Does the ethical minefield in stem-cell and genetic research scare away researchers?
BK: For sure. You need to have a pretty solid backbone, an almost missionary attitude, to pursue research in these areas. As an academic, you’re supposed to produce papers in your field and advance knowledge. Communicating with policy-makers, the public and the media takes a lot of time and a tremendous amount of energy. Many people run away from this, saying, “I want to work in my lab. Leave me alone.” But scientists have to speak out on these issues. They can’t leave it to ethicists alone. IC: You were involved in the drafting of the Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights. Why do we need such a thing? BK: It was probably the first prospective thinking-ahead document in this area. We started in 1993 and finished in 1997. The Human Genome Project only started in 1990, so we had the ability to frame issues, such as ownership of patents, research in culturally disadvantaged peoples, and so on. It was a reminder that there are many values at stake. It was ahead of its
