CREEi is supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R25TW009731.
The CREEi Hastings-Center Bioethics Scholars Program (BSP)
Updated April 2024
Voices in Bioethics from the Caribbean, a collection of essays by English- and Spanish-speaking scholars of the region, is now available open access! Essays by each of the 8 Caribbean scholars who participated in The CREEi-Hastings Center Bioethics Scholars Program (BSP) are available in both English and Spanish languages and accompanied by their respective biographies. BSP consisted of online sessions with our English speaking and Spanish speaking scholars and faculty, facilitated by simultaneous interpretation, as well as in person intensives provided in English and Spanish. Each Scholar was paired with a mentor to then develop their essay. The model bioethics educational program was designed to advance critical thinking and writing skills among bioethics professionals in low- and middle-income countries in the Caribbean basin in English and Spanish languages.
Voices in Bioethics was featured in The Hastings Center newsletter and on its homepage https://www.thehastingscenter.org/news/introducing-voices-in-bioethics-from-the-caribbean/ . Full access is available here https://www.thehastingscenter.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-the-hastings-center/voices-in-bioethics-from-the-caribbean-basin-voces-en-bioetica-desde-la-cuenca-del-caribe/#table-of0contents and also from Mexico’s Conbioética Newsletter here https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/909196/Newsletter_15_2024.pdf
These essays give voice to emerging bioethicists from low- and middle-income countries bordering the Caribbean Sea as they explore some of the ethical concerns pertinent to the region. The Caribbean and Latin American region is geographically and culturally diverse ranging from small island developing states like St. Vincent and the Grenadines to large countries like Mexico. We envision that these essays, and the skills that these scholars gained through the BSP, will contribute to strengthening regional bioethics discourse, education, research, and policymaking.
The BSP was supported by NIH-FIC Award number 3R25TW 009731 (Administrative supplement to the Caribbean Research Ethics Education initiative (CREEi) for the period September 2022 through August 2023.
The CREEi Hastings-Center Bioethics Scholars Program (BSP)
The Bioethics Scholars Program (BSP) provides a novel approach to developing and enhancing bioethics training. This will strengthen bioethics discourse and education by i) increasing representation of the global South in international bioethics discourse in two languages; and ii) enhancing regional capacity to negotiate for equitable international research partnerships that better fulfil CIOMS (2016) ethical requirements for international research, respond to host country health priorities, use locally appropriate study designs, and share benefits fairly and proportionately.
The BSP is a model educational program for advancing critical thinking and writing skills among professionals from low and middle income countries of the Caribbean basin in English and Spanish languages. Trainees are mentored to develop a bioethics case study on an issue relevant to their work and region, some of which will be relevant in other regions and countries. The cases and analyses will be compiled into a casebook made publicly accessible as an educational resource in both languages through the websites of the parent grant (CREEi), The Hastings Center, the Bioethics Society of the English-speaking Caribbean, and the Unidad de Bioetica.
The curriculum was designed and is delivered by two leading North American bioethicist educators from the Hastings Center in partnership with the CREEi PI and other faculty. The Hastings Center is an influential independent bioethics center https://www.thehastingscenter.org/.
Aims
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Improve critical thinking and writing skills among MScB students and graduates to enhance their contributions to research ethics scholarship, education, and policy development.
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This will be achieved through a highly participatory hybrid online/in-person course co-developed by PI Macpherson and internationally recognized bioethics educators from The Hastings Center with experience developing curricula aimed at improving critical thinking and communication skills.
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Create opportunities for trainees to lead and engage in discussion and advancement of ethical issues relevant to low- and middle-income countries through scholarly outputs they will be mentored to produce.
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This will be achieved through one-on-one mentorship and a capstone requirement that trainees will contribute a case study with analysis in an online casebook developed through this proposal. In addition to the casebook, mentorship provided will encourage trainees to further develop their case analyses into a conference paper, journal article, or blog post and to develop educational programs or research ethics policy in their home institutions or countries.
Faculty
Cheryl Macpherson, PI - CREEi, St George’s University
Millie Solomon, Co-I - The Hastings Center
Carolyn Neuhaus, Co-I - The Hastings Center
Mercer Gary, Co-I - The Hastings Center
Gustavo Ortiz Millán, Faculty - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Bernardo Aguilera Dreyse, Faculty - Universidad de Chile
Paul J Cummins, Faculty - CREEi, Clarkson University
Scholars
Angeles Adame Gayosso - Mexico
Sara Torres Castro - Mexico
Kareem Coomansingh - Grenada
Pamela Frigerio - Mexico
Shakel Hensen - St Vincent
Patricia Mancilla - Mexico
Donna McKinnon - Guyana
Deborah Stijnberg - Surinam
