The ERC PatentsInHumans Project team led by Professor Aisling McMahon (Principal Investigator), and researchers Dr Aislinn Fanning, Sharon Adedapo and Lauren Kane were delighted to host an international workshop for the project on 18th June 2026 in Maynooth University . This workshop focused on the topic of ‘Human Rights, Bioethics and Patents over Technologies related to the Human Body: Towards Person Centred Approaches”.
The workshop featured papers by leading international experts on intellectual property law, human rights, health law and related fields, and thought provoking discussions.
Papers and discussions over the day focused on critically analysing the ways in which human rights mechanisms can or have been used, and the limits/opportunities posed by human rights mechanisms, as a means to address the health implications posed by patent grant and patent use. The workshop also examined the relationship between human rights and bioethics in this context, including considering, how bioethical interests can or should inform human rights. Speakers also explored the extent to which looking at the role of patents through a broader bioethical lens as opposed to (or alongside) a human rights lens, may impact how such issues are considered and addressed within patent systems, if at all. Moreover, it considered potential legal and institutional factors which may impact how bioethical/human rights issues are engaged with, if at all, within patent decision-making frameworks.
We include here a brief overview of the topics covered by workshop papers and some of the key themes emerging – A full workshop report will follow in the coming weeks!
Professor Fergus Ryan (Head of School of Law and Criminology Maynooth University) introduced the day reflecting on the transformative advances within scientific developments and importance of embedding lived experiences within such research, including in developing pathways to ensure equitable access to emerging technologies. Following this, Professor Aisling McMahon (Principal Investigator of ERC PatentsInHumans Project & Professor of Law, Maynooth University) reflected on the governance role that intellectual property rights can play in shaping the development, access and use of emerging technologies. She discussed research within the PatentsInHumans project exploring ways in which human rights avenues could be used to mitigate potential access to health challenges posed by how intellectual property rights are used over emerging health-technologies and the relationship between human rights and bioethics in such contexts. She also highlighted emerging project findings around the potential institutional, legal and other broader challenges to using human rights to address access to health issues over patented technologies.
In session 2, Professor Caroline B Ncube (University of Cape Town) examined key institutional challenges of embedding human rights and bioethics issues within patent decision-making systems, and insights on how to shift this including highlighting the need for deeper consideration of institutional design. Following this, Dr Emmanuel Kolawole Oke (University of Edinburgh) explored human rights litigation in the intellectual property and access to health field, including discussing recent developments in the right to health context. In the third paper in this session, Dr Shawn Harmon (C3Legal Inc.) considered the need to embed bioethical principles including ‘human flourishing’ in health innovation systems including patent decision-making systems.
Following this, in session 3, Dr Karen Walsh (School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University) examined the institutional landscape within the European patent system, and potential opportunities to embed human rights and bioethics considerations within the recently established unitary patent system. Following this, Dr Siva Thambisetty (LSE Law School) considered justifications underpinning patent rights, and made the case that these justifications are sometimes used to foreclose critique and reform within patent systems. Her paper reflected on how this may impact how bioethical principles are considered in patent systems.
In session 4, Professor Peter K. Yu (Texas A&M University) examined neuro-technologies, intellectual property rights and human rights reflecting on a range of bioethical issues which can arise in such contexts, including around the impacts of intellectual property rights over such technologies, and related questions around data use/misuse arising from such technologies. Following this, Dr Genevieve Wilkinson & Dr Evana Wright (University of Technology Sydney) delivered a paper which considered the role of patents over paediatric technologies and reflected on the implications of how patent rights can be applied for and used over emerging technologies for children’s rights.
In session 5, Dr Amaka Vanni, (University of Leeds) examined the role of patents (and other IPRs) in cancer genomic data gaps in Africa through the IGLP-Global Value Chain Framework reflecting in her paper on questions of equality and benefit sharing related to how patents and other IPRs are used in such contexts. In the second paper in this panel, Dr Katrina Perehudoff (University of Amsterdam) examined the potential scope of the EU’s extra-territorial responsibilities and human rights obligations around access to medicines. Both papers highlighted important issues related to intellectual property rights and equitable access to health-technologies in the global health context.
Finally, in the closing session of the workshop, Professor Susi Geiger (University College Dublin (UCD)) delivered a talk on her recent monograph (with Dr Theo Bourgeron) entitled ‘Peak Pharma: Toward a New Political Economy of Health’ (OUP, 2026). In this talk, she discussed a range of issues around the role and development of the pharmaceutical industry and innovation models, and the impacts of particular strategies on access to health. Her talk also reflected on the importance of civil society action in achieving broader access to health.
Key themes arising from the workshop were depicted on the wonderful illustration created by graphic artist Eimear McNally, as highlighted in the image below.
The organisers are very grateful to the ERC for the support in funding this event as part of the PatentsInHumans project, and to the School of Law and Criminology and Assisted Living and Learning (ALL) Institute for their support in organising of this event and co-hosting this project.
The ERC PatentsInHumans project is funded by European Union (ERC, PatentsInHumans, Project No. 101042147). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.