Dr Ilke Turkmendag

Senior Lecturer in Law, Innovation and Society, Newcastle University

Interests

Socio-legal and ethical issues associated with biomedicine, regulation of emerging medical technologies

Background

Dr Ilke Turkmendag has a PhD in Genetics and Society from the Institute for Science and Society and School of Law, University of Nottingham and a Master’s degree in Science and Technology Studies (University of Oslo). She is a Senior Lecturer in Law, Innovation, and Society at Newcastle University.

Ilke convenes the Law and Futures Research Group at Newcastle Law School and is the Chair of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Ethics Committee at the university. She is also a member of the North of England Medico-Legal Society Council, UK Association for Studies in Innovation, Science and Technology, and AHRC Peer Review College. 

Current Research:

Epigenetics and law: I am interested in the ways in which developments in epigenetics research influence how maternal responsibility and rights are perceived. In line with that, my recent research focuses on the ways in which the claims associated with epigenetics may give rise to legal claims. I was awarded British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Small Grant SRG18R1\180531 to explore this: ‘Sins of the mother: Socio-legal imaginaries of epigenetics’. (01/05/2019-28/02/2021) 

Project website: Sins of the Mother: Socio-legal Imaginaries of Epigenetics

Human genome editing: I am interested in the social, regulatory, and ethical aspects of human germline editing. In this context, I particularly focus on the meaning and limits of reproductive autonomy, and how our reproductive decisions may affect future generations.

Contact

ilke.turkmendag@ncl.ac.uk