The conference organized by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Ethics at the Jagiellonian University will explore practical, theoretical, and regulatory issues in biomedical research through the joint perspective of bioethics and philosophy of science. The conference will take place from the 20th till the 21st of May 2022. It will be held at Larisch Palace, Bracka 12, Kraków.

Short description

The conference will explore practical, theoretical, and regulatory issues in biomedical research through the joint perspective of bioethics and philosophy of science.

The solution to many biomedical questions often lies at the intersection of theory and practice. On the one hand, philosophy of science can inform bioethical and legal debates by advancing our theoretical understanding of biomedical issues, helping decide between alternative ethical positions, or even undermining a moral conjecture on an empirical basis. On the other hand, philosophy of science can benefit from a bioethical perspective, as many scientific debates and disagreements do not just depend on empirical results or theoretical aspects, but also require the analysis of moral, social, and political factors and values.

Typical questions involving this sort of interdisciplinary effort are, for instance: To what extent do ethical principles limit technological advancements and research, e.g., in case of human embryos or embryonic models? How do inclusion and exclusion criteria in clinical trials need to balance the trade-off between statistical inferences and ethical considerations? How can philosophical analysis of the genetic and epigenetic basis of human diseases reframe questions regarding reproductive decision and prevention? May work in philosophy of comparative psychology change the way scientists characterize, operationalize, and interpret cognitive similarities and differences among species? Can the acceptance or refutation of categories and concepts depend on ethical factors? Are there ethical reasons to revise concepts that are widely used in biomedical sciences, such as race, gender, sex, disease, normality, and dysfunction?

Conference program

Friday, May 20

9.00-9.30 Registration and Welcome

9.30-10.20 Maxence Gaillard (Catholic University of Louvain): "Ontological foundations of the ethical discourse on organoid research"

10.20-11.10 Davide Battisti (University of Milan): "Attitudes, intentions, and procreative responsibility in assisted reproduction"

11.10-11.40 Coffee Break

11.40-12.30 Cristina Amoretti (University of Genoa) & Elisabetta Lalumera (University of Bologna): "Evidence-based, value-laden, or cognitively biased? The case of the failure of Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine”

12.30-14.00 Lunch Break

14.00-15.30 Keynote Talk: Rachel Ankeny (University of Adelaide): “Causation and explanation in overdiagnosis: Epistemic and ethical implications”

15.30-16.00 Coffee Break

16.00-16.50 Valentina Petrolini (University of the Basque Country) & Davide Serpico (Jagiellonian University): "Categories versus dimensions in psychiatry:  A hybrid and value-sensitive alternative"

16.50-17.40 Jon Rueda (University of Granada): "The science of human genetic enhancement: From myth to close reality?"

 

Saturday, May 21

9.30-10.20 Jordan Parsons (University of Bristol): "Nothing About Us Without Us? The challenges of involving people with cognitive impairments in biomedical research"

10.20-11.10 Charlotte Zemmel (University of Cambridge): "Holistic inductive risk management in clinical trials"

11.10-11.40 Coffee Break

11.40-12.30 Joanna Malinowska (Adam Mickiewicz University): "Concept of racialisation in biomedical research: a step toward the ethical and credible use of racial classifications"

12.30-14.00 Lunch Break

14.00-15.30 Keynote Talk: Sven Hansson (Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm): “Causality and morality”

15.30-16.00 Coffee Break

16.00-16.50 Vilius Dranseika (Jagiellonian University): "How to count conjoined twins?"

List of abstracts

List of accepted abstracts can be found HERE