The different systems of regulation of population-based biobanks and the issues raised by these systems

In 2001, Jean-Marc Hausman obtained a BA in Law (U.C.L., Belgium) and a complementary degree in philosophy (U.C.L., Belgium). He obtained also in 2003 a BA in Criminology (U.C.L., Belgium) and a postgraduate in human rights (F.U.S.L.-F.U.N.D.P.-U.C.L., Belgium).

After working one year as assistant lecturer in criminal law at the University of Louvain, Jean-Marc Hausman has been granted a four-years scholarship by the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS (Belgium) followed by a one-year scholarship F.S.R. (U.C.L., Belgium). As such, he is currently carrying out doctoral research at the Centre of Medical and Biomedical Law of the University of Louvain and in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Law of the same university.

The doctoral research undertaken by Jean-Marc Hausman aims to analyse the legal and regulatory instruments, on a national and international level, related to the organisation and the running of population-based biobanks set up for medical or scientific research purposes.

These banks can be defined as databases containing the biological samples and health-related information, including genetic information, of a specific population or of a representative sample of this population. Research is more particularly focussed on projects carried out in Great-Britain, Iceland, Estonia, Canada and the United States.

The approach used is interdisciplinary, both legal and governmental. More precisely, the legal questions arising from the organisation and the running of the population-based biobanks are part of a more global thought process on the alteration of power-based relationships between individuals and groups in contemporary western society – and, more particularly, on the influence of the law in this process.

http://www.uclouvain.be/centre-droit-medical.html

Genetic databases for therapeutic and research purposes