About Us
Inspiring ethically-minded engineers
“With all the complexities of modern life — new discoveries in science, changes in medicine and medical care — medical professionals and policy makers are faced with very difficult decisions. There is a need for the teaching of ethics in our society.” - Phoebe Rhea Berman
Our Story
By creating free and accessible multi-media bioethics content, Bioethics for Bioengineers aims to encourage ethical reasoning and decision-making as requisite steps in the bioengineering design process. Motivated by students’ reported lack of confidence in bioethics topics and their demonstrated interest in learning more, we will increase the awareness of bioethics issues and diversify bioethics conversations within the bioengineering community at the University of Washington.
Our work will prepare undergraduate and graduate students for professional careers as industry innovators, allied healthcare professionals, and research scientists, where they are likely to encounter ethics in their work. Furthermore, the content created through this project supports faculty and students in exploring bioethics topics within and beyond the realm of biotechnological advancements, including global bioethics, public health ethics, healthcare resource allocation, end-of-life care, and gene-editing technologies. Ultimately, the articles, case studies, and videos compiled by Bioethics for Bioengineers will serve as a lasting resource to educate future bioengineering students and a broader public audience about ethical issues in medicine, biotechnology, and clinical research.
