Biomedical Ethics Unit

The Biomedical Ethics Unit

The Biomedical Ethics Unit of McGill University, Montreal, was established in 1996 with the aim of supporting scholarly research, clinical services, teaching and public outreach. Members of the unit have backgrounds in law, sociology, molecular genetics, history, medicine, and philosophy, and are cross-appointmented through Social Studies of Medicine, Family Medicine, Experimental Medicine, and Human Genetics.

Education

We offer a Master’s degree with a specialization in biomedical ethics, upper level undergraduate and graduate level courses, and PhD / postdoctoral supervision. Former students have pursued successful careers in academia, consulting, medicine, law, and government.

Research

Our faculty pursue research on the ethics of human research, clinical practice, public health, and medical innovation. Our research is funded by various public granting agencies, including the CIHR, NIH, and FRSQ.

Clinical Services

We provide ethical consult services for McGill affiliated hospitals; we also provide support for research ethics boards at McGill-affiliated research centers.

Public Outreach

Members of the Unit communicate regularly with the news media and the public through interviews, public seminars, and web-based resources. Research findings and/or comments from unit members have been covered in Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and BBC.