December 8, 2010
Sixteen months after taking charge of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), the world’s largest funder of biomedical research, director Francis Collins is now on course to lead the agency through its most significant evolution to date. (Nature News)
December 8, 2010
German physicians and scientists helped carry out the regime’s policies. What can today’s doctors learn from this tragic history? (American Medical News)
December 8, 2010
Hi, I’m Art Caplan and I’m at the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. I’m going to say a few words about where I think the cutting-edge ethical issues are that are going to be facing physicians in … Read More
December 8, 2010
Trends in Biotechnology (Volume 28, Issue 12, December 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “The Role of Ethics in Science and Engineering” by Deborah G. Johnson, 589-590.
December 7, 2010
2011 National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference Duke University March 18-20, 2011 The conference will bring together leaders in bioethics and students from across the nation for focused talks and lively discussion of critical issues. It offers a unique opportunity for students … Read More
December 7, 2010
Journal of Medical Ethics (Volume 36, Issue 12, December 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “Implementing Clinical Ethics in German Hospitals: Content, Didactics and Evaluation of a Nationwide Postgraduate Training Programme” by Andrea Dörries, Alfred Simon, Gerald … Read More
December 7, 2010
Eight University of Minnesota bioethicists have sent a letter to the university’s Board of Regents, asking it to appoint an outside panel of experts to investigate the ethical issues raised by the case of Dan Markingson, a young man who … Read More
December 7, 2010
The attempt by two adult stem cell researchers to quash US funding for human embryonic stem cell research reached a critical juncture this morning, as a high-profile appeals court heard key oral arguments in the case. (Nature)
December 7, 2010
Older adults who are incapable of giving informed consent to participate in dementia research require special regulatory protection. We investigated the practices of Canadian research ethics boards (REBs) regarding research protocols that may involve these individuals. We also explored the … Read More
December 6, 2010
LEGAL wrangles in the United States over stem cell technology are creating an opportunity for Scotland to become a world leader in the sector, according to experts. Firms in America are now looking to develop their stem cell treatments abroad … Read More
December 6, 2010
Japan is pioneering robot technology to help make everyday life easier for people with disabilities. Pioneering inventions include a robot guide for the blind, and robotic legs which can help disabled people stand up and walk. (BBC News)
December 6, 2010
A federal advisory panel panel Friday endorsed a company’s request that a device used for weight-loss surgery be permitted to be used on people who are slightly less obese, a crucial step toward making the already increasingly popular procedures available … Read More
December 6, 2010
My father-in-law suffers from chronic kidney disease and expects to need a transplant in the not-too-distant future. He does not wish either of his adult children or me to donate a kidney, on the grounds that even in our late … Read More
December 6, 2010
Researchers have constructed genetic ‘control circuits’ that can be programmed to make human cells alter their behaviour in a variety of ways in response to any chosen protein signal. (PHG Foundation)
December 3, 2010
December 14 and 15 2010 Cagliari, Italy The event is organized by the Autonomous Region of Sardegna and Sardegna Ricerche, in association with the Università degli Studi di Cagliari, and will focus on questions which arise in practical medicine in … Read More
December 3, 2010
Drug-seeking teens are going online to download a new kind of digital high, according to fast-multiplying media reports. Instead of a chemical substance, these digital drugs are audio files, with names like “Crack,” “LSD” and “Heroin.” When played through headphones, … Read More
December 3, 2010
The Johns Hopkins neuroscientist says his research could lead to a drug that helps people forget painful experiences. (BusinessWeek)
December 3, 2010
A Nebraska doctor who performs abortions late in pregnancy is planning to begin offering the controversial procedure at a clinic in Germantown, an official said Tuesday. (Washington Post)
December 3, 2010
A missive from the Secretary of State’s office in April 2009 asked diplomats in Africa to step up their assistance to U.S. intelligence. Not only should diplomats in Burundi, Rwanda and Congo collect basic biographical information on the people they … Read More
December 3, 2010
Arizona has decided to cut funding for transplants for low-income residents in an effort to balance their budget while nationwide, patients still struggle with a shortage of organ donors. Midmorning addresses the complex relationship of money to organ transplant. (Minnesota … Read More
December 2, 2010
Bioethics (Volume 10, Issue 3, November 2010) is now available by subscription only. Articles include: “On Moral Incoherence and Hidden Battles: Stem Cell Research in Argentina” by Florencia Luna and Arleen Salles, 120-128. “Treatment Needs in HIV Prevention Trials: Using … Read More
December 1, 2010
The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 363, Issue 20, November 11, 2010) is now available on-line and by subscription only. Articles include: “Health Care in the 2010 Congressional Election” by R.J. Blendon and J.M. Benson, available here. “Brief Report: … Read More
December 1, 2010
“The language of the biomedical model lends itself to ethical malpractice.” With these words, Albert Reiss condemned the 1978 Belmont Report. The report, he complained in a 1979 essay, reduced “people” to “subjects” and required procedures – such as risk-benefit … Read More
December 1, 2010
A recent Medscape medical ethics survey of over 10,000 physicians found that when it comes to patient treatment, a significant number of physicians struggle when it comes to topics relating to honest, straight-forward communication, and even pain management. Physicians from … Read More
December 1, 2010
No longer will worried patients have to rely on reporters to expose doctors on the payroll of the drug industry. Now patients can do it themselves. With a few simple keystrokes, anyone with a computer can search the “Dollars for … Read More
