Cutting Edge Issues in Bioethics to be Explored April 22:
Apr 19, 2010
Conference Marks 20th Anniversary of the Division of Humanities in Medicine
Noted bioethicists and neuroscientists will participate in the “Cutting Edge Issues in Contemporary Bioethics” Conference at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University on Thursday, April 22, from 12:30 pm – 5:00 pm, Alumni Auditorium, 395 Lenox Road, Brooklyn, New York. The conference celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Division of Humanities in Medicine at SUNY Downstate.
Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics and director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver the keynote address: “Do Your Duty and Roll Up Your Sleeves: The Ethics of Vaccine Mandates.” Also speaking will be James H. Jones, PhD, author of Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment.
In afternoon sessions devoted to neuroethics, presenters will include Jonathan D. Moreno, PhD, David and Lyn Silfen University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, whose talk is titled, “Mind Wars: Brain Research and National Defense.” Andre Fenton, PhD, associate professor of physiology and pharmacology at SUNY Downstate, will ask the question, “Basic Neuroscience: A Platform on a Slippery Slope?”
Downstate’s Todd Sacktor, MD, professor of physiology and pharmacology and of neurology, will speak on “How to Erase and Enhance Your Long-Term Memories.” A roundtable discussion will follow, moderated by Stephen M. Goldfinger, MD, professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Downstate.
Ian L. Taylor, MD, PhD, senior vice president for biomedical research and dean of the College of Medicine, will welcome the attendees and Kathleen E. Powderly, PhD, CNM, acting director of the Division of Humanities in Medicine, will introduce the conference. Dr. Powderly is also chair of the Historical Symposia Subcommittee of the SUNY Downstate Sesquicentennial Committee. The conference is part of Downstate’s yearlong celebration of 150 years of providing medical education in Brooklyn and is generously supported by the John Conley Foundation for Ethics and Philosophy in Medicine.
There is no registration fee, but pre-registration is encouraged. Please call 718-221-5323 to register. For more information, please call Dr. Powderly at 718-270-3322.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.