It’s time to transform medical research so that it protects and benefits people and animals.
The past six decades have marked a significant revolution in research ethics. Thanks to The Belmont Report, human research now requires informed consent, a full assessment of the risks and benefits of research, and special protections for vulnerable individuals and populations such as children, who cannot provide informed consent.
The situation is much different for animals, who overwhelmingly bear the burdens of research, despite their inability to provide informed consent or to benefit from the research.
This teaching guide accompanies a captioned videorecording of the 2022 Transforming Medical Research panel discussion. The event, sponsored by Phoenix Zones Initiative and a range of academic cosponsors, included experts from medicine, public health, the sciences, and ethics.
These panelists discussed The Belmont Report and its principles and applications; the treatment of humans and animals within the context of research; and ways to transform medical research.
This teaching guide includes
- a brief overview of the issues;
- learning objectives;
- suggested teaching strategies;
- links to five key clips for educators who may not have time to teach the entire video;
- questions to spark critical thinking and discussion;
- questions and activities for deeper investigation; and
- several recommended readings and additional resources.
This guide is most appropriate for undergraduate and graduate learners from
- human and veterinary medicine;
- the social and biological sciences;
- public health;
- humanities; and
- law, policy and ethics.