The Hastings Center for Bioethics

In this webinar at the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics, Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky and colleagues argue that war is a public health crisis that bioethics has dealt with in too limited a manner. They propose several principles for addressing war as a public health crisis and suggest ways in which these principles can...

Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky will participate in a roundtable discussion on Islamic medical tradition with Aasim Padela at the 10th International Bioethics, Multiculturalism, and Religion Workshop sponsored by the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights.

Caribbean basin countries are experiencing some of the most destabilizing impacts of climate change—entire villages destroyed, increases in diseases and other health harms. These countries contributed little to global climate change and yet they must build resilience to survive, much less flourish.  What are the tradeoffs of adapting to warmer environments versus abandoning low-lying locales?...

Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky will present "Current and Emerging Prenatal Testing Technologies: Bioethical Implications" at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Centre for Bioethics' 10th Anniversary Celebration. Prenatal genetic testing technologies can provide individuals and families with valuable information about their potential prospective children. Such technologies, including pre-implantation genetic testing of in-vitro embryos and...

Hastings Center senior research scholar Erik Parens will be presenting a talk entitled "Binocular Vision: A Metaphor to Help Comprehend Persons" at McShain Large Lounge, in McCarthy Hall on Georgetown's Main Campus (the main gates at 37th and O Streets NW). Address is 1350 Tondorf Road NW

Hastings Center senior research scholar Nancy Berlinger will present “What Do We Have in Common?: Thinking Together About Good Lives for Older Adults and Caregivers in Ageing Societies” in Seminar II of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Centre for Bioethics’ 10th Anniversary Celebration. Population ageing—a rise in the average age of a population—results from the...

Informed Consent – When does use of AI constitute research with human subjects? Do researchers have duties to secure participant consent to the use of AI in a research protocol? Should informed consent address potential uses of AI in secondary research on the data collected? Join Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky in this panel on...

In celebration of International Women's Day, join Stem Cell Network for an inspiring virtual panel discussion featuring five trailblazing women (including Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky) who are shaping the future of regenerative medicine. This event will spotlight their groundbreaking contributions, unique journeys, and innovative visions for the field. Attendees will also have the opportunity...

Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky will give an Ethics Grand Rounds lecture, "Polygenic Embryo Screening: Ethical Challenges," via Zoom for the The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Open to the public.

How do cultural values shape bioethical dilemmas?This talk will explore how Israel, as a Jewish-democratic state, has addressed several bioethical challenges through its policy-making, taking into account historical, cultural, and religious perspectives. Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky will examine three key examples: fertility care, end-of-life decision-making, and posthumous reproduction, including the impact of the events...

This panel discussion will explore the purpose(s) of Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST); how to utilize this tool to facilitate optimal end-of-life care; and considerations specific to end-of-life decision-making in emergency situations. Speakers: Patricia Bomba, M.D., MACP, MOLST Statewide Implementation Program Chair, MOLST/eMOLST Program Director Virginia Brown, M.A., Ph.D., Research Scholar, The Hastings Center Maia Dorsett,...

Tom Beauchamp III, a towering figure in the field of bioethics, passed away on February 19th. Tom, a Hastings Center Fellow, was professor of philosophy at Georgetown University and a senior research scholar (retired) at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. The Celebration of Tom's Life will take place at Washington Hebrew Congregation (3935 Macomb St....

Please join us as we launch our new Strategic Plan 2025-2029. Join us for our Daniel Callahan Annual Lecture entitled "The Hastings Center Vision: A Path Forward for Bioethics," with Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky; Joshua Boger, founder and CEO (former) of Vertex Pharmaceuticals; and Gina Kolata, New York Times health and science reporter. Reception:...

Hastings Center scholar Carolyn Neuhaus will moderate a panel for the Mullan Institute's Health Workforce Equity Summit: Rebuilding Health Workers' Trust in Healthcare Organizations. Studies show a steady decline in health workers' trust in organizations, and this decline is significantly associated with a reduction in patient trust in clinicians. To date, most approaches to rebuilding health...

A constructive, healing dialogue about building and enhancing public confidence in modern medicine and science. What role can such approaches play in restoring public trust and healing societal discord?This event features introductory remarks by Dr. Avinoam Patt (NYU), a fireside chat with Dr. Vivek Murthy (19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States) and...

Cedars-Sinai and The Hastings Center are proud to jointly present this timely conference on AI in healthcare. Through discussions with leading experts in the field, the event will address evolving ethical, societal, and legal issues raised by artificial intelligence in medicine and biomedical research. For more information, see the Agenda page. This is an in-person...

Join the Global Observatory for Genome Editing's International Summit, a 3-day live and virtual event. On Thursday, May 22 at 3:30pm, Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky will present with colleagues on a keynote panel. Keynote Panel: Cosmopolitan Bioethics Modern biotechnologies are poised to alter what it means to be human. In deliberating on how to...

AI is revolutionizing epidemiological tracking, prevention, treatment, and research of HIV and many other diseases, but also raises profound ethical, legal and policy questions. Join the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University for a panel of experts, including Hastings Center for Bioethics president Vardit...

This release webinar will discuss key findings from a new NAM special publication, An Artificial Intelligence Code of Conduct for Health and Medicine: Essential Guidance for Aligned Action, drawing attention to the Code of Conduct Framework, translating and applying the Code, and an overview of key priorities. An Artificial Intelligence Code of Conduct for Health and...

Recent neuroimaging research reveals that many patients formerly thought to be unresponsive in coma and vegetative states are in fact conscious, raising many ethical and clinical questions. Please join us for a conversation with Dr. Fins about these fascinating and important challenges. Join Hastings Center for Bioethics Board Chair Joseph J. Fins for this talk...

This interactive webinar is for two groups of gerontology researchers: those who study lived experiences and depictions of aging and want to learn more about humanistic AI models, such as chatbots, designed for older adults, and those who are involved in developing, piloting, and evaluating innovations in aging and care that may include humanistic AI...

Join the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law in Washington, DC from September 11–13, 2025, for a powerful three-day symposium (co-sponsored by The Hastings Center for Bioethics) that brings together leading voices from law, public health, policy, and community advocacy. Hosted at Georgetown University’s Capitol Campus, this convening will explore the enduring legacy of...

Join Hastings Center for Bioethics' President and CEO Vardit Ravitsky at the Endpoints AI day, AI in Biopharma: Where Promise Meets Pressure. Panel discussion: The Ethics of AI in Science and Healthcare Silicon Valley is about moving fast, while the world of medicine starts with first, doing no harm. How does that tension play out...

Join Hastings Center for Bioethics' President and CEO Vardit Ravitsky and colleagues at the National Academy of Medicine's Annual Meeting 2025. Panel: Building Trust: AI Governance and Ethics in Medicine and HealthModerator: Kevin B. Johnson, MD, MS, FAAP, FACMI, FIAHSI, FAMIA,David L. Cohen, University Professor of Pediatrics, Informatics,Engineering and Communication, Perelman School of Medicine, School...

Panel Presentation: A Dialogue on the Works of Nancy Dubler, with Hastings Center Research Associate Julia Kolak. Panel:Autumn Fiester, PhDJoseph Fins, MDJulia Kolak, PhD, HEC-CJu Zhang, PhD Abstract: Bioethicist scholar Nancy Neveloff Dubler was a force of nature. As a lawyer turned bioethicist, she was a highly impactful scholar of clinical ethics, who pursued justice as...