Here’s this week’s Yale Friday Newsletter, as always, slightly edited for our readers. Enjoy!
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Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics Director Steve Latham posts a reminder about the Yale Animal Welfare Alliance hosting the Ivy League Vegan Conference on the weekend of February 15-17. Speakers will include Wayne Pacelle ’87, president of the Humane Society of the United States; Dr. Milton Mills, director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; and an impressive line-up of academics. And Associate Director Carol Pollard passes along a message about an upcoming edition of Virtual Mentor focused on ethical issues in cancer screening and diagnosis. They are looking for potential authors on topics such as: end-of-life care, off-label drug use, diagnosis disclosure to children, patient refusal of screening, cancer drug shortages, whole genome sequencing, Affordable Care Act basic package screening, and graphic cigarette warning labels. If you are interested, please email mark.mercurio@yale.edu or contact the theme editor directly (dhruv.khullar@yale.edu). |
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This Week on Campus Tuesday, January 22 ISPS Public Policy Panel Discussion Antisemitism Lecture Wednesday, January 23 Yale/CURE BioHaven Enterpreneurship Lecture Thursday, January 24 Humanities in Medicine Howard Spiro Panel Discussion Friday, January 25 Zigler Center Lecture
Off Campus Events & Conferences The YCEI Climate System and Human Health Initiative Presents a Forum on: The Yale Climate & Energy Institute’s Climate System and Human Health Initiative recognizes the need for sound science in evaluating the potential impacts of climate change upon infectious diseases of humans. This forum will facilitate a cross disciplinary dialogue to determine what is needed to more effectively integrate climate science and infectious disease research. Presentations will address the impacts of temperature and hydrological changes on human health and vector borne diseases.
Next month, Yale — and specifically the Yale Animal Welfare Alliance — will be hosting the annual Ivy League Vegan Conference. It lasts a whole weekend, features many exciting speakers, and is open free of charge to all. Animal advocates from all eight Ivy League schools will descend on Yale to explore the academic basis for plant-based diets and hear talks and panels by distinguished guests, including Wayne Pacelle ’87, President of the Humane Society of the United States; Dr. Milton Mills, Director of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; Yale Philosophy Professor Shelly Kagan; and dozens more. While the focus will be on diets free of animal products, any member of the Yale or New Haven community is welcome, whether or not you’re a veg(etari)an. Get more info here. Sign up to attend here.
The Donaghue Foundation’s Beyond Eureka! 2013 conference will explore the role of science in our society today by highlighting some of the key issues and trends shaping the way that science is carried out and what this means for the future. Our keynote speakers will offer a historical perspective on modern science; talk about internal and external pressures on the conduct of science, discuss how the public views science and scientists and why science literacy and citizen involvement in the conduct of science are so important in our world today. The panel and audience discussion that follows will explore ways we can all engage in answering the question: How is science serving us? Who should attend: Anyone interested in understanding the historical, economic and political drivers to the practice and business of science today; public policy makers, business leaders and educators who view STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) literacy as a global competitive imperative; and anyone who wants to learn about the opportunities to experience the satisfactions that participating in scientific inquiry and discovery can bring. CME, CEU and CEC credits for physicians, nurses and social workers will be offered at this conference. For more information click here.
Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Twenty-second Annual Meeting This is a reminder that the deadline for On-Time Registration for the Annual Meeting is fast approaching! The deadline is Friday, January 18, 2013. You can access the online Registration portal here. The deadline for Hotel Reservations at the Group rate is February 3, 2013. You can access the hotel reservation page for our group through our website at: https://appeonline.com/22nd-annual-meeting/
Grants, Fellowships, & Jobs NIEHS seeks research proposals on toxic exposures impacts from Sandy impacted communities. https://1.usa.gov/WduwCI The purpose of this Notice is to inform the extramural community that NIEHS is accepting time-sensitive research applications related to potential exposures and health outcomes as a result of Superstorm Sandy. Applications should be submitted to the NIEHS PAR-10-084 “Mechanism for Time-Sensitive Research Opportunities in Environmental Health Sciences (R21)”. Time-sensitive applications focusing on Superstorm Sandy will only be accepted up to the February 20, 2013 due date. The unprecedented and widespread damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in the northeastern states is significant. The potential for exposures to biological and chemical hazards and its effects on physical and mental health for responders and residents could be substantial. Applications are being sought that focus on novel questions of public health importance that will provide new insights into exposures and/or potential health effects as an aftermath to Superstorm Sandy. Applications focusing on environmental exposure assessment necessary to understand short and/or long term health effects as well as human health studies are appropriate. It is expected that the research conducted will provide information necessary for the rapid translation of the science to protect the health and safety of affected communities.
The Division of Medical Humanities in the College of Medicine at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS—the state’s only health sciences institution with a medical school) seeks to appoint a tenure-track faculty member at the level of assistant professor to focus on ethical issues in research. Along with education and consultation in research ethics and participation on the university’s IRBs, the Division provides support for the UAMS CTSA and participates in national research collaborations as well. While applicants must have particular interests and experience in research ethics, more broadly, they should be familiar with all aspects of bioethics and be prepared to teach medical students, residents, faculty, and others in various areas of medical ethics and humanities. Further, applicants must have a terminal degree in a humanities discipline, law, medicine, nursing, or other health profession. Salary will be commensurate with rank and experience and will be in line with the AAMC’s figures for PhDs in bioethics. Established in 1982, the Division of Medical Humanities (www.uams.edu/humanities/) provides ethics education, consultation and other support throughout the institution and its affiliated partners—Central Arkansas VA and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The Division is particularly proud of its many offerings by nationally recognized faculty in a broad range of medical humanities, including literature, history, anthropology, and law. Review of applications will begin in February 2013 and continue until the position is filled. The intended start date is July 1, 2013. To apply, an applicant should send a cover letter, CV, three letters of recommendations, and a sample of scholarship to: UAMS is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Calls for Papers & Nominations Beastly Morality: Emerging scholarship in ethology, neuroscience, philosophy, religion, law and other disciplines contends that humans are not the only creatures who evaluate their behaviors against standards of right and wrong, good and bad: other animals also have been shown to judge actions and adjust their behaviors accordingly. What are the scientific, moral, philosophical and political implications of these findings? How might these lines of investigation influence our understanding of evolution and morality? Should species, or individuals within certain species, who display such a sense of morality be given greater moral consideration or status than those who do not? Why or why not? In which ways are the notions of humanity and animality challenged by these recent claims? This workshop welcomes presentations wrestling with beastly morality from any discipline. Projects may be at any stage of development. Indeed, incipient ones may benefit from receiving constructive feedback. Presentations will be kept to 30 minutes, allowing ample time for group conversation. Please submit an abstract (~500 words) to Jonathan Crane (jonathan.k.crane@emory.edu) no later than Friday, February 1st, 2013. Notification of decisions will be made by Friday, February 15th. The workshop will be held at the Emory University’s Center for Ethics, 1531 Dickey Drive, on April 5 from 9 AM to 3 PM (or later). Lunch will be served. Note: Frans B. M. de Waal, PhD, world-renowned ethologist, will share some critical reflections emerging from his most recent work, The Bonobo and the Atheist: In search of humanism among the primates (WW Norton & Company, 2013).
Join us as the Connecticut Stem Cell research community hosts StemCONN 2013, a symposium focused on cutting-edge stem cell research in Connecticut and beyond. This conference features international leaders in stem cell research and biotechnology and provides a forum for education, exploration, and discussion of stem cells and their clinical applications, now and in the future. Check out the complete program! Conference Date: April 3, 2013, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Conference Location: The Omni Hotel, New Haven, CT Poster Session: Call for Abstracts. Abstract submission deadline is January 20, 2013. Registration now open!
The Eleventh Annual Medical Humanities Consortium (MHC) meeting will be held at Drew University, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ, 07940, on Wednesday evening May 22 through Thursday afternoon, May 23, 2013. To explore this year’s theme, Medical Humanities in Clinical Practice, we are seeking abstracts of papers as well as proposals for panels, posters, workshops, readings, and performances that examine topics relevant to medicine and healthcare. We will give preference to abstracts that contemplate how medical humanities currently contributes to and enhances clinical practice, as well as those that explore the potential roles of medical humanities in the future. The approach should represent the orientation of at least one of the medical humanities (e.g. history, literature, art, bioethics, philosophy, religious studies/spirituality, sociology, psychology, and anthropology). All presenters must be registered conference participants. We particularly welcome submissions from students at all levels and from all relevant disciplines. Presentations should be 10-15 minutes and prompt discussion. Panels and performances may span 60-75 minutes. Possible topics include but are not limited to the following: Implementing medical humanities into undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and beyond; Representations of health and illness in literature, art, photography, film, music, dance, or mass media; Various perspectives of medical humanities- patients, trainees, practitioners, healthcare team members, the public, etc.; Evolving relationships between members of the healthcare team; Shifting paradigms in the provision of primary care; “Disability” and disabilities studies in historical context; Gender issues in medicine and healthcare; Evolving perceptions of aging and death; The implications of healthcare reform on access to care. Proposals should be of interest to a general audience (e.g. healthcare professionals, humanities scholars, hospital chaplains, laypersons, students), and serve as a departure point for lively discussion. We welcome interdisciplinary work as well as that of single disciplines. For more information or to submit a proposal, click here. Additional information regarding the meeting will be forthcoming. For general inquiries about submissions or the meeting itself, or to be added to our mailing list, please contact Phyllis DeJesse at pdejesse@drew.edu.
Other Items of Interest Can democracy in crisis deal with the climate crisis? From the Center for Humans and Nature, “In the wake of superstorm Sandy and an election process that all but ignored climate change, HumansandNature.org looks ahead. As Obama begins his second term, our Scholars and Contributors initiate a critical discussion, reflecting on if—and how—the “last, best hope on earth” can tackle one of the most significant challenges the world faces. We invite you to join the conversation and share your thoughts on how we can reshape the democratic process and meet the climate crisis. We are thrilled to have Center Senior Scholars Ben Barber and Carol Gould take the lead on this series. Click here to read their essays. Four other Contributors are also kicking off the conversation: Bill McKibben: Currencies of Movement Are the Key; Robyn Eckersley: The Tyranny of the Minority; Tim Hayward: Why Taking the Climate Challenge Seriously Means Taking Democracy More Seriously; John Dryzek: Deliberative Democracy and Climate Change. We encourage you to think here with us, weigh in with your thoughts, and stay tuned as more Contributors join the conversation in the coming weeks.
There is a new online service coming out of Johns Hopkins that assists clinical ethics consultants in documenting and managing bioethics consults. “We have drawn upon emerging best practices from across the community to build a system that best meets the needs of ethics consultants and helps to improve staff productivity, team communications, consult consistency and quality of patient care. This HIPAA-compliant, on-demand service is easily accessible to ethics consultants worldwide through the use of a standard web browser for a moderate recurring subscription fee. Institutions are already using this new service. We invite you to visit us at www.bioethx.net to explore the many reasons they have signed on to utilize its exciting new capabilities. Be sure to register while you’re there and let us know how we might be of service to you. Please feel free to share this message with colleagues who you think might have an interest in our new service.
Articles of Interest
In the News
Featured Article Marcus, Amy Dockser. A Little Digging Unmasks DNA Donor Names. Wall Street Journal. 17 January 2013. Abortion Wisniewski, Mary. As “Roe v. Wade” Turns 40, Most Oppose Reversal of Abortion Ruling. Reuters. 17 January, 2013. Disability Pilon, Mary. Forging Path to Starting Line for Younger Disabled Athletes. New York Times. 15 January 2013. Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Study Questions Generic HIV Drug Use. BBC News. 16 January 2013. Rovner, Julie. Post-Election, ‘Morning After’ Pill Advocates Want Age Rules Revisited. NPR. 7 December 2012. Environment On Louisiana Range, the Giraffe and Antelope Will Play. New York Times. 14 January 2013. Law and Bioethics Schultz, David. It’s Legal For Some Insurers To Discriminate Based On Genes. NPR. 17 January 2013. Medical Ethics Lauerman, John. DNA in Mother’s Blood Can Spot Genetic Mutations in Fetus. Bloomberg. 10 January 2013. Harmon, Katherine. Coughs Fool Patients into Unnecessary Requests for Antibiotics. Scientific American. 16 January 2013. Reuters. When hospitals make mistakes with medications, they rarely tell the patient. Washington Post. 14 January 2013. Research Ethics Experts Aim to Redefine Healthcare and Research Ethics. Science Daily. 11 January 2013.
In the Journals Haimes, Erica. Eggs, ethics and exploitation? Investigating women’s experiences of an egg sharing scheme. Sociology of Health & Illness. November 2012. Iacono, T. The human rights context for ethical requirements for involving people with intellectual disability in medical research. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. November 2012. Low, Wah-Yun, Public Health Laws and Ethics. Asian-Pacific Journal of Public Health. September 2012. Tonti-Filippini. Religious and secular death: a parting of the ways. Bioethics. October 2012. Routledge is pleased to make the following article from The Journal of Legal Medicine Free Access until February 28th 2013: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A 50-State Survey Exploring Federal and State Firearm Regulations Related to Mental Health
Opinion Ars Technica Timmer, John. Melanoma misdiagnosis. January 17, 2013.Most of the controversy that has erupted over smartphone apps has focused on things like the sharing of personal information and the presence of malware. But the wild-west craziness of the app world apparently extends to the medical arena, where the Food and Drug Administration is still pondering if and how to regulate smartphone software that interacts with medical devices. The FCC has been forced to act, fining app makers who claimed that their software could treat acne simply by turning the smartphone screen a specific color. Continue reading… Boston Globe Editorial. Mass. Should give registry data for mental-health gun checks. January 13, 2013. Los Angeles Times Editorial. A crucial time for Medi-Cal. January 17, 2013. Editorial. Food safety and the FDA. January 14, 2013. Editorial. The sorry state of Americans’ health. January 12, 2013. National Review Smith, Wesley. Human exceptionalism. January 17, 2013. Washington Post Editorial. A bad flu season. January 13, 2013. Editorial. Chinese media opens up about Beijing smog. January 16, 2013. |
