CISoR activities to date and evaluation

Thus far, existing activities upon which CISoR has built include extensive research funding, enterprise, high impact publications that contributed to REF2014, media interest (e.g. national press, BBC), MSc provision, science communication activities (e.g. “science on the buses”), international conference organisation (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis International Society, Pig Breeders’ Round Table, International Chromosome Conference) and industrial support (approximately 20 industrial collaborators). There has been a considerable amount of positive feedback for activities thus far undertaken and activities have been very successful as evidenced by e.g. a nomination for a national award (Times Higher Education) and University Innovation and Enterprise Awards (Industrial Collaboration, Excellence with Impact). CISoR’s mission is to build on these achievements and generate further activities. Since the formation of CISoR, activities have included:

• A launch event at which all participants had an opportunity to network with colleagues from other universities, the NHS, charities and from industry. This was held in November 2014.  It consists largely of a social event with dinner, short speeches, a raffle and games “on a reproduction theme”.  All participants who provided feedback were very enthusiastic about it.  The centre directors secured £8,000 of BBSRC “excellence with impact money” which, in part, funded this event.
• A centre website has been launched
• The first annual newsletter has been produced, chronicling the activities of CISoR members, mostly in 2014
• The number of external students on the PhD programme has doubled
• Research outputs of centre members since the formation of CISoR include (but are not restricted to):
  • The report of two clinical cases of “Karyomapping” a universal test for the diagnosis of genetic disease in IVF embryos
    • Natesan SA, Handyside AH, Thornhill AR, Ottolini CS, Sage K, Summers MC, Konstantinidis M, Wells D, Griffin DK. Live birth after PGD with confirmation by a comprehensive approach (karyomapping) for simultaneous detection of monogenic and chromosomal disorders. Reprod Biomed Online. 2014 Nov;29(5):600-5
    • Thornhill AR, Griffin DK et al. Karyomapping-a comprehensive means of simultaneous monogenic and cytogenetic PGD: comparison with standard approaches in real time for the Marfan syndrome. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2015 Jan 6
  • The publication of multi-avian genome sequences (the University of Kent played a significant part)
    • Zhang G, (inc Griffin DK) et al. Science. 2014 Dec 12;346(6215):1311-20. doi: 10.1126/science.1251385.
    • Romanov MN, Griffin DK et al. Reconstruction of gross avian genome structure, organization and evolution suggests that the chicken lineage most closely resembles the dinosaur-avian ancestor. BMC Genomics. 2014 Dec 11;15(1):1060.
  • S Sheldon, E Lee and J Macvarish (forthcoming May 2015) ‘”Supportive Parenting”, Responsibility and Regulation: the Welfare Assessment under the reformed Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (1990)’ Modern Law Review
  • Pam Lowe, Ellie Lee & Jan Macvarish (2015): Growing better brains? Pregnancy and neuroscience discourses in English social and welfare policies, Health, Risk & Society, DOI: 10.1080/13698575.2014.994479
  • J McCandless and S Sheldon (2014) ‘Genetically Challenged: the Determination of Legal Parenthood in Assisted Conception’ in Freeman, T., Graham, S., Ebtehaj, F. and Richards, M. (eds.). Relatedness in Assisted Reproduction: Families, Origins and Identities (Cambridge University Press), pp 61-78.
  • Female intrasexual competition and the detection of cyclical fertility status, presented at Human Evolution and Behavior Network (HEBEN) conference, University of Antwerp, Belgium (Sarah Johns)
  • Robin Mackenzie: Sexbots: replacements for sex workers? Ethicolegal constraints on the creation of sentient beings for utilitarian purposes. Published in the proceedings of the Advances in Computer Entertainment 2014 ACE ’14 Workshops, November 11 – 14, 2014, Funchal, Portugal http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2693787.2693789
• Organization and administration of the 20th International Chromosome Conference (50th anniversary) that included an account of the discovery of the bones (and DNA analysis) of Richard III
• Genetic screening service work for pig breeding companies
• Production of fluorescent genetic probes for use in bird and mammal reproduction and evolutionary studies
• Significant contributions to public policy and debate, in part through the media e.g. press releases
  • First clinical report of Karyomapping
  • Avian genome and its evolution from dinosaurs (e.g. evolution of birdsong as a mating strategy).  BBC radio Today Programme
  • Commentary on “3 parent IVF” (Griffin)
  • S Sheldon (2014) ‘The Medical Framework and Early Medical Abortion in the U.K.: How Can a State Control Swallowing?’ in R Cook, J Erdman, and B Dickens (eds) Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective Cases and Controversies (University of Pennsylvania Press), pp189-209

CISoR planned activities in the short term

• February 24 -26: A symposium where colleagues (attendance 50 or so) present their work and network (incorporating a social element). Confronting Science, Law and Bioethics – Areas of Current Research. Science, Law and Bio-Ethics:  Kent/Ghent Bioethics Collaborative Initiative (Kent Law School, Bioethics Institute Ghent)
• February 23rd: Film VESSEL begins with a young doctor who lived by the sea and an unlikely idea.  Rebecca Gomperts, horrified by the realities created by anti-abortion law around the world, felt compelled to challenge this.  Her method: to provide abortions on a ship in offshore waters. We witness the creation of an underground network of emboldened, informed activists, working at the cutting edge of global reproductive rights, who trust women to handle abortion themselves. VESSEL is Rebecca’s story: one of a woman who heard and answered a calling and transformed a wildly improbable idea into a global movement.  In collaboration with the Centre for Parenting Culture Studies. Viewing and Discussion moderated by Professor Sally Sheldon, deputy director of CISoR
• March: HG Wells Annual Lecture: Fighting for the Vote: Science and Suffrage in WW1 (in collaboration s with the Centre for History of the Sciences
• March: participation in the Big Bang Expo – CISoR will have a stall
• The Human Genome in 25 self-portraits – a collaboration with an award-winning portrait artist Keith Robinson
• May: Full engagement with the London Women’s clinic as they launch their new IVF centre in St Dunstan’s including an art exhibition (including the above)
• June: Postgraduate Research fair – CISoR will have a stall and presence
• Research fund-raising
  • Knowledge Transfer Partnership grant application with the London Women’s Clinic (Griffin)
  • Professor Sheldon is intending to submit a major AHRC grant application in the next couple of months, looking at the implementation of abortion law in Britain.
  • Dr Ellis will submit a joint grant on spermatogenesis with the Univ of Cambridge
• September: An engagement with industry event using the centre to help facilitate new collaborations between academic, clinical and industrial partners
• Increased engagement in social media (e.g. LinkedIn discussion groups, Twitter feed) in which staff, potential students and the media can engage
• Wider dissemination of relevant seminars e.g. in SAC, Biosciences, KLS etc.

CISoR long-term aims

• CISoR will aim to introduce two new income-generating short courses (e.g. IVF technology) in the next 3-4 years
• Further engagement with industry (e.g. IVF, food production, biotechnology) using the centre to help facilitate new collaborations between academic, clinical and industrial partners
• Further research fund-raising through standard (e.g. research council) routes and industry but with increased numbers of cross-disciplinary grant applications (e.g. EU) Over a 5 year period we intend to submit several enterprise-driven applications (e.g. KTP, TSB) based on knowledge exchange.
• Fundraising through industrial sponsorship for international conferences,
• Further service work (e.g. genetic diagnosis) for companies
• A spin-off company based on the centre’s activities.
• Contribution to REF2020 case studies in several Schools.
• A premises or new building to house the centre is a long-term goal