Category Archives: Biomedical research ethics

Opinion: Bias Is Unavoidable:Opinion: Bias Is Unavoidable.

It is part of the human condition to have implicit biases—and remain blissfully ignorant of them. Academic researchers, scientists, and clinicians are no exception; they are as marvelously flawed as everyone else. But it is not the cognitive bias that’s … Continue reading

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Cancer trial participants may have misconceptions

People enrolled in early stage trials for possible cancer treatments may underestimate the risks involved and overestimate the potential benefits, suggests a new study. more

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Guatemala victims of US syphilis study still haunted by the ‘devil’s experiment’

Survivors tell of damaged lives after being deliberately infected in secret 1940s experiment on 1,500 men, women and children. more

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Call to create ‘one-stop shop’ for health research

A new body to regulate all health research in the UK should be established, according to a report by the Academy of Medical Sciences. The proposed Health Research Agency would be the only place giving ethical approval. more

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Cable: Pfizer hired investigators to press Nigeria to drop suit

Researchers did not obtain signed consent forms, and medical personnel said Pfizer did not tell parents their children were getting an experimental drug. Pfizer’s lead investigator later acknowledged that he  personally created and backdated a key ethics approval document. more

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Wellesley professor unearths a horror: Syphilis experiments in Guatemala

Picking through musty files in a Pennsylvania archive, a Wellesley College professor made a heart-stopping discovery: US government scientists in the 1940s deliberately infected hundreds of Guatemalans with syphilis and gonorrhea in experiments conducted without the subjects’ permission. more

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Firms point to biometric future

Keys, cards, passports and PINs could soon be a thing of the past as biometric technology makes our bodies the only passwords we need. more

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What if Bionics Were Better

“If one day a bionic hand outperformed a biological hand just on sheer practical performance — like dexterity, strength and speed — I’d probably consider replacing my biological hand,” said Kyle Peterson, a 21-year-old information science major at the University … Continue reading

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Debate rages over animal-human chimeras

Should medical researchers be allowed to create human-animal hybrids to investigate disease? No, says an ethics think tank that advises the Scottish Parliament. Yes, says Ian Wilmut of the University of Edinburgh, creator of Dolly the cloned sheep. more

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Transhumanism: Yearning to transcend biology

With everything else that’s happening in the world today, debates about whether humanity should embrace as yet nonexistent technologies that could enhance our physical and intellectual abilities and someday make us “more than human” may seem frivolous. more

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