Newsletter from the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB) at Uppsala University at Uppsala University, member of the Network for Research Ethics & Bioethics (a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Uppsala University ). Published 2008-09-26

Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics
Newsletter September 2008

> Pre Announcement: End of Life Decisions: Ethics in clinical practice, research and policy

> Debate in BMJ on opt-out models for consent in biobank research

> Research Ethics for PhD Students

> Recent Publications

> Open Higher Seminars

> New Centre Staff

> Board Appointed for CRB

> Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics

> Unsubscribe

End of Life Decisions:
Ethics in clinical practice, research and policy

Pre announcement: XI Annual Swedish Symposium on Biomedicine, Ethics and Society

Clinical ethics is a multi-disciplinary and multi-professional field. We invite scholars and professionals to participate in a research symposium that focuses on end of life decisions such as shifting focus from curative to palliative treatment, how clinical research at the end of life can be improved and the role policy documents play in clinical practice.

Pre-announcement and call for abstracts >

Debate on patient autonomy and opt-out models for consent in biobank research

Follow the debate in British Medical Journal based on a study from CRB:

Opt-out from biobanks better respects patients’ autonomy
Johnsson L, Hansson MG, Eriksson S, Helgesson G, BMJ 2008;337:a1580
Read article > (free)

Evidence of support for biobanking practices
Laurie G, BMJ 2008;337:a337
Read article > (free)

Patients' refusal to consent to storage and use of samples in Swedish biobanks: cross sectional study
Johnsson L, Hansson MG, Eriksson S, Helgesson G, BMJ (Clinical research ed. 2008;337:a345
Read article > (may require login) Abstract >

Research Ethics for PhD Students in Science and Technology

Uppsala University introduces obligatory research ethics training for PhD students at the Faculty of Science and Technology starting autumn term 2008. A similar curriculum for PhD students is already obligatory for PhD students at the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Recent Publications

Opt-out from biobanks better respects patients’ autonomy
Johnsson L, Hansson MG, Eriksson S, Helgesson G, BMJ 2008;337:a1580
Full text > (free)

Philosophical challenges for neuroethics
Evers K, European Neuropsychopharmacology, Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Volume 18 Supplement 4 (2008).
Full text > (free)

Development and evaluation of a questionnaire for measuring patient views of involvement in myocardial infarction care
Arnetz JE, Höglund AT Arnetz BB, Winblad U, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. 2008, 7: 229-238.
Full text > (may require login) Abstract >

Physicians’ and nurses’ perceptions of patient involvement in myocardial infarction care
Arnetz JE, Winblad U, Arnetz BB, Höglund AT, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. 7 (2008), 113-120.
Full text > (may require login) Abstract >

Parental authority, research interests and children’s right to decide in medical research – an uneasy tension?
Swartling U, Helgesson G, Hansson MG, Ludvigsson J, Clin Ethics 3(2): 69-74; doi:10.1258/ce.2008.008012.
Full text > (may require login) Abstract >

More publications >

Open higher seminars

Monday 29 September
The precautionary principle and dual use
Frida Kuhlau, PhD Student, Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics

Monday 13 October
What is trust in biobank research?
Linus Johnsson, PhD Student, Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics
Discussant: Olli Lagerspetz, Åbo Akademi, Finland.

Where: Dag Hammarskjölds väg 14B, Uppsala, Westrinrummet
When: 10:00-12:00

Full seminar programme 2008 >

New centre staff

Ashkan Atry, PhD Student >
Askhan Atry holds a degree in theoretical philosophy and looks at whether fair play is compatible with doping in sports, a project funded by The Swedish National Centre for Research in Sports (Centrum för idrottsforskning)

Maria Gottvall, Research assistant >
Maria Gottvall is a registered nurse and works with the ethical and social aspects of HPV vaccination. This research is funded by The Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden) and conducted in collaboration with Caring Sciences and Women’s and Children’s Health.

Bo Hanson, Senior Lecturer >
Bo Hanson is Associate professor of Ethics and responsible for the new obligatory research ethics courses for PhD students at the Faculty of Science and Technology.

Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong, Post doc >
Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong is, together with Mats Hansson, responsible for the Centres contribution to the Swedish Network project COMBINE (controlling chronic inflammatory diseases with combined efforts) work package on ethics. Combine consortium website >

Board appointed for CRB

The Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics is an interfaculty centre that is governed by a board of University representatives and led by a Director (professor Mats G. Hansson). The Centre is administratively associated to the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine. A board was appointed on July 1, 2008 and consists of:

> Iordanis Kavathatzopoulos, Senior Lecturer. Science and Technology

> Professor Carl Reinhold Bråkenhielm, Humanities and Social Sciences

> Jenny Wiksten Folkeryd, Researcher, Educational Sciences

> Professor Göran Magnusson, Medicine and Pharmacy (Chairman)

> Klas Petersson, PhD student, Student representative

> Johan Olerud, PhD student, Student representative

Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics

Research Ethics and Bioethics has become increasingly important for Uppsala University . As a result, an interfaculty Centre for Research Ethics and Bioethics was established on January 1 2008. The centre is placed at the Faculty of Medicine and administratively associated to the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences.

We conduct research on animal and environmental ethics, autonomy, biobank ethics, biosafety and biosecurity, codes of practice, health care and priorities, genetic information and testing, medical law, neuroethics, perinatal medicine, clinical ethics, research ethics and quality of life.

The field of Medial Law is associated to the Centre through collaboration with the Department of Law at Uppsala University. Medical law is a comparatively new academic topic in Swedish legal science. Medical law transcends traditional divisions and involves a number of legal areas such as public law, private law, criminal law and international law, as well as the relationship between law and ethics.