Regulating Stem Cell Research: Students at 5,000 Canadian High Schools Look for Answers that Have Long Mired MPs

Joint Center for Bioethics, University of Toronto

Students at more than 5,000 Canadian high schools this year will receive tools to take part in an unprecedented nationwide role-playing exercise designed to foster greater social awareness and sensitivity to ethical issues in science.

Using materials prepared by the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (JCB) and the Ontario Genomics Institute, with support from Genome Canada and the Stem Cell Network, the project equips teenagers to role-play key stakeholders, including lawmakers, scientists, industry, health organizations and different religions, and challenges them to formulate draft legislation to govern medical research using embryonic stem cells.

Their results are then compared with draft legislation long mired in the Canadian House of Commons, but now reportedly verging on third reading and progression to the Senate.

News release in full, click here

Coverage highlights

  • Toronto Star
  • Winnipeg Free Press