Animals as Medical Subjects Conference

Tuesday 24th May at the University of Chester

The conference explored key issues in medical ethics with important implications for our understanding of the boundary between human and non-human animals.

Key issues included: the use of non-human animals in the development of pharmaceuticals for medical treatment, the use of such animals for organ transplants (xenotransplantation) and the creation of non-human/human animal chimeras for medical research purposes. A distinguished international programme of plenary speakers and respondents explored three aspects of these questions, with opportunity for debate and discussion. All with an interest in these issues were welcome.

Theme 1: Crossing Species Boundaries
Keynote: Dr. Robert Song (Durham University)
Respondents: Professor Johan de Tavernier (KU Louvain); Professor Celia Deane-Drummond (University of Chester) and Dr Aaron Gross (University of San Diego, USA).

Theme 2: Chimeras
Keynote: Dr David Albert Jones (Director, The Anscombe Bioethics Centre)

Respondents: Dr Neil Messer (University of Winchester); Dr Jan Jans (University of Tilberg, The Netherlands); Dr Deborah Jones (Catholic Circle for Animal Welfare). 

Theme 3: Compassion
Keynote: Sr. Dr. Margaret Atkins 
Respondents: Dr. Kurt Remele (Austria); Professor Stephen Clark (University of Liverpool); Dr Peter Scott

The conference was preceded by a three-day conference, 'Animals as Religious Subjects'.