About the Department of Bioethics and Humanities

Welcome to the Department of Bioethics and Humanities. The primary strength of the department is its rich, talented, interdisciplinary nature, which is a function of the faculty.  Capitalizing on this strength and expanding the visibility of the department has emerged as a key goal for us. 

The Department provides academic education and professional training in bioethics and humanities through an MA in Bioethics; an undergraduate Minor in Bioethics and Humanities; curricula in clinical ethics and professionalism for medical students, residents, and fellows; and sponsored continuing education activities for practicing health care professionals.

Published in the December 2011 American Journal of Medical Genetics, Adjunct Faculty member Holly Tabor, PhD and colleagues discuss how they say "exome and whole-genome sequencing challenge the ethical framework of human genetics research," provide "broad guidance about interim ways to contend with these issues, and make broad recommendations for areas for novel resource and policy development."

Congratulations to our faculty members Kelly Edwards and Rose James who were honored as "innovators" at Genetic Alliance's "25 Years of Innovation" celebration.

The Celebration featured a museum-quality exhibit that highlighted innovators from the genetics, health, and advocacy community. “Innovator” includes founders of advocacy organizations, board, staff, members, volunteers, researchers, policymakers, and others who have transformed their communities.

Dr. Tom McCormick recently held his 7th consecutive "Short Course in Bioethics" for the Japanese delegation of medical students from Hyogo College of Medicine in Tokyo. This week-long intensive introduction to bioethics was hosted by Professor Furuyama of Hyogo and had many faculty participants from the UW, SCCA, Northwest Hospital, and the NW Kidney Center.

Faculty

The department warmly welcomes our new Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dr. David A. Harrison. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and collaborates with our department in teaching and research activities.

Congratulations to Dr. Stephanie Malia Fullerton on her promotion to Associate Professor in the Department of Bioethics & Humanities! She holds adjunct positions in the Departments of Genome Sciences and Epidemiology, is a co-investigator of the UW Center for Genomics and Healthcare Equality, and serves as a member of the Regulatory Support and Bioethics Core of the UW Institute of Translational Health Sciences.

The department welcomes our new Affiliate Professor, Dr. Nancy A. Press. She is a Professor in the School of Nursing and the Department of Public Health & Preventive Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University.  She is also an active co-investigator in the University of Washington's Center for Genetics and Healthcare Equality.

Biomedical Research Integrity Program

We would like to acknowledge our 2011 BRI Discussion Group Leaders.  These wonderful folks volunteered their time to lead the 78 UW BRI discussion groups this summer and we are so grateful.  We truly could not offer this program without their support.

Kristie Bjornson, Karin Bornfeldt, Donald Chi, David Dichek, Denise Dudzinski, Laura Evans, Gino Gianola, Ted Gross, Jen Guon, Rose James, Nancy Jecker, Grace John-Stewart, David Kimelman, Michael Laflamme, Carol Landis, Shelia Lukehart, Dustin Maly, Pamela Mitchell, Ray Monnat, Neil Nathanson, Maureen Neitz, Sid Nelson, Paul Nghiem, David Raible, Jane Simoni, Sherilyn Smith, Helene Starks, Alyssa Taylor, Wendy Thomas, Sue Trinidad, Wesley Van Voorhis, Thomas Vaughan, Anna Wald, Edward Weaver, Lynne Werner, Benjamin Wilfond, Joe Zunt

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Archived News

Bioethics listserv

Are you interested in receiving information about bioethics events, lectures, discussions, and news of interest? Click here to subscribe to our bioethics listserv.

Bioethics Grand Rounds

We invite you to join us for Bioethics Grand Rounds, co-sponsored by the Department of Bioethics & Humanities and the Ethics Advisory Committee at the University of Washington Medical Center.

"Donation after Cardiac Death – Shades of Grey"

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
4 – 5 p.m.
Health Sciences Building,  T-747
Reception to follow

Map of UW Health Sciences

Our guest speaker is Dr. Michael Souter, Chief of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine at Harborview Medical Center.

This talk will explore the continuing development of Organ Donation after Cardiac Death as a strategy for addressing the ongoing problem of patients dying while awaiting vital organ transplant. Key background and procedural points will provide a framework for discussing ethical questions – including the environment of managing death, the timing of declaration of death, pre-mortem interventions, and issues surrounding consent.

Michael J. Souter, M.B.Ch.B, is chief of anesthesiology at Harborview Medical Center, a UW professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine, and an adjunct professor of neurological surgery. He is Medical Director of LifeCenter NorthWest and Medical Advisor for the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations. His research interests include Neuroanesthesia with neurophysiology and monitoring; critical care of subarachnoid hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury; information technology in anesthesia and medicine; monitoring technology in anesthesia and critical care medicine; and management of organ donors.

Group Health and Virginia Mason are co-sponsoring the
3rd Annual Ethics Symposium " Taking Your Pulse: Coping with Moral Distress in Clinical Practice" Save by registering early.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012
8:30 am—12:00 noon
Virginia Mason Medical Center-Volney Richmond Auditorium

Featuring Guest Speakers:

Denise Dudzinski, Ph.D., M.T.S.
Associate Professor, University of Washington
Department of Bioethics & Humanities

Nancy Stevens, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor of Family Medicine, University of Washington
Director, WWAMI Family Medicine Residency Network

Recent Faculty Publications

Hot off the press by Wylie Burke, Kelly A. Edwards, Sara Goering, Suzanne Holland and Susan Brown Trinidad!

Achieving Justice in Genomic Translation:
Re-Thinking the Pathway to Benefit

This book explores implicit choices made by researchers, policy makers, and funders regarding who benefits from society's investment in health research. The authors focused specifically on genetic research and examine whether such research tends to reduce or exacerbate existing health disparities. Using case examples to illustrate the issues, the authors trace the path of genetics research from discovery, through development and delivery, to health outcomes. Topics include breast cancer screening and treatment, autism research, pharmacogenetics, prenatal testing, newborn screening, and youth suicide prevention. Each chapter emphasizes the societal context of genetic research and illustrates how science might change if attention were paid to the needs of marginalized populations.

"The Disclosure Dilemma — Large-Scale Adverse Events" was published this month in The New England Journal of Medicine. The paper was a joint effort from University of Washington faculty Denise M. Dudzinski, PhD, Mary Beth Foglia, RN, PhD, and Thomas H. Gallagher, MD, and Philip C. Hébert, MD, PhD from the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto.

Resources

Have you seen the online American Medical Association's Journal of Ethics? It is a great resource for ethical issues, case studies, ethics polls, and podcasts.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has launched a project titled Global Ethics Observatory. It is a world-wide network of databases in bioethics and in other areas of applied ethics including lists of experts in the field of ethics, ethics institutions, ethics teaching programs, and a database of legislation, guidelines and regulations relating to ethics.

Open Spaces: Views from the Northwest is a quarterly magazine for voices from the Northwest that speak with knowledge and insight to issues affecting people in every region. It is created in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Open Spaces offers perceptive articles as well as thought provoking stories, essays and poetry on many subjects including medicine, politics, publishing, culture, law, science, music, business, art, education, health, sleep, food, travel and gardening.

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"

Dr. Kelly Edwards, Dr. Malia Fullerton, and Sue Trinidad have developed a discussion guide for use with Rebecca Skloot's book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks". Click here to download the guide.