UCD School of Sociology

Scoil na Socheolaíochta UCD

PhD Student visiting the University of Toronto

Gemma Moore

Gemma Moore, a PhD student here in the School of Sociology, is currently on a month long visit to the Joint Centre for Bioethics (JCB) and the Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (HPME) in the University of Toronto.

Gemma’s PhD work concerns the development (or non-development) of bioethical policy, particularly related to stem cell research, in different cultural environments. The Joint Centre for Bioethics is involved in examining issues of ethics and bioethics from a multidisciplinary perspective and includes researchers from the social, behavioural and medical sciences. Gemma was invited to visit the University of Toronto by Professor Fiona Miller, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation . Researching in both the HPME and the JCB Gemma is investigating the Canadian regulation of, and guidelines for, stem cell research and examining whether it could be used as a model for Irish development of stem cell research regulation. A paper entitled ‘Balancing Biomedical Research and Ethics: What can Ireland learn from Canadian Stem Cell Research Policy?’ based on the findings of her research in Toronto and in UCD, will be delivered at the end of her visit.