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REMARKS BY STEPHEN P.A. FODOR, Ph.D. |
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Thank you, Lee, for that thoughtful introduction, and for setting the stage so eloquently for tonight's program. I'm also pleased to welcome both the audience here in Washington, and those joining us from via the Worldwide Web, for what will no doubt be a provocative discussion. I can think of no better place to hold tonight's program than at the Wilson Center, a site named for the president who in so many ways embodied a passion for public discourse and debate. To build support for the League of Nations Treaty after World War I, Wilson undertook a grueling trip across the country, personally making his case to the American people. Wilson felt that this was not a matter to be left simply for politicians but that in a rapidly changing world, the understanding, acceptance and support of the public is essential in formulating sound policy. It's hard to imagine a world changing more rapidly than the world of genetics. Next year we mark the 50th anniversary of Wilson and Crick's discovery of the structure of DNA, one of the most profound scientific discoveries of the 20th Century. But for tonight's debate, I think it's more appropriate to recall that the sequencing of the human genome was announced just over two years ago. So I ask you to think not how far we've come in fifty years, but how far we've come just those two years. The public policy challenges in modern genetics are formidable, made even more so by the speed with which life sciences are advancing. A combination of public and private resources are now driving progress, and we now have tools to enable whole genome analysis. Yet we should all realize our knowledge of the human genome is still vastly outweighed by what we do not know. Nowhere are these challenges greater than in the field of intellectual property. Policymakers face the daunting task of constructing, interpreting and administering a framework of laws and regulations that must strike a balance between the private sector's need to reward true innovation and the global public's right to reap the benefits of advances in genomics to improve the quality of life. This is the second in a series of Genetic Age programs supported by Affymetrix, programs aimed at fostering a greater understanding of human genome research and its implications for society. Before introducing our moderator, let me say again how delighted Affymetrix is to be co-sponsoring this event, and how much we appreciate the efforts of Lee Hamilton, Dave Rejeski and their colleagues at the Wilson Center for their encouragement and support. Let me also express my appreciation to our panelists: Scott Brown, Todd Dickenson, Eric Lander and Pilar Ossorio, for their time and effort to be here tonight. Our moderator for the evening is Justin Gillis. Those of you who follow science in the news will recognize Justin's byline from the Washington Post where he's covered biotechnology since 1997. Prior to that time, he enjoyed a distinguished career in both Miami and Washington as an investigative reporter. I might add that Justin is regarded as one of the most thoughtful reporters covering our industry today. We delighted to have him here this evening. Welcome, once again, everyone. Justin, let me now hand to program over to you. |