The Special Status of Mary Warnock: From Fertility Treatment to Embryo Research
Appeared in BioNews 1091
The latest online event held by the Progress Educational Trust (PET), the charity that publishes BioNews, was 'The Special Status of Mary Warnock: From Fertility Treatment to Embryo Research'. This discussed the legacy of PET's late patron Baroness Mary Warnock, and her work in reproductive healthcare, research and regulation.
Sarah Norcross, director of PET, began by thanking the sponsors before giving an introduction into Baroness Warnock's life. Norcross spoke of Baroness Warnock's strong relationship with PET and her impact on public policy, describing her work as some of the most influential in assisted conception and embryo research. Baroness Warnock is known for leading a committee to discuss the ethics of assisted conception and related research following the birth of the first IVF baby, culminating in a publication in 1984 best known as the 'Warnock Report'. The report paved the way for the original Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (HFE Act) in 1990, and recommended the foundation of a government authority that would regulate human fertilisation and embryology, leading to the creation of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).