The Future of Being Human: Is gene editing the next great health revolution?

Ever since the discovery of DNA scientists have been on a quest to understand the secrets of the human genome. This quest has not only involved analysing the role genes play in making us who we are – the history of genetics has also been shaped by a desire to explore how far our genes can be altered or enhanced.

Recent advances in gene editing tools have revolutionised the field – and potentially life as we know it. The discovery in 2012 that a molecule known as CRISPR could be programmed to add and remove elements of DNA marked a huge leap forward, transforming research into treatments for diseases as varied as cancer, Alzheimer’s, sickle cell and HIV, as well as many rare genetic conditions.

But it also unleashed urgent questions for society that science alone cannot answer.

What diseases should we try to cure? How should these be prioritised? What assumptions shape perceptions of disability? Will these treatments be affordable for all? Where does the line between editing and enhancing fall? And ultimately who gets to decide?

These are the questions that were explored in this free event featuring Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, Principal group leader at the Francis Crick Institute and international expert on genome editing; Shani Dhanda, disability activist and multi-award-winning inclusion specialist; Tom Whipple, science editor at The Times; and Jimi Olaghere, who is one of the first people in the world to take part in a life-changing clinical trial using gene therapy to treat sickle cell disease. The event was chaired by medical doctor and broadcaster Guddi Singh.

The event took place in person at the Francis Crick Institute in London and is timed to coincide with the Crick’s current hands-on exhibition Cut and Paste, which explores the ethical questions surrounding genome editing. A ticket to the event will also provide access to the exhibition, so you’ll have time to consider some of these questions for yourself.

Speakers for the motion

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge

Senior group leader and head of the Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics at the Francis Crick Institute
Jimi Olaghere

E-commerce entrepreneur and one of the first people in the world to take part in a CRISPR-based sickle cell therapy
Tom Whipple

Science editor at The Times
Shani Dhanda

One of the UK's highest profile and most influential disability activists

Chair

Guddi Singh

Paediatric doctor and TV presenter

Speakers

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge

Senior group leader and head of the Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics at the Francis Crick Institute

Robin Lovell-Badge is a senior group leader and head of the Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics at the Francis Crick Institute. He is also active in public engagement and policy work, notably around stem cells, genetics, human embryo and animal research, and in ways science is regulated and disseminated. For example, he has served on committees for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority contributing to changes in the UK laws around human embryo research, and for the Royal Society, US National Academies of Science, and WHO, exploring applications of human genome editing and its governance. He was awarded a CBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List.

Jimi Olaghere

E-commerce entrepreneur and one of the first people in the world to take part in a CRISPR-based sickle cell therapy

Jimi Olaghere, an e-commerce entrepreneur, has lived with sickle cell disease all his life. In 2018, CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex Pharmaceuticals joined forces to introduce a clinical trial for their CRISPR-based sickle cell therapy (CTX001). Jimi was one of the first few patients treated with this therapy.

Tom Whipple

Science editor at The Times

Tom Whipple is the science editor at The Times. He was named science journalist of the year for his coverage of the pandemic and covers everything from archaeology to zoology. He writes news, features, reviews and commentary across the paper, as well as appearing regularly on Times Radio. During the course of his job he has visited the tunnels below Cern and the top of Mont Blanc above it. He has seen inside the world's hottest sauna and the world's most irradiated nature reserve. He has interviewed Stephen Hawking and Jedward, as well as both the Nobel Prize winners for CRISPR.

Shani Dhanda

One of the UK's highest profile and most influential disability activists

Shani Dhanda is one of the UK's highest profile and most influential disability activists. She is a multi-award-winning inclusion specialist, working with global companies, broadcasters and the UK government to break barriers and integrate intersectional inclusion and accessibility into their frameworks. As a social entrepreneur and woman in leadership, Shani has taken change into her own hands and founded numerous organisations to improve representation and challenge social inequality globally - Diversability, Asian Woman Festival, and Asian Disability Network. Shani has been recognised with over 23 awards for her inclusion and activism work.

Chair

Guddi Singh

Paediatric doctor and TV presenter

Paediatric doctor and television presenter. She has worked around the world, including with the World Health Organisation (WHO), and is the current Advocacy lead for the British Association for Child and Adolescent Health and helps to manage the health think-tank, the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI). Guddi is a presenter on BBC Two’s Trust Me I’m A Doctor. In 2020/22 she co-hosted two BBC Two Horizon coronavirus specials, as well as Channel 4’s How to Avoid a Second Wave, followed by Why is Covid Killing People of Colour? on BBC One. In 2022 she hosted BBC Two’s Your Body Uncovered, a six-part series which saw her using the latest technology to help patients understand their everyday medical conditions.

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