Grant: Science Policy Fellowships

Nanotechnological innovations are changing the way we interact with the world and their application in the medical field holds the potential to greatly benefit the health of the Canadian population. However, the implication of new technologies cannot be assumed to be risk free as any beneficial properties may be accompanied by unforeseen problems. As such, the overall goal of this work is to facilitate the regulation and safe integration, of emerging nanomedical technologies, into existing medical policy and practice. To achieve these goals this work will encompass a review of studies relating to the safety and risk assessment of current nanomedicine. The state of current domestic and international policies governing the regulation of nanomedicine will also be reviewed. Additionally, this work will involve the consultation of scientists involved in the development new nanomedical applications, consultation of experts in the field of risk assessment related to nanotechnologies and the communication with businesses involved in the development of future nanomedical applications. This compilation of data should highlight the current state of nanomedical regulation and also bring to light potential gaps in regulation and risk assessment of current and emerging nanomedical applications. As such, the report generated from this study will be invaluable in the development of future procedures for the generation of nanomedical regulatory and risk assessment policies.