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Inaugural Law, Health and Society Lunch Research Seminar Series
–Converging Frontiers: Health Law, Ethics and the Future of Technology.
Presentation title: An Ethical Imperative to Use Heritable Human Genome Editing for Fatal Monogenic Genetic Diseases
Abstract:
Heritable Human Genome Editing has created unprecedented prospects for the prevention of a myriad of genetic diseases. It remains under immense ethical and regulatory scrutiny, as edits made will be heritable to subsequent generations. However, its intergenerational impact also fosters opportunities for the correction and prevention of fatal monogenic diseases within a family’s genetic lineage. This presentation will advance an argument that an ethical imperative exists to permit the use of Heritable Human Genome Editing in one case study – to correct, treat and prevent Tay-Sachs Disease, a fatal monogenic genetic disease.
Presenter Bio:
Dr Olga Pandos is a Lecturer in Law and the Deputy Director of the Law, Health and Society Research Unit at Deakin Law School. Her research expertise is health law, ethics and emerging technologies. Prior to academia, she had extensive experience working within policy, law reform and consultation. She was a lead researcher and project manager at the South Australian Law Reform Institute for 4 years.
Her doctoral thesis focused on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (‘CRISPR Technology’). Drawing upon her scientific background in Biochemistry and Genetics, the thesis examined the ethical and regulatory implications of Heritable Human Genome Editing. Her research also traverses beyond genome editing and genomics, with a specific focus on decision-making capacity, consent, supported decision-making, access to justice for vulnerable populations and reform. Within her research, she has consulted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, persons with a disability and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The intersection of health, medicine and the law are fundamental themes within Olga’s research.
Date: November 6, 2025 (Online Only)
Time: 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM (45 minutes total)
- 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM: Lecture (30 minutes)
- 1:00 PM – 1:15 PM: Q&A Session (15 minutes)
The Zoom link for the seminar will be sent via email.
For any enquiries, please contact us at deakin-law-school@deakin.edu.au.