Berkeley Center for Business, Law and the Economy (BCLB) Executive Director Dana Welch’s February 19 op-ed “Time for stem cell research: Protect our investment by resolving all issues” outlines questions that need to be addressed before the state of California can begin utilizing the controversial research technique. Although California voters approved Proposition 71 authorizing funds for stem cell research, Welch explains that unresolved legal and policy issues continue to stall program implementation. Among the critical issues left unresolved, says Welch, are specific plans to help the state recoup its $3 billion investment, guidelines for nonprofit intellectual property rights, and standards governing the protection of egg donors. These questions will be the subject of discussion at Challenges of California’s Stem Cell Initiative, a March 2-4 conference co-sponsored by the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, Berkeley Technology Law Journal, BCBLE, and Berkeley Travers Program on Ethics and Government Accountability.
To read the complete opinion piece, visit the San Francisco Chronicle online.