VUB Ethics Week 2022

Kickoff: "Whose Idea Was This Anyway? Intellectual Property and Scientific Integrity.

Monday, December 5th, 12pm-02pm

Recognising one another’s ideas contributions is essential to scientific integrity and good scientific practices. But who owns what? In this session we will look in detail at good practices around ownership and recognition of scientific works. The session will include two presentations, and breakouts where we will look in detail at some cases.

Presentations: The session will feature presentations by advisors from the VUB’s Research and Data Management and Tech Transfer Services:

• Dirk Vervenne and John Pearson from Research and Data Management will explain some of the basic principles and practices of intellectual property
• Kristel Mommaerts, Twyla Queva and Hugo Loosvelt will explain the VUB’s rules regarding ownership of data and other research outputs.

Practical: Online session. You will get information on how to join after registration (below).

Session Ethics Committee Social Sciences and Humanities

Tuesday, December 6th - 12pm-02pm

This session will feature presentations on two of the key issues that the VUB Ethics Committee for Social Sciences and Humanities has addressed in its recent decisions:

• Incentives and participants in research: It is becoming increasingly common to offer incentives to participants to motivate or reward them for their participation. However, the use of incentives needs careful ethical reflection. Is it compatible with the basic principle that participants must take part in research voluntarily? What is the difference between incentives and rewards? Can incentives increase the chance that participants will take part in high risk research?
• Hate-posting and fake profiles in online research: Online research often focuses on the dark side of the social media world. In many cases, researchers may need to create fake profiles, and even post controversial content themselves. This presentation will look at the ethical issues around such practices.
• After the presentations, we will look at some case studies based on dossiers that the VUB ECHW has evaluated recently.

Practical: Online session. You will get information on how to join after registration (below).

Student session Biomedical Ethics I: "Using GMO's for organ transplantation"

Tuesday, December 6th - 12pm-02pm

For their course on Bioethics, the students of the 1st master's in biomedical sciences have to organise a debate on a biomedical topic of their choice.

“You might have heard of a very interesting medical case that recently appeared in the media, where a heart patient received a heart transplantation from a genetically modified pig. The pig embryo was modified to knock out the genes that express certain saccharides on the organ’s surface, that would cause problems in interspecies organ transplantation. The results of this experiment were quite unexpected. The patient survived the transplant and accepted the pig heart. For more information, check the link: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2022/05/06/varkenshart-virus/ 

Seeing the immense lack of organs suited for transplantation, but also keeping in mind animal rights, this is a very hot topic. We invite you to join the debate about the ethical framework around this new therapeutical approach of the use of organs from genetically modified organisms for transplantation and we look forward to hearing your takes on the subject.”

Practical:  VUB Health Campus (Jette) - RoomA045 - Registration below.

Student session Biomedical Ethics II: "Does the euthanasia law need to be expanded for minors?"

Tuesday, December 6th - 01pm-02pm

For their course on Bioethics, the students of the 1st master's in biomedical sciences have to organise a debate on a biomedical topic of their choice.

“In our ethics debate, we would like to discuss suffering for minors. What does the recently amended law say about euthanasia for minors? What kind of suffering is too much? How is this topic perceived by doctors, parents and children? What is your opinion on euthanasia for minors? We will discuss a variety of aspects, such as physical versus mental suffering and diseases that are terminal within a short versus a long period. With these resources, the aim is to provide a reasoned answer to the following question: does the euthanasia law need to be expanded for minors?”

Practical:  VUB Health Campus (Jette) - RoomA045 - Registration below.

Session Committee Ethical Care - Cycle Biomedical Ethics (Session in Dutch)

Tuesday, December 6th - 07pm-09pm

Lecture Artificial intelligence and bias in healthcare.

Speakers:

• Prof. dr. ir. Guy Nagels Afdelingshoofd Neurologie UZ Brussel
• Prof. Dr. An Jacobs, sociologist affiliated to SMIT (Studies on Media, Innovation and Technology) at VUB with focus on e-health.
• Prof. Audrey Van Scharen, Manager Ethics and Research UZ Brussel, Vice-Chair Committee for Medical Ethics, Chair Medical Devices Framework Board.

Practical: VUB Health Campus (Jette) - Aula 5 - Registration below.

Extra: The session has RIZIV-accreditation 'Ethics & Economy'.

Session Ethics Committee Dual Use, Military Use and Misuse

Wednesday, December 7th - 12pm-02pm

Guest speaker: Prof. Dr. Emma Beauxis-Aussalet, assistant professor of ethical computing at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU)

Topic: Informing trust, fairness, and diversity for the Artificial Intelligence practitioner or end-user The VUB Ethics Committee Dual Use, Military Use and Misuse (ECDMM) provides ethics and legal support for researchers working in two areas: research that has (potential) military applications, and on topics that involve risk of misuse, including possible criminal or terrorist applications, and possible human rights violations. This session will look at some of the cases and issues that the ECDMM has covered, and will provide practical advice to researchers.

Practical: Online session. You will get information on how to join after registration (below).

Session Committee Medical Ethics: Interactieve workshop over het afnemen van een informed consent (session in Dutch)

Wednesday, December 7th - 12pm-02pm

Inclusie van minderjarigen of neonaten in wetenschappelijk onderzoek is vaak een moeilijk gesprek. Informeren over gebruik van de gezondheidsgegevens van mensen met een neurologische aandoening vaak een eenzijdige communicatie. Hoe kan het beter? 

Hoe kunnen we zorgen dat mensen daadwerkelijk geïnformeerd zijn over wat er zal gebeuren in wetenschappelijk onderzoek? Hoe kunnen we als Commissie Medische Ethiek helpen om de gesprekken met mogelijke, of reeds geÏncludeerde deelnemers te vergemakkelijken? Om een antwoord te vinden op deze vraag nodigt de Commissie medische ethiek van het UZ Brussel jullie uit om deel te nemen aan een workshop rond het verkrijgen van de wettelijk verplichte toestemming van patiënten voor deelname aan wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Dit is een wettelijke verplichting om dit schriftelijk te doen. 

Door allerlei wettelijke bepalingen en het afschuiven van mogelijke aansprakelijkheden is dit consent form een zeer lijvig juridisch document. Het document gaat daarom vaak voorbij aan zijn eerste doel: informatie geven aan de mogelijke deelnemer.  

We tijdens deze workshop willen nagaan hoe we ondanks document, het proces rond het informatie geven aan de patient door de arts en verpleegkundige verbeteren. Soms gaat het over zeer moeilijke gesprekken met de ouders, wanneer het deelname van minderjarigen of zelf pasgeborenen betreft. Aangezien het document een ‘noodzakelijk kwaad’ is, is het overbrengen van de boodschap  (die bij het afgeven van het formulier past) door de arts of verpleegkundige ongelooflijk belangrijk. Met deze workshop, begeleid Visuality met visual storytelling en rollenspellen (waar ook iedereen in de CME koudwatervrees voor heeft) willen we een eerste stap zetten om de betrokken actoren hierin zo veel mogelijk te begeleiden. Hoe deze begeleiding best vorm neemt, dat zal deze workshop hopelijk uitwijzen.

We hebben jouw inzichten nodig om tot een nuttig instrument te komen.

Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Filip Cools, president Committee Medical Ethics, head of the Neonathology Department UZ Brussels
• Prof. Audrey Van Scharen, Manager Ethics and research UZ Brussel, vice president Committee Medical Ethics/Committee on ethical hospital care, President Medical Devices Framework Board.

Practical: VUB Health Campus - Atrium - Registration below.

Max 30 deelnemers

Session Animal Experiments

Thursday, December 8th - 12pm-02pm

This session will look at the work of the VUB’s Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments, and will include an active discussion of case studies that the ECD has evaluated.

Practical: Online session. You will get information on how to join after registration (below).

Student Session Gerontology and Biomedical Ethics I: What are the boundaries of ending life-sustaining treatment?

Thursday, December 8th - 12pm-02pm

For their course on Bioethics, the students of the 1st master's in biomedical sciences have to organise a debate on a biomedical topic of their choice.

“Life-sustaining treatment is a therapy that a person receives to lengthen his/her life. This therapy variates from case to case and can include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), blood transfusion, or intubation.  These and many other treatments are used daily in hospital settings to save (and/or lengthen) someone’s life. But are these life-sustaining treatments always ethically justifiable to initiate on just any person? And what about minors? Do they decide for themselves or do their parents decide for them? And who can decide on the treatments if the person itself isn’t conscious anymore? When should we decide to interrupt the treatment?  

Many factors can influence the answer to these questions such as culture, ethnicity, or even a DNR tattoo. These, and many, other questions will be handled during the Bioethics Week debates”

Practical: VUB Health Campus - Atrium - Registration below.

Student Session Gerontology and Biomedical Ethics II: Do not take myself away from me! Or should you?

Thursday, December 8th - 01pm-02pm

For their course on ‘Ethics related to aging’/’Biomedical Ethics’, the students of the Master in Gerontology Sciences and students of the 1st master's in biomedical sciences have to organise a debate on an (bio)medical topic of their choice.

 ‘Is safety in people with dementia more important than their right to make decisions on their own? ‘

“Dementia affects patients’ daily activities, and their symptoms can contribute to safety concerns. To ensure their safety, procedures to determine when to use freedom restrictive measures are present in hospitals and retirement homes. However, the decision-making ability of people with dementia is still a point of discussion. In addition to the question if their safety takes precedence over their right to make their own decisions and when it is ethically accepted to use freedom restrictive measures.”

Practical: VUB Health Campus - Atrium - Registration below.

Reproducibility and Integrity

Friday, December 9th - 12pm-02pm

This session will look at the current ‘reproducibility crisis’ in scientific research, and examine some of the ways in which researchers can respond to mitigate the problem.

• This session is also open to the fellows from the EUTOPIA programme. Eutopia fellows can register using the form below
  
   

Practical: Online session. You will get information on how to join after registration (below).

Student Session Gerontology and Biomedical Ethics I: What are the 'limits' of abortion?

Friday, December 9th - 12pm-01pm

For their course on Bioethics, the students of the 1st master's in biomedical sciences have to organise a debate on a biomedical topic of their choice

“Ending a pregnancy has been around for thousands of years but it is still one of the most debatable subjects in ethics. During this debate, we will take a look at this topic from different points of view. Some of the most recent news will be discussed as well as the reaction of society. Even though the practice of abortion exists everywhere, it remains an issue among different groups of people over the world. Ending up with the limit of abortion and whether or not it is ethical to change it. All those complicated and controversial questions will be answered by you, the audience. Whose life is more important?”

Practical: VUB Health Campus - Atrium - Registration below.

Student Session Gerontology and Biomedical Ethics II: Designer babies: Where do you draw the line when shopping for your child?

Friday, December 9th - 01pm-02pm

For their course on Bioethics, the students of the 1st master's in biomedical sciences have to organise a debate on a biomedical topic of their choice

“Have you ever heard about ‘Designer babies’? This term was introduced in the year 2000 when a girl was conceived to save her brother's life, who had a rare blood disorder. This concept quickly became a hype and is up for much debate.  But what exactly do we mean by ‘Designer babies’? 

We can define them as babies whose genetic make-up has been selected to eliminate a particular defect or to ensure that a certain gene is present which is for example absent in a certain disease. 

In your opinion, can a baby, whose only purpose is to save its siblings life, be brought into this world? How do you feel about gender selection? Should it be allowed to choose your baby’s eye color? What about altering a specific gene to avoid the baby from suffering from a certain disease?  

In short, where do you draw the line when ‘shopping’ for your child? If this question triggers you, feel free to join our debate and share your perspective about it.”

Practical: VUB Health Campus - Atrium - Registration below.