Speaker: Rebecca Feinberg, JD, MBe, MS, Teaching Associate Professor, DePaul University
About the speaker: Professor Feinberg is a cross-appointed faculty member at DePaul University, teaching in both the College of Science and Health and the Law School. In addition, she is currently serving as a fellow at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics. Professor Feinberg earned her law degree and masters of bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania and her masters of biotechnology in regulatory affairs from Johns Hopkins University. Her area of research focuses on the crossover of ethical issues and policy issues in women’s health, specifically in the field of assisted reproductive technologies. Today’s presentation is a work in progress and she welcomes feedback during the question and answer session.
Faculty page: https://csh.depaul.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-a-z/Pages/health-sciences/Rebecca-Feinberg.aspx)
About the seminar: In March 2018, two fertility clinics (University Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio and Pacific Fertility in San Francisco, California) had near simultaneous failure of their gamete cryopreservation and storage systems. The result of these catastrophic meltdowns was the loss of approximately 4,000 gametes and embryos. These losses are the foundation for a class action lawsuit that has raised questions about the lack of regulation in gamete preservation and how to craft policy which fills this void. This presentation will discuss the three areas of regulation that lead to ethical quandaries in the use of cryopreservation tanks in the fertility industry, specifically 1. design and manufacturing of the cryopreservation tanks; 2. maintenance and use of the cryopreservation tanks; and, 3. legal ramifications when loss occurs. The presentation will conclude with a policy proposal to regulate gamete preservation within the assisted reproduction industry.
Events are free but registration is required. Please use this link to register.