Prof. Barbara von Tigerstrom
Prof. Barbara von Tigerstrom

Law professor collaborates on Canadian Blood Services research

Barbara von Tigerstrom will work with colleagues at the Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy (JSGS), the University of Alberta College of Law and Canadian Blood Services (CBS) to investigate issues related to the commercialization of blood and tissue in Canada.

"I will be contributing some expertise from my work on the regulation of human tissue," said von Tigerstrom. "The project is very timely given recent legislative initiatives in several provinces on payment for blood product donations and current work by the federal government to develop regulations under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act."

The project is also an opportunity for a law student to get involved in research for historical and comparative analysis of human tissue legislation, von Tigerstrom said.

Alana Cattapan, assistant professor in JSGS, is leading the project, which was awarded the CBS James Kreppner Award of $43,275 to fund the research. Working with leading experts on tissue legislations and commercialization such as von Tigerstrom, the funding will allow Cattapan to identify how renewable and reproductive tissues are governed across Canada, and to explore the ways that legislation—which varies from province to province—has evolved in different jurisdictions, including provisions that allow for the sale of different human tissues.  

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