Cutting-edge innovations in medicine, science, and technological inquiry offer to improve health and quality of life, transforming lives in genuinely beneficial ways.
Yet, these powerful advances also raise critical challenges in their implications for our individual and common humanity.
The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity’s 22nd Annual Summer Conference Science, Research, and the Limits of Bioethics examines the ethical dimensions of rapidly evolving arenas of medical & scientific research that continue to stretch the limits of contemporary bioethics, and explores fundamental questions of how science and science policy can function in the service of human flourishing for a medically and technologically sophisticated age.
Conference Objectives:
Identify the prospects and challenges for the evolving landscape of bioethical engagement within the context of shifting global and societal realities and advances in medicine and biotechnology.
Explore & discuss the ethical implications of recent developments in medicine, science, and technology with respect to our individual and common humanity.
Evaluate contemporary bioethical discourses in light of ethical approaches that include philosophical, religious, and other perspectives from the medical humanities.
Promote interdisciplinary engagement on pressing bioethical issues.
Plenary Speakers
Thursday, June 18
Conference Welcome & Framing the Discussion - Michael J. Sleasman, PhD
Bioethics & Gnosticism - Robert P. George, JD, DPhil
Friday, June 19
Treatment of Mitochondrial Disease - Maureen Condic, PhD
The Limits of Moral BioEnhancement: Why We Still Need the Virtures - Fabric Jotterand, PhD
Understanding Healthcare in a Post-Genomic Era - C. Jimmy Lin, MD, PhD, MHS
Affective Computing, Wearables, and Social Robots - Rosalind Picard, ScD
Panel Discussion: Science, Research, and the Limits of Bioethics - Michelle Kirtley, PhD; Maureen Condic, PhD; Fabrice Jotterand, PhD; C. Jimmy Lin, MD, PhD, MHS; Rosalind Picard, ScD
Saturday, June 20
Science, Ethics, Religion, and Dialogue: Challenges and Opportunities - Jennifer J. Wiseman, PhD
When Hippocrates met Kurzweil: Questions for Human Dignity in the 21st Century - Nigel Cameron, PhD, MBA
Conference Close - Paige C. Cunningham, JD
Parallel Papers
Friday, June 19
A Disturbing Presence? Disability in the Age of Enhancement - Kathy McReynolds, PhD
Science Policy in the Service of Human Flourishing: Lessons from the HIV/AIDS Experience - Jane Wathuta, PhD, MMF
Euthanasia and the Limits of Science: A Historical Consideration - Richard Weikart, PhD
New Ethical Challenges in Triage - David Sherman, RN, MAN, CCRN-CMC
The Ethics of Emergency Consent Research - Christine Toevs, MD
Preparing Undergraduate Science Majors to Face the Ethical Challenges of a Profession in Science - Shari Falkenheimer, MD, MPH, MA & Joyce Shelton, PhD
Saturday, June 20
Gender Dysphoria and the Ethics of Transsexual Surgery - Todd Daly, PhD
Consent for Organ Donation and the Standard of Substituted Judgement - Ryan Nash, MD, MA & Courtney Thiele, JD, MA
Existing Without My Body: The Technological, Theological, and Ethical Implications - Khaldoun Sweis, PhD
The Scientific Method in the Era of Big Data - Heather Zeiger, MA, MS
Of Metal and Digital Trees - Daniel Fleming, MDiv, MA
A Fitting Response to Clinical Research - Jonathan Cahill, MA
The Ethical Requisite of Non-Directive Genetic Counseling in Prenatal Diagnosis - Jennifer Casteneda, MD, PhD
Unbefriended Patients and Neighbor Love: How Can Our Failing Healthcare Decision Laws and Systems Be Improved? - David Smith, MD, MA
Abortion, Insurance, and Religious Liberty: Utility v. Human Dignity Worldview Bioethical Concerns in Healthcare Requirements & What Can Be Done - Paul Brodersen, JD
Courses
Intensive Bioethics Institute (BE5100) - D. Joy Riley, MD
Advanced Bioethics Institute (BE6500) - Michael J. Sleasman, PhD
Basic Bioethics for Professionals Institute (BE476x) - Joyce Shelton, PhD
Contemporary Issues in Bioethics Institute (BE7700) - C. Ben Mitchell, PhD, Lauris Kaldjian, MD, PhD, Ryan Nash, MD, MA, FACP, FAAHPM, and Edward Grant, JD
Bioethics National Conference Course (BE5900/BE477x) - Hans Madueme, MD, PhD
Post-Conference Seminar - Global Medicine & Justice Seminar - C. Christopher Hook, MD, co-taught with Claretta Y. Dupree, PhD and Dónal P. O’Mathúna, PhD
1-Day Preconference Workshops
Genetics & Reproduction | Led by C. Ben Mitchell, PhD
Healthcare, Professionalism & Ethics | Led by Lauris Kaldjian, MD, PhD and Ryan Nash, MD, MA, FACP, FAAHPM
Advanced Care Planning | Led by Edward Grant, JD and Lisa Anderson-Shaw, DrPH, MA, MSN
Themed Workshops
Countering the Mainstreaming of Abortion in American Healthcare | Hosted by Americans United for Life with Anna Paprocki, JD
Rewriting the Code of Life: The Scientific, Medical, Ethical, and Policy Implications of Human Genome Editing (CRISPR) | Hosted by The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity with Michelle Kirtley, PhD
Doing Science Ethically | Hosted by The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity with Joyce Shelton, PhD
Prospects for Moral Bioenhancement | Hosted by Christian Medical & Dental Associations with William Cheshire, MD
The Challenges and Opportunities of Artificial Reproductive Technologies | Hosted by Family Research Council with Arina Grossu, MA
Christianity and Applied Ethics | Hosted by Joni & Friends with Kathy McReynolds, PhD
Who’s My Daddy? Who’s My Mommy? On Procreating Children with Ambiguous Parentage | Hosted by Tennessee Center for Bioethics & Culture with D. Joy Riley, MD
Combined Sessions
Alone in the Desert, Whose Feet Are You Washing? Christian Spirituality and the Ethics of Engagement - George Kalantzis, PhD
Rewriting the Code of Life - Michelle Kirtley, PhD
The Genomic Revolution: Transforming Research, Healthcare, and Beyond - C. Jimmy Lin, MD, PhD, MHS
