Panel on Biobanking and Ethics in Rare Disease
We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming panel discussion titled ‘Biobanking and Ethics in Rare Disease‘, which will take place at the IBG on Friday, October 18, 2024, starting at 9:00 AM in the Aziz Sancar Auditorium.
This panel will feature presentations from Assoc. Prof. Signe Mežinska (University of Latvia) and Prof. Hakan S. Orer (Koc University), which will be followed by a panel discussion on the ethical considerations surrounding biobanking for rare diseases, as well as the opportunities presented by synthetic biology.
Event Details
Date: Friday, October 18, 2024
Time: 9:00 AM
Venue: Aziz Sancar Auditorium, IBG, Izmir
Program Overview
9:00-9:20 Registration
9:20-9:30 Opening Remarks: Prof. Uğur Özbek
9:30-10:15 Presentation by Assoc. Prof. Signe Mežinska: “Ethical Issues in Biobanking for Rare Diseases: Problems and Solutions”
10:15-11:00 Presentation by Prof. Hakan S. Orer: “Ethical Challenges and the Promise of Synthetic Biology”
11:00-11:30 Panel Discussion
11:30-12:00 Closing Remarks
12:00-13:00 Lunch
Speakers
Assoc. Prof. Signe Mežinska
Dr. Mežinska, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Latvia, is a bioethicist and sociologist by training. Her scientific interests include biomedical research ethics, ethics of biobanking and biotechnologies, reproductive ethics and rational use of medicines.
She has served as research ethics trainer in several international training programs organized by UNESCO and WHO. Signe was a member of UNESCO International Bioethics Committee 2016-2024 (Vice-Chair 2017-2021), member of WHO COVID-19 Ethics and Governance working group, member of BBMRI-ERIC ELSI network, and currently serves as a member of the Council of Europe Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO), as well as research ethics expert for European Commission and several national bodies and research ethics committees in Latvia.
Prof. Hakan S. Orer
Dr. Orer received his MD and PhD degrees from Hacettepe University, specializing in Pharmacology. After a long tenure at Hacettepe University, he joined Koç University as a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine. His main research interests are chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and inflammatory mechanisms in both pre-clinical and clinical settings.
Dr. Orer has been the chair of the UNESCO Turkish National Commission Bioethics Monitoring Group since 2016. For two terms in 2018 and 2022, the UNESCO Director-General appointed Dr. Orer to the International Bioethics Committee (IBC). He is currently the co-editor of the UNESCO IBC Newsletter and co-coordinator of the report on “Solidarity and Cooperation in Health Challenges”. He is also the Chairman of the Koç University Ethics Committees.