Nearly 110 participants from 10 states braved the elements to attend the first-of-its-kind conference Empirical Bioethics:  Emerging Trends for the 21st Century, Feb. 21-22 at UC's Kingsgate Conference Center.  Empirical bioethics involves the measurement and evaluation of ethical principles. Speakers included internationally recognized experts in the application of bioethics to clinical research and medicine. Scheduled sessions generated a lively interchange between the audience and presenters, which carried over into the first day's reception and networking lunch the following day.

The complete conference agenda is available here.  Slides of the keynote and featured speakers are linked from their presentation titles below.

• Keynote speaker Daniel Sulmasy, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and associate director of the MacLean Center for Medical Ethics, University of Chicago, discussed Ethics and Evidence: What Data Can and Cannot Do for Bioethics.
   
• Peter Ubel, MD, professor in the Fuqua School of Business and Sanford School of Public Policy of Duke University, presented What Behavioral Science Has Taught Me About Clinical Ethics.
   
•  Rebecca Pentz, PhD, professor of research ethics with the Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, discussed Ethics Companion Studies: Strategies, Successes and Setbacks.
   
• Victoria Miller, PhD, assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, University of Pennsylvania and associate editor of American Journal of Bioethics (AJOB) Primary Research discussed Publishing in Empirical Bioethics:  Challenges and Opportunities.
   

Slides from 5 additional presentations on the interface between clinical care and research; issues related to informed consent; and advances in community consultation are posted here. 

The event was sponsored by the CCTST and CCHMC Ethics Center.  For more information see the program brochure, or contact Bettie Durant.
 

• UC HealthNews story about the conference

Conference Photos