PEP-talking ethics

[feather_share show="twitter, google_plus, facebook, reddit, tumblr" hide="pinterest, linkedin, mail"]

By: Lauren Beals

What if you could eradicate a disease from the face of the planet, but doing so would mean taking away resources from prevalent health concerns? What if someone asked you if modern research should continue to use tissues samples from third world countries, even if the sample population felt exploited? Maybe you would flip a coin. Or you could call in the experts.

No better experts could be found than those at McMaster. Recently, the University has assembled their own A-team of global health ethicists with the new Program on Ethics and Policy Information.

Meagan Kay-Fowlow, the Program Manager for PEPI, describes the program as “an ethics consultation and research program” dedicated to helping “stakeholders in global health research navigate through the ethical challenges that impact their work.” This may include overcoming ethical barriers that threaten global health projects, anticipating ethical risks or enhancing the quality of current programs.

Take the example of the emerging Zika virus. PEPI might look at ethical questions regarding its elimination through vector control, or work with policy makers as they try to ethically mitigate its spread. Researchers could also consult PEPI as they create projects to better understand the virus.

Beyond global consulting, PEPI also supports the independent pursuits of its team members encouraging collaboration with local scholars.

“We’re really excited to be at McMaster because there’s already so many great people working on issues in Global Health,” said Kay-Fowlow. “There’s a great deal of potential for research collaboration on exciting and pressing issues.”

Leading the charge is Claudia Emerson, PEPI’s Director. A former senior scientist with the University of Toronto, Emerson brings a wealth of experience from roles with the University Health Network and as a core investigator with the Ethical, Social, Cultural Program for Global Health funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“She is a critical asset,” said Kay-Fowlow. “She sets the vision for the work we do.” Emerson, who established the program at McMaster, also conducts her own research on disease eradication with notable works including malaria and polio advocacy among other issues.

To many people, Emerson’s bold ideas can be intimidating and often deter them from getting involved. To others, their only experience with ethics is approval from the research ethics board before a thesis. PEPI aims to change that.

“We hear this a lot. It’s also a perspective we are trying to change,” said Kay-Fowlow. “The perception is that paying attention to ethics means that scientists have extra work to do, or have more hoops to jump through. But we see ethics as enabling, paying attention can enhance the quality and efficacy of projects.”

She also hopes to involve the student community through social media and emerging initiatives. “We’re hoping to engage in some interesting discussions and we’ll definitely be sharing information about ethical issues and work that we’re doing in this area,” said Kay-Fowlow.

Despite their difficulty, ethical questions are vital to innovation in the modern world, and working toward their answers can reap real benefits.

“It’s very rewarding to see the impact of the work,” explained Kay-Fowlow. “Many of the questions we face relate to the challenges posed by cutting edge technologies, and it’s very stimulating to try and figure out how we can harness that power to achieve some good.”

[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]