Center for Bioethics: Indiana University

Ethics for the future of health and medicine

Founded in 2001, the IU Center for Bioethics is a gathering place for discussion, education, research, and collaboration in bioethics and related fields. Based at the IU School of Medicine, faculty from schools across IU - Indianapolis lead these efforts, guiding healthcare providers and researchers in their work and helping society confront important questions about health, science, and technology.

Resources

The Center hosts talks, publishes a blog, and provides resources and consultations to researchers and others.

Research

Center faculty write and conduct research on bioethics, communication, policy, and other areas.

Education

Center faculty teach bioethics, responsible conduct of research, health law, medical humanities, and related topics.

Blog

Center faculty and staff write accessible short essays on various topics in bioethics, current events, and other various interests.

News from the Center

Comer Publishes on Values in Evidence Based Practice

Amber Comer, JD, PhD, Affiliate Faculty at the IUCB recently published an article titled “Which Values Should Guide Evidence-Based Practice?” in the AMA Journal of Ethics.

IUCB Director appears on Memory University Panel

On Friday, 3.21.25, our director Peter Schwartz joined "Memory University" as a panelist for a discussion of the challenges of disclosing Alzheimers' disease biomarkers and using AI for AD diagnosis.

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IU Events

Social Darwinisim, Nazi Experiments, and the Birth of Modern Bioethics

Thursday, April 24, 2025

12 p.m.—1 p.m.

Join us as we reflect and explore the ways in which the actions of Nazi doctors reshaped bioethics, changing the way we practice medicine today.

TREATs Talk: Heterogeneity in Clinical Research

Thursday, June 12, 2025

12 p.m.—1 p.m.

Join the IU Center for Bioethics for their translational research ethics talk for genetic diversity in clinical research!

Non-IU Events

Trusting Each Other: Enhancing Trust in Health Care Relationships

Thursday, April 17, 2025, 2 p.m.—Thursday, April 17, 2025, 3 p.m.

This live virtual event will feature a compelling discussion led by Hannah Scotch, Professional Research Assistant at the CU Center for Bioethics and Humanities! Please feel free to share information about this event widely.

Seismic shifts: US policy and impacts on science, public and global health, and health ethics

Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 9:30 a.m.—Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 10:30 a.m.

Join global health and ethics leaders for Seismic Shifts, a timely discussion on how sweeping U.S. policy changes under the new administration are reshaping science, public health, and global health justice. What do these shifts mean for professionals on the frontlines—and how should health ethics respond?

Whose Job Is It, Anyway? The Ethics and Management of Hospital Efforts on Social Determinants of Health

Friday, April 25, 2025, 12 p.m.—Friday, April 25, 2025, 1 p.m.

Speaker: Kelsey N. Berry, PhD, Lecturer, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine and Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School; Research Partner in Ethics of Health Systems, Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University

Population Genomic Screening: From Biobank Return of Results to a Clinical Screening Pilot

Tuesday, May 06, 2025, 12 p.m.—Tuesday, May 06, 2025, 1 p.m.

Geisinger’s decade-long experience with genomic screening reveals how integrating genetic insights into primary care can uncover hidden risk, improve early detection, and transform patient outcomes.

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