Pluripotent stem cells: medical dream or ethical nightmare?

gm349 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:57:31 +0000

探花直播scale of the medical challenges that an ageing population poses for healthcare in the 21st century will require radical solutions, of which the harnessing of pluripotency through the derivation of human embryonic stem (ES) cells represents a promising strategy. Nevertheless, the ethical dilemma created by the use of human embryos in order to access pluripotency, continues to raise issues.

This seminar, hosted by 探花直播Faraday Institute, will attempt to draw some general principles from the speaker鈥檚 personal journey of reconciling a deep Christian faith with the moral dilemmas raised by reproductive and stem cell and technologies. In particular, it will explore whether the destruction of human embryos can ever be justified by the magnitude of the likely benefits, and whether the sanctioning of ES cell derivation might inadvertently create further ethical challenges, such as human therapeutic cloning.

Dr. Fairchild began his research career in Oxford, where he studied for a DPhil within the Nuffield Department of Surgery, focussing on the immune response to organ allografts. After spending five years as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Pathology, 探花直播 of Cambridge, he returned to Oxford where he is currently a Lecturer and RCUK Academic Fellow within the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, and co-Director of the Oxford Stem Cell Institute. Dr. Fairchild has applied his immunological training to the emerging field of cell replacement therapy and regenerative medicine. He has published widely in the field and is a frequent speaker at international conferences.

鈥楶luripotent Stem Cells: Medical Dream or Ethical Nightmare?鈥�

Tuesday 21 February, 1pm (buffet lunch from 12.30pm)

探花直播Garden Room, St. Edmund鈥檚 College, Cambridge

Free entry, no need to book

Additionally, on 6 March, 探花直播Faraday Institute will host Rice 探花直播's Prof. Elaine Ecklund for a research seminar titled ' 探花直播Religious Beliefs of Scientists - a Sociological Analysis'. From 2005-2009 Prof. Ecklund completed the most comprehensive study to date of how US scientists at top universities understand religion, spirituality, and ethics. She is now beginning a new, international study that includes Britain, which will survey 10,000 scientists on their understanding of the relationship between science and religion, and how religion and spirituality influence their work and decisions. Her seminar will include some preliminary data from randomly questioned anonymised cohorts of scientists in Oxford and Cambridge.

Dr. Paul Fairchild, 探花直播 of Oxford, to give a public seminar tomorrow, 21 February, discussing this topical issue.

GE Healthcare from Flickr

Human neural stem cells

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Oceans, climate change and Christianity: 探花直播Earth's story and God's story

gm349 — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 07:51:09 +0000

Oceanography forms part of the scientific story of the earth and, at present, climate change driven by human behaviour is writing a new chapter.聽 Changes in the ocean can dramatically affect the climate due to atmosphere-ocean interactions, in turn affecting humanity across the globe.

In this seminar, Professor Srokosz will look at the role of the North Atlantic in today's climate, discussing how its behaviour is monitored, together with methods for modelling its future behaviour. Scientific understanding and ethical consequences converge in how we respond to this knowledge. Professor Srokosz will look at biblical interpretations of how the Earth鈥檚 story is also part of God鈥檚 story, to provide a basis for the response to these concerns.

Faraday Seminar:聽 Tuesday, 1^st November at 1pm聽聽聽 (Lunch from 12.30pm)

探花直播Garden Room, St. Edmund鈥檚 College, Cambridge 聽聽

Professor Srokosz is Honorary Professor of Physical Oceanography at the 探花直播 of Southampton. He is also an editor of the journal Geophysical Research Letters and has a B.A. in theology.聽 Following a PhD in 1980, in applied mathematics, studying wave power devices, he worked at the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, then the British National Space Centre, working on remote sensing of the oceans. Since 1997 he has been based at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Southampton and works on biological-physical interactions in the upper ocean. Since 2007 he has been co-chair of the Ocean Observing and Climate research group at NOC and he is also Science Coordinator for the NERC Rapid Climate Change programme. He has published numerous papers on atmosphere-ocean interactions, as well as writing on science and religion issues, particular related to climate change

探花直播Faraday Institute: From stem-cells and cloning, to the Big Bang and the origins of the universe, science and its relationship with belief systems continue to stimulate public debate. 探花直播Faraday Institute for Science and Religion provides accurate and up-to-date information to help inform and improve public understanding of the interaction between science and religion.

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Professor Meric Srokosz of the National Oceanography Centre will be speaking this week, Tuesday 01 November, at the next Faraday Institute seminar.

Changes in the ocean can dramatically affect the climate due to atmosphere-ocean interactions, in turn affecting humanity across the globe.

探花直播Faraday Institute

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.

Yes

探花直播 of Cambridge - 探花直播Faraday Institute

Pluripotent stem cells: medical dream or ethical nightmare?

Oceans, climate change and Christianity: 探花直播Earth's story and God's story