Leroy walters’s legacy of bioethics in genetics and biotechnology policy

Robert Cook-Deegan, Stephen J. McCormack

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

LeRoy Walters was at the center of public debate about emerging biological technologies, even as "biotechnology" began to take root. He chaired advisory panels on human gene therapy, the human genome project, and patenting DNA for the congressional Office of Technology Assessment. He chaired the subcommittee on Human Gene Therapy for NIH's Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee. He was also a regular advisor to Congress, the executive branch, and academics concerned about policy governing emerging biotechnologies. In large part due to Prof. Walters, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics was one of the primary sources of talent in bioethics, including staff who populated policy and science agencies dealing with reproductive and genetic technologies, such as NIH and OTA. His legacy lies not only in his writings, but in those people, documents, and discussions that guided biotechnology policy in the United States for three decades.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)51-66
Number of pages16
JournalKennedy Institute of Ethics journal
Volume29
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Issues, ethics and legal aspects
  • Health(social science)
  • Health Policy
  • History and Philosophy of Science

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