She has expertise in setting up dialogue between scientists, policymakers and citizens from all kinds of backgrounds. How do we equip different target groups with the skills and information they need to engage in constructive conversation? Both her PhD research and her experience as an educational author brought her expertise on this topic.

Simone studied Biomedical Sciences, and holds a master’s degree in Science Communication. She worked for several years as an educational author and science journalist. Having a desire to delve deeper, she started working as a researcher and lecturer at the Athena Institute at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. There she worked on projects that aim to strengthen the perspective of patients in health science and care, for example in youth health care and rheumatology. This work resulted in a thesis on how patient involvement can be anchored in the culture, structure and practice of Dutch health research.