Biobank ethics advisory group announced 14/2/03. By the Public Health Genetics Unit The membership has been announced for an Interim Advisory Group that will advise the funders of the UK Biobank project on ethics and governance issues.

Chair of the group is William Lowrance, a Geneva-based independent consultant in health policy and ethics, and author of a recent report on the secondary use of medical information in research.

The eight other members include experts in ethics (Baroness Onora O'Neill and Professor Alastair Campbell), sociology (Professor Erica Haimes), law (Dr Graeme Laurie and Professor Jean McHale) and biomedical research (Professor Chris Mathew), as well as two lay members with experience in consumer affairs and voluntary and community work (Mrs Helen Millar and Mrs Madeleine Wang).

The group, which will meet over the course of the next 5-6 months, will comment on proposals for ethical oversight and governance by the Biobank funders and may also put forward its own proposals on these issues.

Article courtesy of the Public Health Genetics Unit .