R. Alta Charo (B.A. biology, Harvard 1979; J.D. Columbia, 1982) is the Warren P. Knowles Professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, teaching in the areas of biotechnology regulatory policy, bioethics, public health law and torts. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine [formerly known as the Institute of Medicine (IOM)], and has co-chaired the consensus studies on guidelines for embryonic stem cell research and on genome editing. She has also been a member of its committees on the safety of the drug approval system, the dilemma of dual-use biotechnologies, the smallpox vaccine program, and mitochondrial replacement techniques, among others.

Her federal service includes work as a legal analyst for the congressional Office of Technology Assessment, policy analyst for the Agency for International Development, and senior policy adviser for the FDA.  She has also been a member several federal advisory groups, including President Clinton’s National Bioethics Advisory Commission, the NIH Human Embryo Panel, and President Obama’s transition team, focusing her attention particularly on transition issues related to NIH, FDA, bioethics, stem cell policy, and women’s reproductive health.

She has authored or contributed to over 100 articles, book chapters, and government reports on law and policy related to environmental protection, reproductive health, new reproductive technologies, medical genetics, stem cell research, science funding, and research ethics.