Meet Benjamin Hurlbut, PhD: ASGCT Volunteer Rockstar
October 09, 2023
In an October 2023 installment of our series highlighting ASGCT member volunteers, meet Benjamin Hurlbut, PhD, chair of the Society's Ethics Committee.
ASGCT is a volunteer-led organization, and it could not effectively pursue its mission and strategic vision without the commitment of its volunteers. The Society does so through 32 standing, scientific, and board committees supported by more than 400 member volunteers. We recognize our committee leaders for their time, commitment, and expertise, and appreciate their willingness to help ASGCT advance the field of gene and cell therapy in a unique and meaningful way.
J. Benjamin Hurlbut, PhD, is Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. He is trained in science and technology studies (STS) and his research lies at the intersection of STS, bioethics, and democratic theory. Dr. Hurlbut’s work explores the relationships between science, politics, and law in the governance of biomedical research and innovation, with particular attention to developments in biotechnology that raise fundamental questions of human integrity and dignity.
Dr. Hurlbut is also co-director of the Global Observatory on Genome Editing, an effort to develop new approaches to technology governance grounded in inclusive and far-reaching deliberation that draws upon a wide range of human knowledge, experience, and moral imagination. He is the author of Experiments in Democracy: Human Embryo Research and the Politics of Bioethics (Columbia University Press, 2017), as well as numerous articles and book chapters. He is often called upon by the media to comment on issues relating to reproductive technology, genome editing, synthetic embryo research, and related areas. He completed his undergraduate work at Stanford University and received a Ph.D. in the History of Science from Harvard University. He held a postdoctoral fellowship in the program on Science, Technology and Society at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Dr. Hurlbut leads the Ethics Committee to advise ASGCT on position statements and/or other actions of the Society in relation to ethical issues in the field. In addition, his committee is responsible for educating internal and external stakeholders on ethical issues, including recommending sessions at the Annual Meeting. Dr. Hurlbut has strived to address ethical issues for all levels of experience and background through ASGCT Insights Series programming and Professional Development Cafes.
ASGCT thanks Dr. Hurlbut for his service on ASGCT’s Ethics Committee. Our members serve as subject matter experts for Society-led projects, including Annual Meeting programming, through both our standing committees and scientific committees and we could not do the work we do without them.
For questions on ASGCT committees or volunteer process, please contact Dani Gale (dgale@asgct.org).
Related Articles