Overview
Following guidelines established by the National Academies and the National Institutes of Health, UW Madison has adopted policies and procedures governing research involving human pluripotent stem cells that ensure adherence to ethical and legal principles, as well as state and federal regulations.
Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee (SCRO)
The Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee provides oversight for all research on campus or involving campus faculty or staff that involves either:
- the use of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or their derivatives; or
- the introduction of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs, or their derivatives, obtained from a non-embryonic source, into non-human animals at any embryonic, fetal, or postnatal stage, if an expected effect is that human cells will be integrated into the central nervous system, testes, or ovaries of the animal.
This oversight is in addition to the oversight provided by campus committees, such as the Institutional Review Boards, the Biosafety Review Board, and the Animal Care and Use Committees.
SCRO Committee oversight applies regardless of the source of funding and the applicability of federal regulations.
Investigator Requirements
- Submit a Stem Cell protocol for review by the Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee
- Ensure that all personnel named on the protocol complete Stem Cell Ethics and Policy Training
Resources
UW-Madison Campus Resources | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee | Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee website | |
| UW-Madison Policy for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research | Establishes requirements for research involving hPSCs. | |
| UW-Madison hESC Registry | UW-Madison hESC lines currently approved by the SCRO committee | |
| Stem Cell Ethics and Policy Training | All personnel listed on a protocol submitted to the Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee must complete online Stem Cell Ethics and Policy Training.Log-in page for the Graduates School’s CITI online training website (requires valid NetID) | |
| Stem Cell Protocol Login | Log-in page for online protocol submission. For assistance in submitting a Stem Cell Protocol contact the program manager, Heather McFadden. | |
| UW–Madison Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center (SCRMC) | SCRMC provides a central point of contact, information and facilitation for all stem cell research activities on campus | |
| WiCell | WiCell distributes UW’s hPSC lines and negotiates agreements for obtaining hPSC lines from WiCell and the National Stem Cell Bank | |
External Resources | ||
| National Academies Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Ethical standards guide for stem cell research (with 2010 amendements) | |
| NIH Stem Cell Information | NIH resource for stem cell research information and policy. | |
| NIH Stem Cell Registry | List of stem cell lines eligible for use in NIH-funded research. |
Contacts
General Compliance Questions
Cheryl Deering
CALS Research Compliance Specialist
(608) 262-2536
cheryl.deering@wisc.edu
Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) Committee
Heather Mc Fadden
SCRO Manager, Office of Research Policy
(608) 890-2468
hnmcfadden@grad.wisc.edu
The SCRO Manager is available weekdays to answer questions concerning stem cell training, consult on SCRO application preparation, and help researchers respond to SCRO requests and questions.