Ethical Issues in Global Health Research
June 8-12, 2009
Boston, Massachusetts

Course Director:

Richard A. Cash, MD, MPH

**Click here to register for this course.**

Overview:

As more research is conducted in developing countries, ethical issues that reflect differences in cultures, politics, wealth, standards of care, individual and group rights, and priorities are surfacing with increasing frequency.  The present ethical codes are not always sufficient for the broad new set of problems faced by funders of international health research, members of Ethical Review Boards, government agencies in the various nations, and researchers themselves.

Why You Should Attend:

To address current issues, anticipate potential future problems, and facilitate productive communication, this interactive program draws on the combined talents of leaders in the field.  Participants from both developing and industrialized countries have an opportunity to compare experiences, receive expert advice, and voice their concerns in five days of lectures, case studies, and panel discussions.  Recognizing that current guidelines are both subject to interpretation and likely to create conflict, the program encourages candid comments, questions, and open critique of available materials.

Who Should Attend:

Ethical Issues in Global Health Research is intended for individuals involved in all areas of international or global health research, including medicine, anthropology, epidemiology, education, journalism, political science and law; government, foundations, and industry officials with funding responsibilities; and members of institutional and governmental review boards.

Key Topics:

• Ethical Guidelines for Research Involving Human Subjects
• Proposed Changes to International Guidelines
• Cultural Absolutism vs. Cultural Relativism
• Individual and Group Rights
• Ethical Review Boards/Institutional Review Boards
• Informed Consent
• Confidentiality
• Conflict of Interest and Scientific Misconduct
• Standards of Care
• Responsibilities of Researchers to the Community
• Issues in Genetic Research
• Research in Refugee Populations

For an example of the cases offered, please click here.

Past Faculty Have Included:

Richard A. Cash, MD, MPH, Director, Program on Ethical Issues in International Health Research; Lecturer, Harvard School of Public Health

Allan Brandt, MD, Amalie Moses Kass Professor of the History of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Professor, Department of the History of Science at Harvard University; Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University

Ezekiel Emanuel, Chief, Department of Clinical Bioethics, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health

Holly Gieszel, Esq., Health Care Attorney, Kimerer and LaValle

Jennifer Leaning, MD, SMH, Professor of International Health, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health; Director, Program on Humanitarian Crises and Human Rights, Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights; Director, Human Security Program, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies

Adetokunbo Lucas, Former Director, Special Programme on Tropical Disease Research, World Health Organization; Adjunct Professor of International Health, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health

Patricia Marshall, Associate Director and Associate Professor, Medical Humanities Program, Loyola University of Chicago

Scholarship Assistance:

The Program on Ethical Issues in Global Health Research may be able to obtain partial tuition assistance for individuals who would not be able to attend without outside support, but making all arrangements for covering costs is the responsibility of each applicant.  Please refer to the 3-page application form for further information.

This course is conducted in collaboration with the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard School of Public Health.