PHY's Bioethics

This is a 1-credit seminar, taught every 2-3 years, on the major biological and medical ethical issues facing society. Weekly readings will be assigned and discussed in sessions largely run by students.

GRADING: 50% on attendance and participation (in class and on email poll questions); 50% on leading one discussion. TEXT: Bioethics and the New Embryology (Gilbert et al., 2005)

DATE	TOPIC	READING**	Discussion Leaders	WEB LINKS
Sept. 1	Introduction: Ethical Principles	Handout	Yancey	----
Sept. 8	Scientific and Medical Ethics; Responsibility	Handout	Yancey
Sept. 15	Human Experimentation: Informed Consent, etc.	Handout	Gotchy
Sept. 22	Reproduction I: ART	Chaps. 2-3-4	Hagan, Williamson
Sept. 29	--No class--	---	---
Oct. 6	Reproduction II: Cloning	Chaps. 6-7-8	McDermet,
Oct. 11	Stem Cells	Chaps. 9-10	Schurtz,
Oct. 20	Health Care Resources I: Rationing, HMOs, Insurance	Handout	Gidvani, Roston
Oct. 27	Health Care Resources II: Organ Transplants	Handout	Sanders, Warner	www.unos.org
Nov. 3	Death and Dying: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide	Handout	Krupp, Hennings	Assigned: Right to Die Option: Task Force on Euthanasia
Nov. 10	Genetic Screening; Gene Patenting	Handout	Bennett, Edelman
Nov. 17	Genetic Engineering: Human	Chaps. 11-12	Mills,
Nov. 31	Animal Experimentation, Non-human Genetic Engineering	Chap. 15	Brandt, Andrell
Dec. 8	Environmental Ethics	Handout	Jepson

RETURN TO CONTENTS or Top of Page

RECENT NEWS -- undergoing revision for 2006

Note some of these are NYTimes articles, which may require an account. See Prof. Yancey.

Euthanasia; Scientific/Research ethics; Health Resources; Organ Transplants

Pres. Clinton fights AIDS in Africa -- Aug. 2006--working to lower drug costs -- Jan. 2006
Glaxo sued over AIDS deaths in Africa -- Nov. 13, 2003
The Florida right-to-die case of Nov. 2003
US Plan to pay organ donors -- Oct. 9. 2003
Final approval of euthanasia in Holland; protests follow; Belgium may approve soon; Apr. 11, 2001
Doctors Sue HMOs; Feb. 15, 2001
Organ scandal: British doctor discovered to have illegally taken organs from deceased children.; Jan. 30, 2001
Baby Conceived to Provide Cell Transplant for His Dying Sister.; Oct. 4, 2000
The US Senate's Organ Transplantation Fairness Act of 2000; Apr. 11, 2000

Human Experiments; Drugs; Reproductive Technology and Cloning; Stem Cells

US panel recommends loosening restrictions on using prisoners for drug testing--Aug. 2006
N. Koreans reportedly test chemical weapons on prisoners--Feb. 11, 2004
The US President's Council on Bioethics releases new recommendations for assisted reproduction --Jan. 20, 2004; other recent news on IVF at IVF.net
The Stem Cell Ethics Debate --new rulings, Nov. 2003
Controversial organization funded by the US gov't distributes human embryos for adoption -- June 2003
Clonaid claims it has successfully completed the first cloning of human beings -- Dec. 26, 2002
Supreme Court rules against medical marijuana use; NYTimes, May 14, 2001
Experts call for new rules for clinical research: Apr. 18, 2001
St John's Wort found useless for depression:, Apr. 18, 2001; at CNN
Company claims stem cells from placenta ; Apr. 12, 2001; will make fetal sources obsolete? AND
Adult fat may be a source of stem cells ; Apr. 10, 2001
Embryo custody battle; Feb. 27, 2001
Groups push for morning-after pill; Feb. 15, 2001
Britain Gives Green Light for Embryo Cloning.; Jan. 23, 2001
Abortion Issue puts U.S. Embryo, Stem-Cell Research far behind other countries.; Jan. 25, 2001

Genetic Engineering

Engineered golf-course grass escapes into the wild--Aug. 2006
The latest news on GM Food --updated frequently (2004)
Genetically engineered "glo-fish" to be marketed -- Jan. 2004
Scientists propose to create a wholy new microbial lifeform --Nov. 2002
North Dakota to ban genetically engineered crops; Mar. 24, 2001; Proposal however may be doomed ; Mar. 31, 2001
Patent lawsuit over a small yellow bean; Mar. 20, 2001
Veggie dogs found to contain unapproved GM corn; Mar. 9
Europe approves regulations for genetically modified food; Feb. 15, 2001
Critics of Biotechnology called Imperialists.; Feb. 4, 2001
Biotechnology Food: From the Lab to a Debacle.; Jan. 25, 2001
F.D.A. Plans New Scrutiny in Areas of Biotechnology.; Jan. 18, 2001
U.S. Hopes to Stem Rush Toward Patenting of Genes.; June 28, 2000

ISSUE 1. Can the issues of stem cell research be separated from the question of whether or not a fetus is human?For example, even if you are opposed to abortion at any stage, could you condone fetal/embryonic stem-cell research because fetal/embryonic cells are going to be available anyway?
ISSUE 2A: Should research subjects in poor countries (e.g., for HIV studies) be provided the best possible medical care by (expensive) Western standards, not by local standards? Vote YES; NO; or DEPENDS (please comment) ISSUE 2B: Should research data obtained unethically by the Nazi medical experiments (including tortuous treatment) be used to help people and/or science today? Vote YES; NO; or DEPENDS (please comment)
Comments:
RETURN TO CONTENTS or Top of Page

ISSUE: In the attempt by infertile couples to produce a child (Vote for one) : A. Only parental autonomy should matter (i.e., anything with informed consent is allowed) B. Only parental autonomy should matter (with informed consent), EXCEPT cloning (which violates a critical natural boundary) C. Parental autonomy should matter, but should be limited in cases where harm to potential offspring are significantly higher than with natural reproduction. D. Most IVF and related techniques should be banned, as they cheapen society's regard for individuals. E. Other (please comment)
Comments:
RETURN TO CONTENTS or Top of Page


RETURN TO CONTENTS or Top of Page

BIOETHICS SEMINAR, Fall 2006

Sites with general information and news on bioethics:

ISSUE : On the issue of Genetically Modified Products, do you favor: A: Required labeling of GM contents or origins B: No labeling requirement C: Unsure
ISSUE . Regarding health care in the US, do you favor: A: A National Health system similar to that in other western countries; B: All health care in private managed systems, but available to all; C: Keeping the current system; D: All health care based purely on fee for service