Kathy Niakan

Kathy Niakan is a developmental biologist, working in human developmental and stem cell biology. In 2016 she became the first scientist in the world to gain regulatory approval to edit the genomes of human embryos for research.[1]

Biography

In 2013, Niakan became a group leader at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in London. Since 2015, she has been a group leader at the Francis Crick Institute, the successor institute to the NIMR.

Research

At the Francis Crick Institute she is investigating the mechanisms of lineage specification in human embryos and stem cells.[2]

In February 2016 Niakan was given the go-ahead by the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to genetically modify human embryos. The embryos were to be destroyed after seven days.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Callaway, Ewen (2016). "UK scientists gain licence to edit genes in human embryos". Nature 530 (7588): 18. doi:10.1038/nature.2016.19270. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Kathy Niakan: Biography". Francis Crick Institute. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Gallagher, James. "Scientists get 'gene editing' go-ahead". BBC News. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
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