Dr Lílian Santos, Professor of Bioethics at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolurm and Research Scholar at the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, gave a conference on May 23rd at ‘Research Land’, the largest clinical research event in Mexico, organised by APEIC.
Dr Santos presented case studies and recent news on the use of new technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9, wearable devices and chips, also considered trends such as cyborgs, DYI and biohackers, with an emphasis on their effects on clinical research ethics.
Research ethics is a constantly evolving field, especially in light of the challenges posed by new technologies. Ethics is not identifiable with technical possibility nor with the legislation of the moment. In her lecture, Dr. Lílian Santos explained the main models of bioethics (utilitarianism, principalism and personalism) along with their respective principles. She also spoke about the triangular method of bioethics, which comprises scientific data, evaluative anthropological analysis and ethical-normative elaboration.
In conclusion, research ethics requires a delicate balance between technological progress and human values. The triangular method and the principles of Personalist Bioethics provide a moral compass so that new technologies can be developed and applied in a responsible and human-friendly way.