As research on human neural organoids and assembloids rapidly expands in scope, scale, and sophistication, how could the global community monitor and guide its progress? To address this question, Worldview Studio co-designed and facilitated the 2025 Asilomar Conference on the Ethical and Societal Implications of Neural Organoids, Assembloids, and Their Transplantation. This three-day international convening at the historic Asilomar Conference Grounds brought together seventy scientists, ethicists, patient advocates, journalists, and policymakers. Our approach combined plenary panels on the state of the science and ethical issues with working groups tasked with identifying design criteria for a global oversight system. Our meeting design drew on methods from stakeholder convening, deliberative facilitation, and horizon scanning.

Despite their heterogeneity, the working groups converged on a shared set of design principles: participants agreed that an effective oversight system must be “international and decentralized”, “simple and actionable rather than bureaucratic”, and built for “sustained, adaptive monitoring” rather than one-time reports. Patient advocates brought a sense of urgency and practicality to the convening, making clear that such research offers a rare source of hope for families facing conditions like Rett syndrome and schizophrenia. Findings, design principles, and recommended next steps for a sustained multistakeholder engagement program are detailed in our full meeting report: Toward Global Oversight of Human Neural Organoid and Assembloid Research.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

FULL REPORT