Medical Ethics

Washington University takes not only its medical ethics, but ethics as a whole, very seriously, as evidenced by its ongoing commitment to the Center for the Study of Ethics and Human Values. The purpose of the center is to support the study, research and teaching of ethics in areas ranging from medicine to business and much more.

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News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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Dealing with bioethical dilemmas Leon Kass explores the human implications of medical breakthroughs Jan. 22, 2008 -- Leon Kass has been at the forefront of bioethics since before Louise Brown, the first test tube baby, was born in 1978. His talk for the Assembly Series, "Brave New Biology: The Challenge for Bioethics" will be presented at 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 6 in Graham Chapel on Washington University's Danforth Campus. The program is free and open to the public

Next Assembly Series program: Is mixing faith, medicine and science good for your health? Is religion good for you? Sept. 18, 2007 -- Richard P. Sloan, professor of behavorial medicine in psychiatry at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University School of Medicine, will answer the question, "Is Religion Good for your Health?" for the Assembly Series at 11 a.m., Wednesday, September 26, in Graham Chapel on Washington University's Danforth Campus.

Assembly Series begins Sept. 6 with Maya Lin Assembly Series announces changes; opens fall 2007 schedule Aug. 23, 2007 -- The Fall 2007 Assembly Series parts with some of the traditions of the 54-year-old lecture series, while maintaining its mission of presenting to the Washington University community some of the most distinctive and vibrant voices of the day.

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Related News Clips:

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Which Genetic Tests are Really Worth Getting? The Wall Street Journal May 1, 2008 -- With Congress poised to eliminate a big barrier to genetic testing for risk of certain diseases, consumers still face challenges in figuring out which ones offer useful information. Despite heavy marketing by some genetic-test makers, the wide use of genetic tests has been held back by a variety of factors, including questions about the tests' usefulness and concerns that results could be used by employers and insurers to discriminate against people. Critics argue that many tests can't accurately identify which people are at risk for various illnesses. WUSTL medical researcher Brian Gage comments. Includes Web links to learn more about genetic testing.

Longevity quest moves slowly from lab to life MSNBC.com and 2 others April 23, 2008 -- Human studies plus laboratory work with yeast, worms, flies and rodents are propelling scientists closer to understanding what causes aging, how to delay it -- and how to translate such progress from the lab to real life. One of the studies mentioned was the first calorie restriction clinical trials conducted by WUSTL and LSU.

May We Scan Your Genome? Newsweek April 22, 2008 -- As personal genetic testing takes off, some worry that marketing is getting ahead of science. With each new marketing push comes new criticism. Some say DNA testing doesn't belong in virtual clinics: One key issue is regulation. WUSTL pediatrics and genetics specialist Thomas Morgan worries that the business is getting ahead of the science. "I might scare myself or reassure myself falsely based on the very limited knowledge that we have."

Gut Check: Why Doctors Say Not All Fat Is Created Equal The Wall Street Journal and 2 others April 15, 2008 -- The recent report that having a pot belly in your 40s roughly triples your risk of dementia in later life is just the tip of an ominous iceberg. WUSTL research on liposuction in which found no change in the women's cholesterol levels, triglycerides, insulin sensitivity or other health risks. "If they had lost that much fat by dieting, they would have substantially improved their metabolic profile, but they didn't," says Samuel Klein, director of WUSM's Center for Human Nutrition and the study's principal investigator.

Autism Cases on the Rise; Reason for Increase a Mystery WebMD.com April 3, 2008 -- The number of children diagnosed with autism or related disorders has grown at what many call an alarming rate. Some of the increase in reported cases is because of "diagnostic substitution," says WUSTL social work professor Paul Shattuck, an autism researcher.