News Archive

2009

Ethics and Health Information Technology: Kenneth W. Goodman, PhD
On January 29th, 2009 Kenneth W. Goodman presented: "Ethics and Health Information Technology: New Challenges in Clinical Care and Research in a Pharmacogenomic World" [Flyer, 71 KB - PDF]

In addition to being a widely recognized expert on the ethical issues of information technology, Goodman is co-director of the University of Miami’s Ethics Programs and founder and director of its Bioethics Program and Pan American Bioethics Initiative. The Ethics Programs have recently been designated a World Health Organization Collaborating Center in Ethics and Global Health Policy, one of four such centers in the world and the only one in the United States.

Indiana University-Moi University Academic Research Ethics Partnership
The Indiana University Center for Bioethics has been awarded a $940,000 four-year grant from the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health to establish a new research ethics training partnership with colleagues at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya. The Indiana University-Moi University Academic Research Ethics Partnership (IU-Moi AREP) is a curriculum development and training initiative that builds on longstanding partnerships and collaborations in East Africa. Read the press release or learn more about this program on the IU-Moi AREP page.

2008

PredictER Event: Mark Stranger, Ph.D. - University of Tasmania
Mark Stranger, Ph.D., delivered a talk, "Genetics, Ethics and the Law Down Under: A Tasmanian Perspective", on Monday, November 10, 2008. Dr. Stranger, a sociologist with expertise in risk assessment, social change, biobanking and social research methodologies, is a Senior Research Fellow and Executive Director for the Centre for Law and Genetics at the University of Tasmania. He also manages the Centre's multidisciplinary and international Biotechnology, Ethics, Law and Society Network (BELS).

This event was jointly convened by the Indiana University Center for Bioethics; IUPUI Consortium for Health Policy, Law and Bioethics; and the IUPUI Office of International Affairs. Find more ethics events on our calendar...

Aaron Carroll: Health Reform Debate
On October 29, 2008, Aaron Carroll, IU Center for Bioethics and Professor of Pediatrics at the IU Schoo of Medicine, debated David Hyman, JD, Professor of Law and Medicine at the University of Illinois. This debate, "What do YOU know about health reform? Are you prepared for November 4th?", was jointly convened by the Consortium for Health Policy, Law & Bioethics; the Hall Center for Law & Health; and the Health Law Society.

EuroBio 2008 - House of Commons Debates
On October 7, 2008 Eric Meslin, PhD, was one of the lead debaters discussing six hot topics relevant to the progress of Europe's biotechnology sector. The EuroBio House of Commons Debates are conducted with "all the pomp, deference and carnage of the British politics". EuroBio 2008 was billed as "THE Life Sciences Event of the European Union Presidency". The event was held at the Palais des Congrès conference centre in Paris, France.

The Ethics of Xenotransplantation: Jennifer Girod, Poynter Center's Health Care Ethics Seminars - September 25, 2008
Recent scientific advances have made solid organ xenotransplantation (the transplantation of an animal organ into a human being) seem achievable in the next five years. In this seminar Jennifer Girod, J.D., Ph.D., explored the ethical issues involved with this practice, and proposed a model for how to decide who should be included in early clinical trials. She argued that early clinical trials with a genetically engineered pig liver as a bridge-to-transplant makes sense both from the perspective of risks and benefits to third parties, and for the balancing of core values in relation to the individual research participants.

To see the schedule of future Health Care Ethics Seminars, visit the website of the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions (Indiana University, Bloomington).

The 2008 Summit of the States
The Indiana University Center for Bioethics, Indiana State Department of Health and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials recently convened a two-day national event addressing the ethical issues of preparing for an influenza pandemic. State health officers and other senior public health officials from thirty-five U.S. states and territories convened in Indianapolis on July 14-15 to identify key ethical challenges in pandemic influenza planning, share best practices and propose solutions. To read more about the Summit, visit IUCB's Pandemic Influenza Portal.

Confronting the Ethics of Pandemic Influenza: The 2008 Summit of the States
The Indiana State Department of Health, the Indiana University Center for Bioethics and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) convened a national summit on the ethical and policy issues of preparing for an influenza pandemic. "Confronting the Ethics of Pandemic Influenza Planning: The 2008 Summit of the States" (July 14 - 15) included key government, public health, policy, law, and ethics leaders. Commenting on the purpose and value of the event, Eric Meslin, Director of the Center for Bioethics, observed: "We know that there are several key issues that all states must address in one way or another - from how to distribute potentially scarce medical supplies to priority decisions about availability of equipment, intensive care beds and methods to slow the spread of disease - that should be identified and addressed before an adverse event would limit the time available to make ethical decisions .... This summit is designed to help state officials identify these issues and determine how best to tackle them. We hope that by meeting together, these leaders will learn from one another and develop joint strategies" (Press Release, 2 July 2008).

Eric M. Meslin Awarded the Chevalier
On April 23, 2008 IUCB Director, Eric M. Meslin, Ph.D. (right) was awarded the Chevalier de l‘Ordre National du Mérite [Knight of the National Order of Merit] by the French Government. The insignia was presented at the French Embassy in Washington D.C. by the French Ambassador to the United States, Pierre Vimont (left). The Chevalier is an Order of Chivalry by the President of French Republic, founded on December 3, 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle and is given for distinguished civil and military achievements. Meslin was made a Chevalier for his contributions to bioethics policy in France over the past 10 years.

Secretary-General of the WMA speaks at the IU Center for Bioethics - February 26, 2008
In an event hosted by the Center, Dr. Kloiber (right) addressed a number of critical ethical and policy issues in international health and health research, including the next revisions to the Declaration of Helsinki. Prior to speaking to a full auditorium, Dr. Kloiber spoke informally with Eric Meslin (left) and other Center for Bioethics faculty and affiliates.

Margaret Gaffney Nominated for Ethics Award.
The Center congratulates Margaret Gaffney, MD, who was among the nominees named by students at the Indiana University School of Medicine for the 2008 AAMC Humanism in Medicine Award. This honor recognizes faculty members who embody "the importance of humanistic qualities and the enhancement of the interactions between medical school students and faculty ...". Read more at Indiana Bioethics.

Center News 2007

Pandemic Flu Preparedness: ethical issues.
In the 2007 the Indiana State Department of Health contracted with the Center for Bioethics to provide recommendations on four specific areas of ethical concern. To download a digital copy of the report, including the four technical advisory documents and annotated bibliographies select the link to the following Center for Bioethics publication below.

Meslin EM, Alyea JM, Helft PR. Pandemic flu preparedness: ethical issues and recommendations to the Indiana State Department of Health. Indiana University Center for Bioethics. 2007 August. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/1910

For more information resources on the ethics of pandemic flu preparedness, visit the Center's Pandemic Resources page.

Health-Related Philanthropy
The Center congratulates Eric Meslin (Director), Patrick Rooney and Jim Wolf, for their recent publication which describes the Health-Related Philanthropy project and summarizes the results of a national survey on the topic.

Reference: Meslin EM, Rooney PM, Wolf JG. Health-Related Philanthropy: Toward Understanding the Relationship Between the Donation of the Body (and Its Parts) and Traditional Forms of Philanthropic Giving. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 2008;Mar;37(1):44S-62S. More faculty publications ...

Engaging the community in predictive health research
As a function of the program in Predictive Health Ethics Research (PredictER), a multidisciplinary research, policy, and public education program of the Indiana University Center for Bioethics funded by a grant from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, Inc., Indianapolis, the Center hosted an expert panel of researchers, ethicists, and advocates to explore issues in engaging the community. Read more about this event at PredictER Blog, November 19, 2007.

Sound Medicine receives the Spectrum Award from the Indiana Broadcasters association
The radio program, which features Eric M. Meslin, PhD (IUCB Director) and other IUSM faculty, was recognized as the "Best Special Interest and Cultural Program" in the non-commercial radio division. This successful, one-hour, weekly broadcast is now in its seventh season. Listen to the weekly show on WFYI Public Radio (90.1 FM) or download current and archived shows from the Sound Medicine website.

Bioethics Journal Club
Co-sponsored by the IU Center for Bioethics and the IUPUI Philosophy Graduate Program.
Please join us at the Center for Bioethics for a chance to explore current topics in bioethics and to meet students and faculty members who share your interests. Each session will be an informal lunchtime discussion led by one of the Bioethics faculty members. Contact us for more details.

New IUPUI Signature Center established
The Indiana University Center for Bioethics, the Hall Center for Law and Health, and the new Center for Health Policy (SPEA) have established the Consortium for Health Policy, Law, and Bioethics. The Consortium is not a center or program; rather, it is an initiative to create an innovative, interdisciplinary research and learning environment. For student study opportunities and more information visit the Consortium website.

New Article by Peter Schwartz
"Defining dysfunction: Natural selection, design, and drawing a line" by Peter Schwartz, IUCB faculty investigator and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the Indiana University Medical Center, was published in the journal Philosophy of Science, 74 (July 2007): 364-385. More faculty publications ...

New Article by Paul Helft and Eric Meslin
"Cancer patients' attitudes toward future research uses of stored human biological materials" by Paul Helft (IUCB Faculty Investigator, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Director of the Fairbanks Center for Medical Ethics at Clarian Health Partners), Eric Meslin (IUCB Director and Associate Dean for Bioethics), and others was published in Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics (JERHRE) 2007; Sept;2(3):15-22. More faculty publications ...

Patrick Barrett receives honor
The Golden Humanism Honor Society inducted IUCB Research Assistant, Patrick Barrett, to the IU School of Medicine chapter on September 28, 2007. Barrett was nominated by faculty and peers for this honor for demonstrating exemplary behavior that promotes humanism in medicine. Read the press release ...

Exploring Ethical Issues People Face in Health and Science: A Report to the University and the Community (2001-2007)
This report provides a summary of our activities from the Center's founding to the present. View a PDF of the full community report [PDF - 1.08 MB] or contact us to request a hard copy.