February 9, 2018

Dr. Aisling de Paor, Lecturer in Law at Dublin City University and Honorary Fellow at the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University (BBI), has been awarded a Royal Irish Academy Charlemont Grant to partner with BBI during June of 2018

While visiting BBI, Professor de Paor will collaborate with BBI Chairman and University Professor Peter Blanck on a project entitled “Gene editing, disability and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities–emerging law and policy perspectives.” This project highlights the concerns raised as genetic science and technology advances, including the consequences for disability rights. On examining international human rights perspectives, it looks particularly at how the UN Convention may be applied to develop best practices in this area. It will focus on cutting edge developments in the field of gene editing and emerging the ethical, legal and regulatory concerns.

Advances in the field of genetics and gene editing require the need to address the complex ethical and legal concerns that accompany use of these new technologies. The collaborative project will examine the need for legal and other protections to prevent misuse of these new technologies and also to facilitate safe and ethical scientific advances. The collaboration between Drs. de Paor and Blanck are meant to strengthen the research base in Ireland and the United States, and contribute to knowledge and policy-making in this field.

About BBI

BBI reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities, with offices in Syracuse, NY, New York City, Washington, D.C., Lexington, KY, and Atlanta, GA. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities. For more information about BBI, visit: https://bbi.syr.edu