Michael Morrison

Senior Researcher in Social Science

HeLEX: Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies

Biography

Michael has an MA (by Research and Thesis) and PhD from the interdisciplinary Institute for Science and Society (ISS) at the University of Nottingham. He also holds a BSc in Biology from the University of St. Andrews (2000). Michael has recently acted as Principal Investigator on the ESRC-funded project 'Biomodifying technologies and experimental space’, (2017-2020) and is now working on the 'sister' prohect BioGov: Governing biomodification in the life sciences' with professor Kaye. Both projects involve collaboration between researchers from the Universities of Oxford, Sussex and York to examine three '‘gateway technologies’ with wide-ranging applications in medicine and the life sciences; gene editing, induced pluripotent stem cells, and 3D printing of living material. Each of these technologies enables researchers to modify living biological tissue in novel and increasingly patient-orientated and customized ways, which challenge the suitability of traditional manufacturing, governance and reimbursement pathways designed for small molecule pharmaceuticals or medical devices.

Michael has previously worked on the IMI STEMBANCC project at Oxford (2012-2017), providing governance and ethical support to this European public-private partnership in stem cell biobanking. He has also been a researcher on the European Framework Programme 7 'Regenerative Medicine in Europe' (REMEDiE) project at the University of York and with the Health Technology and Society group at the University of Exeter. More details his research, review activity and publications can be found via ResearchGate and his ORCID profile.

Featured Publications

Publications

Bell J, Bordag N, Borry P, Bovenberg J, Dagher G, Grewal J, Hoppe N, Isasi R, Kaye J, Knoppers B, Kwisda K, Morrison M, Neron A, Nys H, Oberauner-Wappis L, Rial-Sebbag E, Sandor J, Shabani M, Tournay V, Varju M and Zatloukal K, “Governing Stem Cells: Regenerative Medicine in Europe - the Vision and Recommendations from the EUCelLEX Project” (Genotoul Societal 2018)

Journal Article (23)

Feeney O, Cockbain J, Morrison M, Diependaele L, Van Assche K and Sterckx S, “Patenting Foundational Technologies: Lessons from CRISPR and Other Core Biotechnologies” (2018) 18 American Journal of Bioethics 36

“Valuing Height: Diagnosis, Valuation and the Case of Idiopathic Short Stature” (2018) 41 Sociology of Health and Illness 502

Morrison M, “Making Cells Worthwhile: Calculations of Value in a European Consortium for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Banking” (2018) 28 Science as Culture 46

“Tensions in Ethics and Policy Created by National Precision Medicine Programs” (2018) 12 Human Genomics

“Including All Voices in International Data-Sharing Governance”. (2018) 12 Human Genomics 13

Bin Abdul Aziz M, Morrison M and Kaye J, “Regulating Human Stem Cell Research and Therapy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Malaysian Perspectives” (2017) 37 New Genetics and Society 2

“The European General Data Protection Regulation: Challenges and Considerations for IPSC Researchers and Biobanks” (2017) 12 Regenerative Medicine 693

“Key Challenges in Bringing CRISPR-Mediated Somatic Cell Therapy into the Clinic” (2017) 9 Genome medicine 85

“‘A Good Collaboration Is Based on Unique Contributions from Each side’: Assessing the Dynamics of Collaboration in Stem Cell Science”. (2017) 13 Life Sciences, Society and Policy 7

Morrison M, “Infrastructural Expectations: Exploring the Promise of International Large-Scale Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Banks” (2017) 36 New Genetics and Society 66

“Towards ’Engagement 2.0’: Insights from a Study of Dynamic Consent With Biobank Participants” (2015) 1 Digital Health 1

“Overdiagnosis, Medicalisation and Social Justice: Commentary on Carter Et Al (2016) ‘A Definition and Ethical Evaluation of overdiagnosis’” (2016) 42 Journal of Medical Ethics 720

“Between Scylla and Charybdis: Reconciling Competing Data Management Demands in the Life Sciences” (2016) 17 BMC Medical Ethics

“StemBANCC: Governing Access to Material and Data in a Large Stem Cell Research Consortium”. (2015) 11 Stem cell reviews 681

“Patent Power in Biomedical Innovation: Technology Governance in Biomodifying Technologies” (2022) 25 JOURNAL OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 473

“Making Translational Value: Identifying ‘good targets’ for Clinical Research on Gene Editing and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technologies” (2022) 2 SSM - Qualitative Research in Health 100131

“Reflection on the Enactment and Impact of Safety Laws for Regenerative Medicine in Japan” [2021] Stem Cell Reports

“Comparative Lessons in Regenerative Medicine Readiness: Learning from the UK and Japanese Experience” (2021) 16 Regenerative Medicine 269

“Spatiotemporal Readiness Is Key to Preparing Regenerative Medicine for the Clinic” (2021) 16 Regenerative Medicine 229

“Making Bio-Objects Mobile: Behind the Scenes of a Translational Stem Cell Banking Consortium” (2020) 17 BioSocieties 145

“Genome Editing: The Dynamics of Continuity, Convergence, and Change in the Engineering of Life” [2020] New Genetics and Society 1

“Gene Therapy Regulation: Could in-Body Editing Fall through the Net?” (2020) 28 European Journal of Human Genetics 979

“CRISPR in Context: Towards a Socially Responsible Debate on Embryo Editing” (2019) 5 Palgrave Communications

“Introduction to the Article Collection ’Translation in Healthcare: Ethical, Legal, and Social implications’”. 1

“Research Using Free Text Data in Medical Records Could Benefit from Dynamic Consent and Other Tools for Responsible Governance” 380

“(Genome) Editing Future Societies” (Bristol University Press)

Internet publication (3)

“Japan: A Case Study of National ‘readiness’ for Regenerative Medicine”.

“Australia’s Medical Innovation Approach: Is It Suitable for Regenerative Medicine?”

“Biomodifying Technologies and Experimental Space: Organisational and Regulatory Implications for the Translation and Valuation of Health Research”

Research Interests

Michael’s primary research interest and expertise lies in the application of insights and perspectives from Science and Technology Studies (STS) and medical sociology to the study of novel and emerging biotechnologies. More specifically, he is concerned with understanding the ways in which these technologies are shaped by a variety of social factors – including institutional and regulatory cultures as well as the perspectives of developers and prospective users – throughout the course of their development and deployment into practice; and how, in turn, new biomedical technologies shape and reconfigure our understandings of disease, health, and the ‘sorts’ of people we are or can be. He is also working with Jane Kaye and other HeLEX members to develop novel consent procedures for large-scale biobanking projects.

Research projects & programmes

Centre for Health, Law and Emerging Technologies Biomodifying Technologies BioGOV: Governing Biomodification in the Life Sciences DIRECT CitizenHealthOxford Dynamic Consent Embedding Biobanks as Tools for Translational Research The Waiting Room Project StemBANCC BioModifying Technologies (archive)