A Nonpartisan research institution dedicated to bioethics and the public interest since 1969.
Hastings Center
Related posts
Pursuing Fair and Just Compensation for Research Participants: An Open Letter to the Research Ethics Community
This editorial appears in the July 2025 issue of the American Journal of Bioethics. A cornerstone of modern research ethics oversight is the avoidance of undue influence on potential research participants to enroll in studies. Yet little guidance is given as to what influence is “undue”. Concerns over undue influence often arise in discussions of payment […]
Perpetuating Eugenic Notions of Intelligence Through Novel Uses of Neurotechnology
Neuroimaging technologies such as the electroencephalogram (EEG) have been utilized to predict intelligence quotients (IQ) across various populations. Ethical analyses should examine whether the use of these methods, which purport to establish a biological basis for intelligence are potentially harmful and stigmatizing. Research that aims to evaluate whether there is a biological basis for differences in […]
Looking Beyond the IRB
This editorial appears in the February 2025 issue of the American Journal of Bioethics. In this issue, Chapman et al. recommend large changes to Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to address group harms in research. We agree with the concerns underlying their recommendations. Researchers have a responsibility to foresee and prevent group harms from arising out of their […]
The Danger of Conflating the Russian Scientific Community with Putin’s Regime in Global Bioethics
The global bioweapons regime stands at a pivotal point where collaboration or conflict can determine the future of bioethical standards and international security. A recent sign pointing toward conflict is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Biotechnology and Human Enhancement Technologies Strategy, which singles Russia as a bad actor. Such an approach not only risks […]