Bioethics in Daily Life

1. Bioethics in Daily Life Day 1 Prof. Connie J. Mulligan Department of Anthropology

2. Introductions

3. What is bioethics?

4. What is bioethics? • Bioethics is the study of the ethical controversies brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, and philosophy. (Wikipedia)

5. Top science news stories for 2010 • http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101222/full/4681014a.html • These are the stories that scientists thought were the most exciting for 2010 • Which of them do you think have bioethical issues? • Which of them have bioethical issues that interest you?

6. Course materials • One textbook (Orange & Blue Textbooks, 309 NW 13th St) • Bioethics at the Movies, by Sandra Shapshay • Weekly readings • On website - http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/cmulligan/Webpage/Bioethics.2011/Bioethics.home.html

7. Course content • Syllabus is a work in progress • Preliminary syllabus through spring break • Topics • Genetic testing/genetic screening/genetic enhancement/gene therapy • Cloning/personhood/identity/robots/unborn babies • Race • Stem cells/unborn babies/abortion/medical research • Right to life/right to die/medical interventions/objections to medical treatment • Possible topics??

8. Course format • Specific bioethical issue for each week • Lecture • Mass media • Class discussion • Class oral presentations

9. Contact information • Prof. Connie Mulligan • cmulligan@ufl.edu • 273-8092 • Office hours – B119 Turlington, Friday, 10:30-12:30 • My main office – 409 Genetics Institute, 2033 Mowry Rd, 273-8092 • Course webpage - http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/cmulligan/Webpage/Bioethics.2011/Bioethics.home.html • Can also go through anthro homepage (www.anthro.ufl.edu) • syllabus, lectures, answers to quizzes, etc • PP presentations also at www.clas.ufl.edu/users/mulligan/Pub/Bioethics

10. Grading policy • Participation – 100 pts • Punctuality is important – arrive to class on time • Come prepared with questions, comments, opinions, etc • You are expected to do the assigned readings, and additional readings, to prepare you to participate in class • You must talk in class – no points for attendance • No talking = 0 points for 25% grade in 1st half of class • Group projects (10) – 100 pts • Oral presentations (4) – 100 pts • Paper – 100 pts

11. Grading policy • Participation – 100 pts • Group projects (10) – 100 pts • Students will work in assigned groups of 3-4 to create a 5-10 min PowerPoint every week • Each PowerPoint will present an opinion on that week’s bioethical issue • Each opinion must have a clear scientific foundation • Students will work on the PowerPoints during the week as a group effort (in person or not) • Notify me asap if someone in your group is not participating • If you have ideas for other formats, i.e. podcast, short video, website, etc, see me • Practice PowerPoints Jan 18 and first PowerPoints due Jan 25 • Groups will be assigned a single grade and the lowest grade for the semester will be dropped • I will assign the groups and we will change the groups at mid-semester – see me if you have a preference for your group • Oral presentations (4) – 100 pts • Paper – 100 pts

12. Goal of group projects • Learn to defend a particular point of view • Learn to research the pros and cons of an issue • Based on reason, science, research • In second half of course, each group project must include at least one scientific peer-reviewed article • It is not necessary to personally believe in the point of view you are defending • Defending a opinion you don’t hold allows you to learn about strengths and weaknesses of that opinion • Each week, at the end of class, each group will have 5-10 min to discuss the specific issue and opinion they want to research during the week and present the following week

13. Grading policy • Participation – 100 pts • Group projects (10) – 100 pts • Oral presentations (4) – 100 pts • Each week, one member of each group will present the group’s PowerPoint • Over the semester, each student will make 4 presentations • The members of the group should decide who is presenting each week • Each student should make 2 presentations each in the first and last halves of the semester • Paper – 100 pts

14. Absentee policy • Attendance is critical • Zero participation grade for that week • Oral presentations can not be made up • Paper will be completed on time, no exceptions • More info in syllabus • Always arrive to class promptly on time!!

15. Grading policy • Participation – 100 pts • Group projects (10) – 100 pts • Oral presentations (4) – 100 pts • Paper – 100 pts • In-depth analysis of a bioethical issue of your choice • There must be a clear scientific aspect to the issue and you must explain the science and how it relates to your chosen bioethical issue, in addition to developing the bioethical issue • You must include at least 3 scientific peer-reviewed articles • The expected length ~3000 words, or ~5-7 single-spaced pages.

16. How to research a topic? • Lots of reliable online sources • Look for citation of articles (journal/newspaper/etc) or websites or reports in the website • Who is the author of the website? Scientist, journalist, regular Joe • Scientific peer-reviewed articles • How do you read a journal article? • How do you find relevant journal articles? • PubMed

17. What is a PubMed search? • Search for particular topic or author and you get a list of relevant peer-reviewed journal articles • Most main journals are included in PubMed • View abstracts of all articles • Subset of articles have pdf’s • Freely available • University e-subscriptions • Often you will have to consult other sources to make sense of the journal articles • Specialized dictionary • General online searches • PubMed searches for cited articles

18. PubMed search • http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi

19. This week • Introduction, overview of course • Course format • What do we mean by bioethics? • How to read a scientific journal article • Sample PubMed search • Sample oral presentation • Create study groups for oral presentations • Assessment of class opinions and experiences concerning bioethical issues

20. Next week • Race • Is there a biological basis to race? • How have we evolved? • Global distribution of genetic and phenotypic variation • How different are we? • Genetic ancestry • Racial disparities in health • Reading • Course website - http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/cmulligan/Webpage/Bioethics.2011/Readings.html • Wikipeida entry on 'Race and Genetics' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_genetics • Race: The Power of an Illusion, interview with Alan Goodman - http://www.pbs.org/race/000_About/002_04-background-01-07.htm • Sample Genetic ancestry report, intended for an African American audience

21. Sample oral presentation

22. Genetic testing to find your perfect mate!

24. What is genetic testing? • Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins • Most of the time, testing is used to find changes that are associated with inherited disorders • Testing can also be used to estimate your genetic ancestry or to determine similarity between you and other individuals • Several hundred genetic tests are currently in use, and more are being developed. Jobling et al. 2004

25. Genetic testing for multiple cystic fibrosis genetic variants • Amplify 5 exons in 1 rxn • Blot DNA from each patient onto 4 membranes • Probe each membrane w/ 1 - several oligonucleotides (~20bps) • Read genotype of each patient by comparing hybridization patterns across all membranes Korf 2000

26. http://scientificmatch.com/html/index.php

27. How do they find chemistry between people? • Major histocompatibility system • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_histocompatibility_complex • MHC diversity and evolution • MHC and sexual selection

28. Plagiarism • What is plagiarism? • To steal or pass off the ideas of another as one’s own • Important in writing, creating websites, creating presentations • Check out these webpages • http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/msl/07b/studentplagiarism.html • http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/procedures/honorviolations.php • UF’s ppt on citing refs correctly - http://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=adaa44500eaf460a84f238e6b9a558f9

29. Excerpts from Babbie’s webpagehttp://www.csubak.edu/ssric/Modules/Other/plagiarism.htm • You are writing a book review of Theodore M. Porter's book, Trust in Numbers: The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and Public Life and find a review by Lisa Staffen in which she makes the following statement. Which of the following statements are examples of plagiarism and which are not? • Original statement – “It has become fashionable to reject the notion of absolute objectivity on the grounds that objectivity is simply unattainable or, even if attainable, is undesirable” • 1) I feel it has become fashionable to reject the notion of absolute objectivity on the grounds that objectivity is simply unattainable. • 2)I feel it has becomestylish to reject the idea of absolute objectivity on the grounds that objectivity cannot be achieved. • 3) Many people today have rejected the idea that there is such a thing as absolute objectivity since they do not believe that it can be achieved.

30. Excerpts from Babbie’s webpage • The following statements are examples of proper citation of Staffen’s statement: • 1) Lisa Staffen (1996:154) begins her review of Porter's book by suggesting "It has become fashionable to reject the notion of absolute objectivity on the grounds that objectivity is simply unattainable or, even if attainable, is undesirable." • 2) In her review of Porter's book, Lisa Staffen (1996:154) says the idea of absolute objectivity is now commonly rejected as "simply unattainable or, even if attainable, [as] undesirable.“ • 3) According to Lisa Staffen (1996:154), it has become fashionable to reject the idea of absolute objectivity altogether.

31. Plagiarism • Bottom line – you can use other people’s ideas and words, but you have to properly acknowledge and cite your materials. • The purpose is that your reader will know what material you are borrowing and how to look up the original source. • For websites, videos, visual presentations, often citing the source is sufficient (and necessary!)