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He Jiankui, Chinese creator of world’s first gene-edited babies, cancels Oxford event
- He, who has been the subject of controversy and a jail sentence, says he is not ready to discuss the past three years
- Attendants at a weekend seminar report being disappointed after the biophysicist refused to engage in discussion, instead asking for questions by email
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A Chinese biophysicist who created the world’s first gene-edited children has cancelled two key international engagements next month, including speaking at Oxford University, amid concern about the lack of transparency regarding his research.
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“I feel that I am not ready to talk about my experience in past three years. So I decide that I will not visit Oxford in March,” He Jiankui posted on Twitter on Friday.
He said he would also not attend the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing at the Francis Crick Institute in London early next month.
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Chinese scientist claims to have created world's first gene-edited babies
Chinese scientist claims to have created world's first gene-edited babies
Major themes of the meeting include the science and techniques of gene editing, clinical research for somatic genome editing and ethical principles for human genome editing.
He Jiankui announced the birth of gene-edited twin girls at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing at the University of Hong Kong in 2018. One panel during the London meeting next month is called “Regulation in China following the 2018 misuse of heritable human genome editing”.
He was released from jail in April after serving three years for conducting “illegal medical practices”.
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The University of Oxford said in a statement He Jiankui had been going to attend a private event in Oxford, but “we understand this has been postponed until further notice”.
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