Life and Medical Sciences Research Ethics Committee

The Life and Medical Sciences Research Ethics Committee (LMS REC) gives ethical opinion for staff and students in Brain Sciences, Life Sciences, Population Health Sciences, and Medical Sciences.

The LMS REC reviews high- and low-risk ethics applications from the faculties of Brain Sciences, Life Sciences, Population Health Sciences, and Medical Sciences. Visit our Apply to UCLs Research Ethics Committees page for information on the application process and links to the ethics database.

Application deadlines and meeting dates

Terms of reference

1. To receive, review and provide an ethics opinion on research by staff or students both low-risk and high-risk from Brain Sciences, Life Sciences, Population Health Sciences and Medical Sciences.
2. To determine whether the opinion is a) favourable as proposed, b) conditionally favourable, under certain defined conditions or specific requirements or c) unfavourable.
3. To review and provide an ethical opinion (as outlined above) on amendments to previously approved protocols.
4. To review appeals, complaints and adverse events or incidents reported regarding ethically approved research and report them to the UCL Research Ethics Committee (UCL REC).
5. To exercise powers to require the halting of research if substantive ethical problems are identified as the project progresses until such time as any such concerns have been remedied to the satisfaction of the REC.
6. To exercise powers to withdraw a favourable opinion when concerns such as those identified above are not remedied to the satisfaction of the REC.
7. To ensure that appropriate advice is available for staff, supervisors and students on good practice in relation to the ethics of their research.
8. To report on an annual basis to UCL REC to include a summary of all reviewed projects and a report on the effectiveness of current practice and procedures.

Membership

This committee is formed of representatives from the 4 faculties that form this committee (Brain Sciences, Life Sciences, Population Health Sciences and Medical Sciences). The reviewing committee also includes lay members who bring a wide range of skills and experience to ensure that the participant’s perspective in any project is considered in detail. 

Chair

Dr Rachel Knowles

Deputy Chair

Dr Elisa Ruiz Burga

Faculty of Brain Sciences  

• Isabelle Wilson, Division of Psychiatry
• Sharandeep Bhogal, Division of Psychiatry
• Professor Sarah Garfinkel, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
• Dr Ariana Kular, Division of Psychiatry

Faculty of Life Sciences 

• Dr Lisa Cabrita, Structural and Molecular Biology
• Dr Arnaud Ruiz, School of Pharmacy
• Dr Majella Lane, School of Pharmacy 
• Professor Francesca Cacucci, Division of Biosciences

Faculty of Medical Sciences 

• Dr David Chau, Eastman Dental Institute
• Dr Melanie Clements, Research Department of Cancer Biology
• Dr Rowena Viney, Medical School
• Dr Agnieszka Jaworowska, Division of Medicine 

Faculty of Population Health Sciences 

• Dr Rachel Knowles, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
• Dr Claire Powell, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
• Dr Sally Davenport, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
• Dr Elisa Ruiz Burga, Institute for Global Health
• Dr Jenevieve Mannell,  Institute for Global Health
• Dr Dimitra Kale, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care
• Dr Wolfgang Stohr, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology
• Rumana Jalil-Rahman, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology
• Liz Arram, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology
• Dr Jacqueline Nicholls, Institute for Women’s Health Sciences
• Dr Joanna Morrison, Institute for Global Health
• Dr Kaya Widuch, Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology

Lay members

• Janette Laroche