Background: In 2015, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established a policy on sex as a biological variable (SABV) in an effort to address the overrepresentation of men and male animals in biomedical research and the lack of attention to sex-based responses to medical treatments. However, questions remain regarding how U.S. biomedical researchers perceive the … Read more

Dr. Victor McKusick was a founding member of the joint NIH-DOE working group that designed the federal effort to address the ethical, legal, and social implications of the US Human Genome Project in 1989. A key feature of this effort was its commitment to anticipating genomics-driven questions before they became urgent practical dilemmas, by complementing … Read more

Abstract Dr. Victor McKusick was a founding member of the joint NIH-DOE working group that designed the federal effort to address the ethical, legal, and social implications of the US Human Genome Project in 1989. A key feature of this effort was its commitment to anticipating genomics-driven questions before they became urgent practical dilemmas, by … Read more

BACKGROUND: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis allows rapid, accurate inferences about the sources, location and timing of transmission. However, in an era of heightened concern for personal privacy and science distrust, such inferences could result in unintended harm and undermine the public´s trust. METHODS: We held interdisciplinary stakeholder discussions and performed ethical analyses of … Read more

Buy Book How the legalization of assisted dying is changing our lives. Over the past five years, medical aid-in-dying (also known as assisted suicide) has expanded rapidly in the United States and is now legally available to one in five Americans. This growing social and political movement heralds the possibility of a new era of … Read more

Ongoing global efforts to circumcise adolescent and adult males to reduce their risk of acquiring HIV constitute the largest public health prevention initiative, using surgical means, in human history. Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) programs in Africa have significantly altered social norms related to male circumcision among previously non-circumcising groups and groups that have practiced … Read more

Hutton Ethics Lecture, RESEARCH + INNOVATION WEEK / 21, University of Cincinnati Presentation link

Objective: Despite increasing representation of older women in US jail and prison facilities, their menopause experiences and access to related care remain uncharacterized. Our objective is to explore the menopause experiences of women incarcerated in jail and prison facilities. Methods: We conducted a pilot study of four semi-structured in-depth interviews with women in the community … Read more

Objective The implementation of medical aid-in-dying (MAID) poses new challenges for clinical communication and counseling. Among these, health care providers must consider whether to initiate a discussion of MAID with eligible patients who do not directly ask about it. Norms and policies concerning this issue vary tremendously across jurisdictions where MAID is legally authorized, reflecting … Read more