Panel Programme on ‘Ethics of Human Nuclear Genome Editing’

The BAC and the National Library Board (NLB) jointly organised a Panel Programme on the 'Ethics of Human Nuclear Genome Editing' (HNGE) on 25 November 2023 at the National Library Building. Emeritus Professor Lee Eng Hin, BAC Chair and HNGE Review Group Chair; Emeritus Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Emeritus Consultant, Division of Paediatric Orthopaedics, National University Hospital (NUH), graced the event as the Guest-of-Honour.

Overall response from the audience was good and positive. We had a total of 75 attendees. The participants found the talks and panel discussion both interesting and engaging, particularly in relation to the bioethical issues surrounding human nuclear genome editing.

Figure 1: Emeritus Prof Lee Eng Hin giving the welcome address

The programme featured:

• Introductory talk on HNGE (by Dr Chew Wei Leong, HNGE Review Group Co-Chair and Associate Director (Genome Design), and Senior Research Scientist, Genome Institute of Singapore)

• Talk on the global trends and developments of HNGE, and the governance/ethical framework that guides the use of HNGE (by Dr Owen Schaefer, HNGE Review Group member and Assistant Professor, NUS Centre for Biomedical Ethics)

• Panel discussion on emerging ethical issues and the possible future trends and developments in gene editing.

• Moderator:

  • Associate Professor Mahesh Choolani, HNGE Review Group member and Chief of Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, NUS
    

• Panellists:
  

  • Emeritus Professor Lee Eng Hin, BAC Chair and HNGE Review Group Chair; Emeritus Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NUS and Emeritus Consultant, Division of Paediatric Orthopaedics, NUH;
    

  • Dr Chew Wei Leong, HNGE Review Group Co-Chair and Associate Director (Genome Design), and Senior Research Scientist, Genome Institute of Singapore;
    

  • Dr Owen Schaefer, HNGE Review Group member and Assistant Professor, NUS Centre for Biomedical Ethics; and
    

  • Adjunct Associate Professor Tan Ee Shien, HNGE Review Group member and Head of SingHealth-Duke NUS Genomic Medicine Centre
    

Figure 2: Dr Chew giving his introductory talk on HNGE

Figure 3: Assistant Professor Schaefer giving his talk on global trends and developments of HNGE, and the governance/ethical framework that guides the use of HNGE

Figure 4: Panel discussion featuring from left to right: Dr Chew Wei Leong, Adjunct Associate Professor Tan Ee Shien, Emeritus Professor Lee Eng Hin, Dr Owen Schaefer, and Associate Professor Mahesh Choolani