Browsing by Author "Flynn, Jesse M."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Effects of International Collaborations and Policy Disparities on Stem Cell Research in the US and UK
    (James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, 2011) Matthews, Kirstin R.W.; Luo, Jingyuan; Flynn, Jesse M.; Solnick, Rachel E.; Ecklund, Elaine Howard; James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    International Stem Cell Collaboration: How Disparate Policies between the United States and the United Kingdom Impact Research
    (2011) Luo, Jingyuan; Flynn, Jesse M.; Solnick, Rachel E.; Ecklund, Elaine Howard; Matthews, Kirstin R.W.; James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
    As the scientific community globalizes, it is increasingly important to understand the effects of international collaboration on the quality and quantity of research produced. While it is generally assumed that international collaboration enhances the quality of research, this phenomenon is not well examined. Stem cell research is unique in that it is both politically charged and a research area that often generates international collaborations, making it an ideal case through which to examine international collaborations. Furthermore, with promising medical applications, the research area is dynamic and responsive to a globalizing science environment. Thus, studying international collaborations in stem cell research elucidates the role of existing international networks in promoting quality research, as well as the effects that disparate national policies might have on research. This study examined the impact of collaboration on publication significance in the United States and the United Kingdom, world leaders in stem cell research with disparate policies. We reviewed publications by US and UK authors from 2008, along with their citation rates and the political factors that may have contributed to the number of international collaborations. The data demonstrated that international collaborations significantly increased an article's impact for UK and US investigators. While this applied to UK authors whether they were corresponding or secondary, this effect was most significant for US authors who were corresponding authors. While the UK exhibited a higher proportion of international publications than the US, this difference was consistent with overall trends in international scientific collaboration. The findings suggested that national stem cell policy differences and regulatory mechanisms driving international stem cell research in the US and UK did not affect the frequency of international collaborations, or even the countries with which the US and UK most often collaborated. Geographical and traditional collaborative relationships were the predominate considerations in establishing international collaborations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Stem Cell Research in the Greater Middle East
    (2010) Matthews, Kirstin R.W.; Flynn, Jesse M.; James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Stem Cell Research in the Greater Middle East: The Importance of Establishing Policy and Ethics Interoperability to Foster International Collaborations
    (Springer, 2010) Matthews, Kirstin R.W.; Flynn, Jesse M.; James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
    While fossil fuel reserves have strengthened the economies of numerous countries in the Greater Middle East (GME) for decades, multiple nations within this region are now increasingly investing in internal science and engineering programs as a mechanism to develop more extensive knowledge-based economies. One of these newly pursued disciplines is stem cell research. Nations such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar have founded nascent programs while Iran, Turkey, and Israel are more established in the field. The extent to which these investments have been productive, as measured by publication quantity and impact, remains unknown. Here we assess the state of stem cell research in the GME, report on the policy and ethical considerations facing the region, and determine the impact of international research collaborations in this area. In the majority of the region, there is no legal framework regulating stem cell research. Instead, scientists often rely on religious decrees outlining acceptable practices. These guidelines do not provide the necessary structure to foster international collaborations with nations that have enacted formal laws recognized worldwide. Our results illustrate that international collaborations in the GME produce publications of greater impact despite the fact that political tensions and issues unrelated to science have the potential to dramatically hinder cross-border relationships in the region. Overall, we conclude that the national governments of countries within the GME have the unique opportunity to establish stem cell research policies which confer interoperability between nations to foster crucial international collaborations throughout the region.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Stem Cell Research in the Middle East
    (2009) Flynn, Jesse M.; Matthews, Kirstin R.W.; James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy