CREEi is supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R25TW009731.
Center for Global Bioethics (CGB)
Updated April 2024
A new group of Caribbean scholars applied to and were accepted into The CREEi-Hastings Center Climate Bioethics Program (CBP) in October 2023. They have since attended a series of live virtual seminars led by CBP faculty experts including Marina Romanello, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown on the health impacts of climate change, and prominent bioethicists James Dwyer and Dale Jamieson whose work addresses climate change and health. During this time, individual mentors were matched with each of the 9 scholars based on their interest and native language. The 5 Spanish-speaking scholars and 4 English-speaking scholars are developing essays on climate change and health (CCH) topics relevant to their own institutions, countries, and the wider Caribbean basin.
In March 2024, these scholars and mentors attended an intensive in-person workshop in their native language during which they presented and critiqued each other’s work and further developed their essays. They will participate in a 3-day virtual workshop in June during which they will interact with invited regional speakers and guests about regional responses to the health impacts of climate change. This workshop will be the first such event to explicitly incorporate bioethics within discussions of CCH in the Caribbean and aims to foster multidisciplinary and trans-sectoral CCH collaboration. This is important because the ethical dimensions of climate change mitigation and resilience are crucial to identifying and addressing reasons that can garner public. This is important because the ethical dimensions of climate change mitigation and resilience are crucial to identifying and addressing reasons for garnering public support, prioritizing needs and resources, ensuring equitable distribution of benefits and burdens of climate responses, and respecting the perspectives of those are who are affected by CCH and CCH responses.
Those who complete the CBP program will be positioned to integrate bioethics and CCH into their teaching, gain traction as equal partners in international CCH research, become collaborators and co-authors in trans-disciplinary CCH research and public health interventions, and ultimately improve health equity in the Caribbean region. This region has unique vulnerability to climate change due to its diverse geography (small island developing states and other low-lying countries with relatively large coastlines) and socioeconomic status as low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). Work by these scholars will expand the voice and representation of Caribbean SIDS and LMICs in global CCH and bioethics research.
The CBP was patterned after the successful Bioethics Scholars Program (BSP) which was a model educational program for advancing critical thinking and writing skills of professionals from LMICs of the Caribbean basin in English and Spanish languages. Like the BSP, essays produced by CBP scholars will be compiled into a compendium made publicly accessible on the websites of The Hastings Center and others where it will serve as an educational resource in both languages. The CBP is a partnership between CREEi partner institutions (WINDREF, SGU, Clarkson University, and Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro) and The Hastings Center which is a nonprofit, nonpartisan bioethics research institute https://www.thehastingscenter.org/.
The CBP is supported by NIH-FIC Award number 3R25TW 009731-11S1 (Administrative supplement to the Caribbean Research Ethics Education initiative (CREEi) for the period September 2023 for one year.
What is the
Center for Global Bioethics (CGB)?
Global bioethics illuminates social and physical environments that influence health and is used to help navigate values, norms, policies, and responsibilities across distance, time, and social and physical environments. The Center for Global Bioethics (CGB) advances education and analytic research in these areas by nurturing multidisciplinary dialog and partnerships in research, education, and policy.
Located in the small island developing state (SIDS) of Grenada, the CGB focusses on research and public health issues involving English- and Spanish- speaking low- and middle- income countries (LMIC) of the Caribbean basin. CGB partnerships explore how social, economic, cultural, and geographic influences affect regional health priorities and research, and how these influence or are influenced by global circumstances. These partnerships deepen understandings of the dependence of health on environments and ecosystems, influences of environments on health and health priorities, and the value of environmental sustainability.
Established June 2021, the CGB is based in the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF) which is a registered NGO (Grenada), 501 C3 (USA), and charitable trust (UK). CGB activities contribute to WINDREF’s mission of advancing health and environmental development through education and research partnerships.
Mission
The Center for Global Bioethics (CGB) advances ethically informed, environmentally sensitive, and equitable education and analytic research about intersections between health, health priorities, and environments.
Vision
The Center for Global Bioethics (CGB) nurtures trusting partnerships across SIDS and LMICs of the Caribbean basin and beyond to advance education and analytic research about the influences of social, physical, and other environments on health and health priorities. It provides resources for research ethics with a regional focus and offers opportunities for education and research involving global bioethics.
Goals
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To advance global bioethics through collaborative partnerships in education and analytic research.
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To curate and make available resources for research ethics and global bioethics that are regionally sensitive and, when possible, in both English and Spanish languages.
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To investigate and better understand the dependence of health on environments and ecosystems.
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To promote public trust in science and healthcare.
Administration
Faculty
Faculty are appointed for making a significant contribution to a CGB program and serve as consultants.
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Derrick Aarons, PhD, MBBS (Turks & Caicos)
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Jonathan Ashcroft, MD, PhD (England)
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Paul J Cummins, PhD (USA)
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Bernardo Garcia, PhD, MScB (Mexico)
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Nicholas Jennings, PhD (Trinidad & Tobago)
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Sharmella Roopchand Martin, PhD, MScB (Jamaica)
Advisory Board
Members are Caribbean, Latin American, and internationally recognized bioethicists with expertise in global bioethics, research ethics, or public and environmental health who are committed to advancing the CGB mission. They meet annually or as needed to review and advise regarding CBG’s strategic vision and projects. The Advisory Board appoints a Chair and Vice Chair from within its membership. Administrative support is provided by the Administrative Associate.
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Shereen Cox, Pharmacist, Ethics lecturer, Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Oslo, Norway
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Elizabeth Heitman, Program in Ethics in Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA
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Ruth Macklin, Distinguished University Professor Emerita, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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Cristina Richie, Lecturer, Philosophy and Ethics of Technology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherland
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Carla Saenz, Knowledge Management, Bioethics and Research, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), USA
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Calum Macpherson, Director, WINDREF, Ex officio
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Trevor Noel, Deputy Director, WINDREF, Ex officio
Institutional Partners
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Caribbean Research Ethics Education initiative (CREEii)
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Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF)
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Bioethics Division, Department of Clinical Skills, St George’s University
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Unidad de Bioética and the Applied Ethics and Bioethics Postgraduate Programs, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro
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The Bioethics Program, Clarkson University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine
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Bioethics Society of the English-speaking Caribbean (BSEC)
Activities
Education
The Caribbean Research Ethics Education initiative (CREEi) is supported until 2024 by the NIH Fogarty International Center Award # R25TW009731 to design and deliver a two-year master’s degree program in bioethics (MScB) using a hybrid model of in-person and online courses that are mainly asynchronous. Courses use regionally relevant content and pedagogy while supporting international ideals and standards. CREEi courses ground multicultural and international partnerships through simultaneous teaching in English and Spanish. One 10-week course is dedicated exclusively to the responsible conduct of research (RCR), and another exclusively to humans subjects research. Animal and environmental ethics are integrated into courses including RCR, public health ethics, policy, and research methods. The curriculum is research oriented and prepares students to design and conduct independent analytic research in bioethics by building skills for critical thinking and independent research and publication.
By 2024, the MScB degree will be offered by St George’s University School of Graduate Studies in Grenada and Autonomous Universidad de Queretaro in Mexico, and there will be a vibrant alumni network across the English- and Spanish- speaking Caribbean basin with members contributing significantly to research, research ethics, and global bioethics.
The CGB provides strategic guidance for meeting CREEi goals as follows:
2021
Complete delivery of year 1 of the 2-year curriculum to the 1st cohort of fellows enrolled in the Bioethics Program of Clarkson University and Icahn Mt Sinai School of Medicine
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Simultaneously design and begin to deliver year 2 of the curriculum
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Redesign year 1 based on lessons learned
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Enroll and deliver year 1 to a 2nd cohort of fellows enrolled in Clarkson University
2022
Work toward establishing CREEi’s MScB at partner institutions in UAQ and SGU
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Redesign year-2 of the curriculum and courses based on lessons learned
- Enroll and deliver year-2 to the 2nd cohort of fellows enrolled in Clarkson University
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Enroll and deliver year-1 to a 3rd cohort of fellows enrolled in Clarkson University
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Prepare and submit cohort 1 master’s thesis research projects for publication
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Design and deliver a regional stakeholder workshop on research ethics to meet host needs and priorities (cohort 1)
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Graduate cohort 1 with CREEi MScB from Clarkson
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Submit for presentation and/or publication CREEi accomplishments, models, etc
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Design and initiate stakeholder or public engagement and outreach to advance interest in research ethics and global bioethics
2023
Complete delivery of year 1 to the 3rd cohort and begin delivery of year 2
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Prepare and submit cohort 2 master’s thesis research for publication
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Design and deliver a regional stakeholder workshop on research ethics to meet host needs and priorities (cohort 2)
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Graduate cohort 2 with CREEi MScB from Clarkson
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Submit for presentation and/or publication CREEi accomplishments, models, etc
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Continue engagement and outreach to advance interest in research ethics and global bioethics
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Begin planning a CREEi symposium to highlight fellows accomplishments, the regional alumni network, and generate proceedings for publication
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Collect information for the CREEi website
2024
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Complete delivery of year 2 to the 3rd cohort o Prepare and submit cohort 3 master’s thesis research for publication
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Design and deliver a regional stakeholder workshop on research ethics to meet host needs and priorities (cohort 3)
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Graduate cohort 3 with CREEi MScB
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Submit for presentation and/or publication CREEi accomplishments, models, etc
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Conduct the CREEi symposium, draft proceedings, and submit for publication
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Update CREEi website
CGB Educational Workshops are available upon request and are designed to meet the unique needs of each host and stakeholder group. They educate by providing information and facilitating discussion. Their design and delivery often involve CREEi alumni. Training webinars on research ethics are available to SGU’s IRB, IACUC, and other institutions.
A CGB Seminar Series will be run twice annually in partnership with WINDREF and SGU’s School of Graduate Studies. One of these two annual seminars will host renowned speakers who bring a global bioethics perspective to a current topic and may generate international participa
Annual Webinar
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Research
The Caribbean Research Ethics Education initiative (CREEi) is supported until 2024 by NIH Fogarty International Center Award # R25TW009731 (noted above). The MScB curriculum builds skills for designing and conducting analytic research and publishing outcomes. Fellows and alumni are expected to apply these skills in their own employment, research and scholarly activities, research ethics review, and policy work. CGB faculty may supervise or collaborate with fellow’s on their master’s research and help disseminate outcomes, consultations, and present or publish findings.
Ethics of Biobanking looks beyond human materials (biological, genetic, digital, behavioral) to explore concerns involving their intersection with biobanked plant and non-human animal materials and information.
Environments and Health examines the dependence of human and animal health on environments by focusing on regional or global interactions that involve climate change, agriculture, energy, and others.
Global Health is concerned with understanding and helping to alleviate regional and global limitations in delivering equitable and effective healthcare. Its focus is access to effective pain management and palliative care (defined by the Declaration of Montreal as a human right). Despite the wealth of clinical evidence and guidance for providing these, relatively few institutions or countries prioritize these in healthcare delivery or have resources to provide essential training.
Resources
Research Ethics is a curated collection of readings and CREEi’s curriculum, slide decks, best practices, MScB theses, and other materials. Some is publicly available on CREEi’s website and some available upon request. Much is available in both English and Spanish languages.
Research Ethics Guidelines is a curated collection of internationally significant guidelines including recent releases by the Nuffield Council, Belmont Report, UK Biobank, Council of International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), World Health Organization (WHO), International Compilation of Research Ethics Guidelines, and others. These are linked and publicly available from CREEi’s website.
Global Bioethics partners with the open access journal Global Bioethics to recruit authors and peer reviewers from the SIDS and LMICs of the Caribbean basin and beyond. The journal stimulates and informs research, education, and policy involving ethical issues with global relevance.
The NIH-Fogarty International Center (Award #R25TW009731) contributes support to CREEi centers of excellence (CGB and Unidad de Bioetica).