Ethics and Emerging Medical Technologies

The past decade has witnessed ever-increasing advances in innovative medical technologies including gene-editing, robotic surgery, novel pharmaceuticals, 3-D bio-printing and other forms of personalized medicine. As is often the case with emerging technologies, with the potential benefits come a host of ethical questions concerning their development and implementation: Does altering the human germ line cross a moral threshold? Is “human enhancement” a moral imperative? Will access to such technologies and treatments be problematic for certain social, economic, and racial groups? How will healthcare policy take into consideration the widest possible range of stakeholder perspectives?

This symposium brings together a group of nationally and internationally recognized experts in medical technology, bioethics, and health care. An opening keynote presentation will be followed by three breakout sessions and a culminating panel discussion.