Programme

Conference on Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and Embryo Selection
May 28.-29. 2004, Hotel Nordica, Reykjavik, Iceland

Programme

Friday, May 28th

08:30-08:35 Welcoming address
Ingileif Jonsdottir, the Nordic Committee on Bioethics

08:35-08:45 Opening of the conference
Mrs. Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, Minister of Education, Science and Culture, Iceland

08:45-12:00 I. Selecting the perfect baby:
Chairs: Ingileif Jonsdottir, the Nordic Committee on Bioethics and
Monika Starendal, science journalist, Sweden

08:45-09:15 The new reproductive biology - technical possibilities versus ethical and legal concerns - including the medical possiblities
Outi Hovatta , Huddinge University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

09:15-09:45 Genetic diagnostics - what can it predict ?
Juha Kere, Novum and Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden, and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

09:45-10:15 The ethics of embryo design
Vilhjálmur Árnason, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland

10:15-10:45 REFRESHMENTS

10:45-11:15 Is life worth living if you have a disability?
Dóra S. Bjarnason, Icelandic University of Education, Reykjavik, Iceland.

11:15-12:00 General discussion

12:00-13:30 LUNCH

13:30-16:45 II. Who shall decide and who shall be protected ?
Chairs: Beate Indrebø Hovland, the Nordic Committee on Bioethics and
Monika Starendal, science journalist, Sweden

13:30-14:00 On the moral status of unborn babies and supernumerary fertilized
eggs
Jan Helge Solbakk, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

14:00-14:30 Autonomous decisions in relation to foetus and embryo selection
Patricia (Winnie) Roche, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA

14:30-15:00 The child´s perspective and the parents - who should decide?
Gisela Dahlquist, University of Umeå, Umeå, Sweden

15:00-15:30 REFRESHMENTS

15:30-16:00 The state-liberal dilemma: private autonomy and public consequences
Torben Hviid Nielsen, Center for Technology and Culture, Oslo, Norway

16:00-16:45 General discussion

Saturday, May 29th

08:30-11:45 III. Positive and negative selection :
Chairs: Helena von Troil, secretary of the Nordic Committee on Bioethics and
Lone Frank, science journalist, Denmark

08:30-09:00 The ethics of PGD-regulation
Mats G. Hansson, Centre for Bioethics at Karolinska Institutet & Uppsala University, Sweden

09:00-09:30 The concept of selection; when are you selecting? is it discriminatory?
Berge Solberg, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

09:30-10:00 The biopolitics of extending preimplantation genetic diagnosis: A
Norwegian case history.
Jan Helge Solbakk, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

10:00-10:30 REFRESHMENTS

10:30-11:00 Ethics of PGD/S-HLA typing for stem cell donation.
Francoise Shenfield, University College Hospital, London , UK

11:00-11:45 General discussion

11:45-13:15 LUNCH

13:15-16:30 IV. Cultural aspects of embryo selection, including sex selection:
Chairs: Salla Lötjönen, the Nordic Committee on Bioethics and
Lone Frank, science journalist, Denmark

13:15-13:45 Legislation and regulations in the Nordic countries. Is there a Nordic dimension?
Mette Hartlev, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

13:45-14:15 Cultural aspects on reproductive technology and genetic diagnosis.
Katarina Westerlund, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden.

14:15-14:45 Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for elective sex selection: Individual needs in developing countries; financial, social, cultural, and religious aspects.
Zaid Kilani, Farah Hospital, Amman, Jordan

14:45-15:15 REFRESHMENTS

15:15-15:45 Sex selection of embryo - a feminist view
Riitta Burrell, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

15:45-16:30 General discussion

16:30-17:15 V. Summary and concluding remarks
Chairs: Gunna Christiansen, the Nordic Committee on Bioethics, Monika Starendal, science journalist, Sweden, and Lone Frank, science journalist, Denmark

16:30-16:37 Ethics in the RTD 6th Framework Programme of the European Union
Jean-Luc Sanne, European Commission, DG Research, Life Sciences - Health Research, Unit F5 - Biotechnology and applied genomics

17:15 Closing of the Conference
Gunna Christiansen, chairman of the Nordic Committee on Bioethics