Advanced European Bioethics Course “Human Genomics and Medical Technology, ethical opportunities and threats”,Nijmegen, the Netherlands, 11 – 14 March 2014

The department of IQ healthcare, sub-department Healthcare Ethics, Radboudumc university medical centre, announces the advanced European Bioethics Course ‘Human Genomics and Medical Technology, ethical opportunities and threats’ which will be organized from 11 -14 March 2014.

Prof. Michael Parker, professor of Bioethics and Director of the Ethox Centre, Universiteit van Oxford has been invited to present the keynote lecture.

In this course we aim to find answers to questions such as: Which actual ethical issues are connected with genomics? How do ethics germinate within genomic research? What promises does genomics offer and in what ways can it be expected to influence both clinical practice and the health care system? How should we deal with questions that arise when genetic information is stored in biobanks? What are ethical requirements for personalized medicine? How should incidental findings be dealt with? And what about privacy and informed consent? What are the basic philosophical insights into human-technology relations at the core of these ethical issues?

Lecturers include: prof. Evert van Leeuwen, Martin Boeckhout MA, MSc, Annelien Bredenoord PhD, Simone van der Burg PhD, Ineke van der Burgt MD, PhD, Lidewij Henneman PhD, Heidi Howard PhD, Elisa Garcia Gonzales PhD, Janneke Grutters PhD, prof. em. Gert Jan van Ommen PhD, Dirk Stemerding PhD, prof. Joris Veltman, prof. Gert Jan van der Wilt, prof. Hub Zwart.

During the course we will study the relations between genomics and (bio)ethics: the focus will be on the moral problems generated by molecular genomics research, and the development and application of new knowledge in clinical genetics. The implications of the development of genomics will likely give rise to new understandings of health and disease, new clinical practices and routines, and shifting responsibilities for scientists, health care providers and patients in preventing, diagnosing or treating disease.

Topics are, amongst others, research ethics, screening and testing from clinical perspective, Health Technology Assessment, translational medicine and storage and analysis of (genetic) data and social aspects and effects of developments in medical technology.

During the lectures basic philosophical and ethical concepts related to both research itself and to the impact of new technologies are introduced. There will be ample time for questions and debate. Small group discussions and working groups are devoted to in-depth discussions of particular contemporary issues in the area of human genetics and medical technologies.

This course is designed with participants from various backgrounds in mind: researchers working in the field of human genetics,biomedical sciences, life sciences, genetics and biology and physicians doing research that has a genetic component but also forprofessionals from other areas in healthcare such as physicians and nurses, health care administrators, bioethics committee members, professionals working in the pharmaceutical industry, professionals in the areas of ethics, philosophy and theology, and PhD students undertaking courses of study in any of these areas.

Location: Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands. Language: English. Price: € (Euro) 690 for early registration: before January 16th 2014, € (Euro) 790 for registration from January 16^th onwards, € (Euro) 460 for PhD students. Click on these links for more information and registration, or consult our website: www.masterbioethics.org, under Intensive courses or contact Simone Naber: s.naber@radboudumc.nl. Tel: 0031 (0) 24 – 3613359 / 0031 (0) 24 – 3615320.

The intensive course Human Genomics and Medical Technology is part of the post-initial Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics program.