Public input is being sought into changes to the Health Research Ethics Authority Act.

The legislation provides the Health Research Ethics Authority with a mandate to ensure that health research involving human subjects in Newfoundland and Labrador is conducted in an ethical manner.

Last year questions were raised about the Health Research Ethics Authority’s work by Sequence Bio which wanted the board replaced.

CEO of Sequence Bio, Chris Gardner was upset that it took 203 days for the HREA to make a decision on the company’s NL Genome Project, and 114 days for a decision on a colorectal cancer study it was hoping to get approval on.

A subcommittee was set up later that year to review applications to conduct genetic or genomic research on human subjects.

Those interested in providing input are asked to fill out a questionnaire on the provincial government’s Engage NL website by December 13th.