March 2006 Stem Cell Symposium

 

Most scientists concur that human embryonic stem cell research holds considerable promise for advancing human health. In 2004, California voters endorsed a bold initiative (Proposition 71) to fund stem cell research by the issuance of $3 billion in bonds, which will be allocated over a 10 year period to researchers.

However, foundational legal and policy issues remain to be resolved – from intellectual property rights to other ownership issues (e.g., the form of donor consent), to how (and whether) the state of California should expect to recoup its investment in the research, to name just a few. This conference seeks to provide insights and recommendations from leading thinkers that will enable California’s bold initiative to be successful.

These are among the issues that will be addressed at this tenth annual symposium, co-sponsored by the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, the Berkeley Technology Law Journal, the Berkeley Center for Law, Business and The Economy, and the Berkeley Travers Program on Ethics and Government Accountability.