Events
Virtual, via Zoom
Penn Bioethics Seminar (PBS): "Organ Diversion or Match Run Deviation? Ethical Considerations in Allocation Out of Sequence" - Andrew M. Courtwright, MD, PhD
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2026-05-19 12:00:00
2026-05-19 13:00:00
America/New_York
Penn Bioethics Seminar (PBS): "Organ Diversion or Match Run Deviation? Ethical Considerations in Allocation Out of Sequence" - Andrew M. Courtwright, MD, PhD
Organ Diversion or Match Run Deviation? Ethical Considerations in Allocation Out of Sequence
Andrew M. Courtwright, MD, PhD
Clinician, Division of Pulmonary Medicine
Adjunct Professor, University of Utah Department of Philosophy
University of Utah Health
The rise of Allocation Out of Sequence (AOOS) in organ transplantation in the United States has raised significant ethical concerns. By the end of 2024, 20% of kidneys were transplanted out of the standard match sequence, drawing regulatory scrutiny. Critics argue that AOOS amounts to organ diversion: it fails to prevent organ nonuse, does not address underlying inefficiencies in organ allocation, lacks transparency, and worsens transplant-related disparities.
In this talk, Dr. Courtwright discusses the factors contributing to the expansion of AOOS and evaluates the normative arguments for and against its use. Drawing on a constructivist framework, he argues that AOOS violates the expectation that allocation policies be grounded in collective agreement. Dr. Courtwright identifies considerations that should inform Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network policy revisions, emphasizing the need for shared norms to ensure procedural legitimacy.
Virtual, via Zoom
Penn Medical Ethics
Hybrid: 11-102AB 3600 Civic Ctr Blvd (and virtual via Zoom)
Research Ethics & Policy Series (REPS): Returning Results to Participants in Pragmatic Trials - Catherine Auriemma, MD, MSHP
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2026-06-02 12:00:00
2026-06-02 13:00:00
America/New_York
Research Ethics & Policy Series (REPS): Returning Results to Participants in Pragmatic Trials - Catherine Auriemma, MD, MSHP
Returning Results to Participants in Pragmatic Trials
Catherine Auriemma, MD, MSHP
Assistant Professor of Medicine
division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care
Core Faculty at the PAIR Center
University of Pennsylvania
Funders and regulators are increasingly requiring investigators to return study results to research participants. Return of research results is thought to improve trust and engender future participation in research. However, evidence for the benefits of returning results is primarily in study designs that include individual informed consent. Pragmatic clinical trials, a key approach to conducing comparative effectiveness research in real-world clinical-care settings, are often conducted with waivers of individual informed consent. As a result, individuals are generally unaware of their research participation. We will discuss what is known (and not known) about the optimal approach to returning research results in such contexts.
Registration required; Lunch provided.
Streaming available via Zoom.
Hybrid: 11-102AB 3600 Civic Ctr Blvd (and virtual via Zoom)
Penn Medical Ethics
3600 Civic Center Blvd., Rm. 8-031
Penn Bioethics Seminar (PBS): "Commercial Neurotechnologies and the Risks of Cognitive Warfare” - Łukasz Kamieński, PhD, MSc
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2026-06-16 12:00:00
2026-06-16 13:00:00
America/New_York
Penn Bioethics Seminar (PBS): "Commercial Neurotechnologies and the Risks of Cognitive Warfare” - Łukasz Kamieński, PhD, MSc
Łukasz Kamieński, PhD, MSc
Professor
International and Political Studies
Jagiellonian University, Krakow
Consumer neurotechnology, especially wearable brain-monitoring devices and non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, is moving beyond therapy into wellness, entertainment, and productivity, with major technology companies and start-ups investing in everyday applications. EEG- and ultrasound-based wearables are designed to detect cognitive states, including alertness, attention, stress, and mood. As these products are integrated into headbands, earbuds, and headphones, neurodata collection becomes ambient and continuous.
Neuroethical discussions usually emphasize mental privacy, autonomy, and liberty, yet national security remains an overlooked aspect. Neurodata may support personalized neuromarketing, but it can also enable hostile influence operations by turning consumer devices into platforms for “cognitive warfare.” This concept refers to unconventional conflict in which adversaries target the human mind by shaping perceptions, beliefs, and decision-making.
Neurodata may flow across platforms, cloud services, and jurisdictions in ways that remain opaque to users. Such transfers can enable third-party access without meaningful awareness or consent and may evade effective state oversight. When combined with other biometric information, including digital fingerprints, neurodata can enhance AI-driven psychological and sentiment profiling.
Neurodata-enabled microtargeting, therefore, marks a significant shift in cognitive warfare, making the protection of the cognitive domain both an ethical and a strategic imperative.
3600 Civic Center Blvd., Rm. 8-031
Penn Medical Ethics
3600 Civic Center Blvd., Rm. 7-031
Penn Bioethics Seminar (PBS): "Medical and Scientific Construction(s) of Race: A History in Brief" - Rana A. Hogarth, PhD, MHS
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2026-06-23 12:00:00
2026-06-23 13:00:00
America/New_York
Penn Bioethics Seminar (PBS): "Medical and Scientific Construction(s) of Race: A History in Brief" - Rana A. Hogarth, PhD, MHS
Medical and Scientific Construction(s) of Race: A History in Brief
Rana A. Hogarth, PhD, MHS
Associate Professor
History of Science / History of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
Deans' Distinguished Visiting Professorship Program
Rana A. Hogarth holds a Ph.D. in History, with a concentration in History of Science/History of Medicine from Yale University. She also holds an M.H.S. in Health Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her work focuses on medical and scientific constructions of race during the era of slavery and beyond. Her scholarship brings together the fields of African American History, History of Medicine, and Atlantic World History.
More detail to follow.
3600 Civic Center Blvd., Rm. 7-031
Penn Medical Ethics
To be added to MEHP's events listserv, please contact lisa.bailey@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.