The Center celebrated its 30th annual conference. Titled The Christian Stake in Bioethics Revisited: Crucial Issues of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, the conference returned to its founding theme of The Christian Stake in Bioethics. Plenary speakers included Matthew Eppinette, PhD; Peter Jaggard, MD; Bryan Just, MA; Christina Bieber Lake, PhD; Adam Omelianchuk, PhD; and Scott B. Rae, PhD. It also included the inaugural virtue ethics lecture presented by Ambassador Morse H. Tan, JD.
Next year’s conference theme has been established. The Future of Health: Faith, Ethics and Our MedTech World will explore changes in healthcare, considering such technological developments as Artificial Intelligence. The conference will be held June 27–29 and will include plenary speakers Matthew Lee Anderson, DPhil; Kristin Collier, Farr Curlin, MD, MD; Mihretu Guta, PhD; Keith Plummer, PhD; Michael Sleasman, PhD; Jason Thacker, PhD (cand.); and CBHD’s own Anna Vollema, MA.
Staff Updates
CBHD welcomed Sai Krishna (Joshua) Gomatam as the fifth Robert D. Orr Endowed Fellow. Sai is a PhD student in Old Testament (emphasis in Ancient Near Eastern languages and archeology) at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School who is exploring gender and sexuality in the book of Numbers.
CBHD Interns
Jenna Chen completed an internship at CBHD. She is working on a BS in Chemistry at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She focused her research for the Center on the intersection between bioethics and policy formation.
The Next Generation of Bioethicists
CBHD hosted nine students from Asbury University and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Thanks to a generous endowment, the students were provided with fully funded trips to our annual conference, which included optional participation in Trinity's Intensive Bioethics Institute.
Staff Bioethical Engagement
Matthew Eppinette, Executive Director:
Participated in meetings to move the Chinese Bioethics Initiative into Phase II
Taught the Intensive Bioethics Institute
Gave a plenary address entitled “Bioethics Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” at this year’s annual conference.
Bryan Just, Event and Executive Services Manager:
Published a piece entitled “What to Do with the Unchosen Frozen: Potential Blessings and Pitfalls of Embryo Adoption” in Salvo magazine.
Gave a plenary address entitled “A History of CBHD” at this year’s annual conference.
Heather Zeiger, Research Analyst:
Organized and lead a workshop with several physicians on overtreatment and the frail elderly at the annual conference in June.
Also at the CBHD annual conference, presented a parallel paper entitled “Thanatology and the Stories We Tell.”
Appeared as a regular guest on Mornings with Carmen discussing science and bioethics news headlines.
Anna Vollema, Research Scholar:
Gave a presentation entitled “Equipped for Every Good Work: The Use of Scripture in Bioethical Decision Making” for one of the parallel paper sessions at this year’s annual conference. The paper was also published in Dignitas (Spring 2023).
