The CCTST Ethics, Regulatory Knowledge, & Support Core is hosting a panel discussion titled, “Artificial Intelligence - Perils & Promises”, on Monday, October 31st from 11:30AM-12:30PM via Zoom.

The transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on our society will have far-reaching implications in all aspects of our lives, be it in medicine or education. As with the promises of AI, we should be aware of its perils too. The panel will broadly discuss the ever-increasing role of AI in society. The main focus of the panel will be on how AI reinforces structural bias and the numerous ways in which it impacts everyday people. Attendees do not need a background in AI, but rather an interest in the topic.

Zoom registration can be found here.

CCTST Co-Director, Dr. Jareen Meinzen-Derr, will facilitate the panel. Event panelists include:

Annu Prabhakar, PhD, MS is a Professor in the School of Information Technology in CECH. Her primary research areas are Human-Computer Interaction, Health Informatics, and Science & Technology Studies. Her research focuses on designing interactive technologies for wellness and education. In addition, she investigates the effects of technology on society. She is the founding faculty adviser of the Women in Technology organization at UC. She is a strong advocate for Equity and Inclusion, and currently, she co-chairs Faculty Senate ad-hoc committee on Race and Equity. She is a recipient of UC's George Barbour Award for Excellence in Student-Faculty Relations. Dr. Prabhakar received her PhD in Informatics from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.

Josette Riep, MS is the Executive Director of Software Development in Digital Technology Solutions. She holds a master’s degree in information technology and is currently pursuing a PhD in IT. Josette has worked in the field of Software Development for over 20 years and her current responsibilities include: leadership over custom development initiatives spanning education, research, patient care and administration as well as Equity and Inclusion sponsorship activities with an emphasis on increasing STEM representation for African Americans and other underrepresented groups. Through participation in UC’s Diversity initiatives, Josette continues to pursue opportunities and technologies that ensure UC creates an environment that does not tolerate but embraces our differences, and thus empowers individuals and organizations to excel.

In collaboration with Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library and the Cincinnati Ethics Center, the CCTST will be co-hosting The Ethics of Genetics Expert Panel on September 13, 2022 at 7PM at the Deer Park Branch Library. 

In anticipation of author Walter Isaacson's visit as the Mary S. Stern Lecturer, a panel of experts on Genetics will be discussing the ethics behind gene editing, a topic that will be brought to life during Mr. Isaacson's lecture as he goes into detail on his latest book 'The Code Breaker', which discusses Jennifer Doudna's work launching CRISPR.

This panel discussion will be moderated by Andy Cullison, Executive Director of the newly founded Cincinnati Ethics Center housed at UC. The experts include, Dr. Anil Manon (Director of UC's Biomedical Sciences Program), Dr. Daniel Gurnon (Rare Genomics Expert & Professor of Biochemistry - DePauw), Dr. Michelle McGowan (Research Professor, Ethics Center - Cincinnati Children's). More information can be found here.

The CCTST Ethics, Regulatory Knowledge, & Support core, along with the University of Cincinnati Human Research Protection Program, are hosting a panel discussion on the diverse perspectives in community-engaged research. The virtual event is on Wednesday, August 31st from 11:30am-1pm. Zoom link can be found here.

The panel will discuss community-engaged research strategies and experiences toward a deeper understanding of common challenges and tips for achieving successful partnerships and research outcomes.

Panelists include:

Dr. Rebecca C. Lee is an Associate Professor of Nursing in the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing and is a skilled qualitative, mixed methods, and quality improvement researcher who conducts research informed by community-engagement. She holds advanced certification in Community/Public Health Nursing as well as Advanced Transcultural Nursing. She was inducted as a Transcultural Scholar by the Transcultural Nursing Society. She is also a member of the Center for Improvement Science (CIS), the UC IRB as well as the Ethics Center Steering Committee.

Kareemah Mills is the Associate Director of the Human Research Protection Program at the University of Cincinnati. She specializes in the regulatory requirements for initiating and maintaining reliance agreements on multisite studies utilizing a single IRB. She assisted with the formation of the National Institutes of Health StrokeNet Central IRB. Kareemah has also led in establishing the University of Cincinnati IRB as the single IRB of record for many other federally funded clinical trials and collaborative research studies through training and partnerships with research teams and organizations to reduce administrative burden and enhance quality oversight.

Michelle Merrett is a community advocate and prisoner representative on the University of Cincinnati IRB. She serves as chair of a nonprofit organization that operates a community garden helping low-income residents grow their own food and practice healthier eating habits. She holds degrees in Criminal Justice and Human Resources and has over 30 years of state and federal service in the criminal justice system including her role as a U.S. federal probation officer. Michelle has created community partnerships with children’s programs and community resource agencies.

Stephanie Schuckman is a Program Manager and Team Science Faculty at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Center for Clinical & Translational Science & Training (CCTST). She divides her effort between the Center for Improvement Science (CIS) and Translational Workforce Development (TWD) cores, facilitating Team Science workshops, DEI educational seminars and career pathways in clinical research. Stephanie began her career as a financial broker and adjunct professor at Fidelity Investments and Xavier University. She earned her MA in Educational Studies, concentrating in Community-Engaged Research in 2019 and most recently certified in Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment and as a Life Coach (CLC).

This year’s Bioethics, Citizen Science and Human Subject Protection Conference was an entirely virtual conference held from September 8 - 10, 2021.  The conference was a tremendous success, with 475 registrants from 29 U.S. states, and 4 countries (Belgium, Canada, Saudi Arabia, United States). The keynote speaker was Dr. Ross McKinney, Bioethicist and Chief Scientific Officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges, who spoke on “Trust, Privacy, and Your Next-Door Neighbor the Citizen Scientist.” The conference focused on ethical, regulatory, and human subjects protections issues present in the evolving field of citizen science.  This year’s conference was particularly special because it was dedicated to the late Dr. Jim Heubi who, through his CCTST leadership, served as an ardent supporter of our Bioethics conference on our campus since its inception in 2008.