Hastings Center News

2025 Highlights

It has been a year of meeting the moment–responding to the ethical issues of today–and anticipating those that are around the corner. We are grateful to our readers and supporters who make our work possible.

Here are some of the highlights of 2025 and a message from President Vardit Ravitsky.

Five-Year Strategic Plan We launched our five-year strategic plan, which underscores our commitment to cutting-edge research and engagement on topics such as biotechnologies, health AI, and trust in science, at a public event that discussed the crisis of trust in science. Hastings Center Unveils Strategic Plan: 2025-2029 – The Hastings Center for Bioethics

AI, Health, and Policy Vardit Ravitsky was a member of the National Academy of Medicine steering committee that developed a code of conduct for AI in health. We developed resources for policymakers and industry leaders on considering ethical principles in health AI. We partnered with Cedars-Sinai on a conference on AI in healthcare that addressed ethical, societal, and legal issues. Ethics of AI in Health and Biomedical Research – The Hastings Center for Bioethics

Pathway Programs We expanded our successful educational programs that create pathways into the field of bioethics for emerging scholars. We added the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Bioethics Mentorship Program for early-career bioethics researchers in low- and middle-income regions. It joins our programs for doctoral students and undergraduates. Hastings Pathway Programs – The Hastings Center for Bioethics

Public Discourse We collaborated with the Museum of Science in Boston on the popular Big Question series, with five videos viewed by tens of thousands and broadcast on PBS. “60 Minutes” featured Vardit Ravitsky discussing the ethics of egg freezing. We launched a webinar series, “Frontiers in the Ethics of Human Reproduction.” Hastings Bioethics Forum commentaries rapidly responded to timely issues, including misinformation about autism and federal funding cuts to science. Our Impact: Public Discourse – The Hastings Center for Bioethics

Aging Societies We explored the implications of population aging to help researchers, professionals, and families think together about challenges such as dementia, caregiving, and costs. We published a special report, “Living with Dementia: Learning from Cultural Narratives in Aging Societies,” that received national attention via a JAMA podcast. Aging Societies – The Hastings Center for Bioethics

Recommendations for Ethical First-in-Human Pig Kidney Trials We developed tools assisting patients who consider participating in the first clinical trials involving transplantation of pig kidneys into humans, and published guidance for transplant teams, researchers, and boards reviewing the research. Ethical and Policy Guidance for Translational Xenotransplantation Clinical Trials – The Hastings Center for Bioethics