In this Future of Human Reproduction webinar, Dr Kirsty Dunn, Lancaster University and Professor Vincent Reid, University of Waikato explore the latest research on prenatal development and reproductive technology and how healthcare and policy are evolving in response.

In the second Future of Human Reproduction webinar, Professor Sharon Ruston and Dr. Georgia Walton shared key insights into the project’s work and highlighted why literature has been central to its research approach:

• Why and how literature has been valuable to the project  
• The unique expertise and perspectives that literary scholars bring  
• Lessons learned along the way  

The first webinar in The Future of Human Reproduction (FoHR) Research Showcase series, explored the ethical, scientific, and policy-related issues surrounding In Vitro Gametogenesis (IVG), with Sarah Norcross Director of Progress Educational Trust (PET) and FoHR Principal Investigator Stephen Wilkinson. This thought-provoking webinar raised key questions that are central to the development and future of this reproductive biotechnology.

As well as being the Principal Investigator on The Future of Human Reproduction project, Professor Wilkinson, as a philosopher, is also involved with his home department at Lancaster; Politics, Philosophy and Religion (PPR).

PPR invited alumni Daniel Snape to return to campus and tell students about his role as a Lead Policy Advisor at the Bank of England, which gave a perfect opportunity for Professor Wilkinson to share his experiences on policymaking in the field of bioethics.

In April 2024, an interdisciplinary conference at Lancaster University, organized by Dr. Katherine Furman (Future of Human Reproduction Award holder), explored the philosophical and ethical implications of ectogestation (growing a baby outside the womb). Academics from various fields discussed how this technology could reshape our understanding of pregnancy, reproduction, and gestation, focusing on how the metaphysics of pregnancy influences views on technologies like ectogestation.

Dr. Anna McFarlane, James Murray Beattie Lecturer in Fantasy Literature at the University of Glasgow, joined the Future of Human Reproduction (FoHR) as a Visiting Collaborator in May 2024. In this blog, she explores how science fiction critiques reproductive systems and envisions future possibilities, balancing its descriptive power with its predictive role in shaping discussions on emerging technologies like ectogenesis and in vitro gametogenesis.

In 2024, Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM brought Margaret Atwood’s dystopian world to the Royal Opera House, blending bold choreography, innovative design, and electronic soundscapes. First staged by the National Ballet of Canada after the COVID-19 pandemic, the ballet explored genetic engineering, environmental collapse, and the power of storytelling. Georgia Walton attended to see how McGregor transformed Atwood’s writing into movement.

As we enter the next phase of this project, we’re excited to share highlights of what we accomplished in 2024 and to offer a glimpse of what’s ahead.

Will society ever be ready to consider the use of artificial placentas for reasons other than medical necessity? When might we be ready and how might society respond to this choice?

Dr. Victoria Adkins’ third and final blog in the series explores the key requirements for making partial ectogestation available upon maternal request and explores the ethical, medical, and societal challenges involved.

Dr Victoria Adkins continues her blog series, exploring debates around how to define artificially gestated entities and suggesting that compromise may be more attainable than consensus. In her work she considers:

- How can and should an artificially gestated entity be defined?

- What impact does a definition have—legally, socially, and medically?