QAEP Educational Activities

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QAEP educational activities address both specific and general needs of the research community (e.g. REB members, investigators, study coordinators, trainees, other research staff and members of the general public)

SEMI-ANNUAL LECTURE IN RESEARCH ETHICS - SPRING 2012

Created for REB members, but open to all members of the MUHC research community.

Research Involving Pregnant Women: An Ethical Imperative

Francoise Baylis, PhD
May 4th, 2012
Montreal Neurological Insitute - Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre
Time to be announced

Justice demands that pregnant women not be unfairly excluded from the benefits of research and research participation.

For pregnant women to receive appropriate care for themselves and their fetuses, their treating clinicians need pregnancy-specific data about safety, toxicity, dosage, side effects and contraindications both for pregnant women and their fetuses. The most effective way to get reliable data of this kind is to routinely include pregnant women in clinical trials, except when there is a compelling scientific or ethical reason not to do so. But in practical terms, how might that inclusion work. This article examines the benefits and limitations of two different starting points for research involving pregnant women. The first option would have stand-alone phase I trials for pregnant women initiated at the same time as late phase II or phase III trials in the general population. The second option would have phase I trials for pregnant women embedded into late phase II or phase III trials, with enhanced monitoring for pregnant women similar to that done in a stand-alone phase I trial.

Francoise Baylis, PhD is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Bioethics and Philosophy at Dalhousie University in Halifax. She is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and an elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Professor Baylis publishes extensively on ethical issues relevant to women's reproductive health, research involving humans and novel technologies. Her current research focuses on innovative, responsible and accountable bioethics, with a view to developing and promoting ethical policy in the fields of health, science and biotechnology.

Professor Baylis' work in research ethics spans several decades, and much of this work focuses on the problem of exclusion from trial participation. Initially Professor Baylis focused on the unjust exclusion of children from research. In later years, the focus shifted to the unjust exclusion of women from research. Now that it is widely accepted in principle, if not always in practice, that research involving children and research involving women benefits children and women respectively, Professor Baylis has turned her attention to the unjust exclusion of pregnant women from research. The common thread for this work is the belief that persons should not be unfairly excluded from the benefits of research, or the benefits of research participation. In addition to her academic writing on fair inclusion/exclusion criteria, Professor Baylis has advocated for relevant policy changes to both editions of the TCPS.

To register for this lecture, click here

For presentation slides from our fall conference If We Build It: Can They Access? Challenges in Biomedical Research click here.

WORKSHOPS

IMPORTANT NOTICE: SEVERAL WORKSHOPS WILL BE HELD AT DIFERENT TIMES THAN IN PREVIOUS SESSIONS. WHEN YOU REGISTER, PLEASE NOTE THE TIME FOR THE SPECIFIC WORKSHOP YOU SELECT.

Beginning in Research Ethics? Guiding You in the Right Direction

Presented by: Linda Furlini, PhD

Designed for new investigators and research staff at the MUHC, this interactive workshop will provide an introduction to ethically sensitive aspects of research such as: informed consent, identification and recruitment of participants, privacy and confidentiality, the ethics review process, administrative and regulatory requirements, and other topics of interest to participants.

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
Duff Medical Building, 3775 University, Room 333
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Informed Consent: The Document

Presented by: Linda Furlini, PhD

New to writing consent documents? Learn about: basic elements of writing and content, ethical issues, best practices, and how to avoid common mistakes. We offer hands-on guidance with a focus on clinical trials, although other types of research will also be addressed.

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
Montreal Chest Institute, 3626 St. Urbain, Meakins Christie Laboratories, Room 110
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Informed Consent: The Process with Adults

Presented by: Linda Furlini, PhD

What points need to be considered when obtaining consent from adults who wish to participate in research studies? Far too often, informed consent is viewed as a signature on a form rather than an ongoing process. This interactive session will present an overview of the elements of informed consent as well as the ethical issues that may arise during this process.

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
Montreal Chest Institute, 3626 St. Urbain, Meakins Christie Laboratories, Room 110
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Web Based Research: Navigating in the "Clouds"

Presented by: Dr. Denis Cournoyer, Director, MUHC Research Ethics Office
Mr. Martin Fiset, Senior Security Analyst, Security Governance for the MUHC

Web based research is growing by leaps and bounds with far reaching ethical implications for ensuring confidentiality of health information. Please join us as we begin an important discussion on database security, data mobility, data breaches with the Cloud and other related topics.

The session will begin with a presentation by Martin Fiset

Making your database secure is not an easy task. The challenges are coming from all angles, within the organization as well as from without. Is it possible to conduct a research project using a database Cloud Service? How do we evaluate the security of a Cloud Service? We will consider possible threats and review various measures to counter them. Database Authentication, Identification & Role definitions will also be examined. The talk will conclude with best practices & data management techniques in the context of MUHC Research.

Afterwards, Dr. Denis Cournoyer, will facilitate the discussion. Bring your questions!

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
Montreal General Hospital - Osler Amphitheatre
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research

Presented by: Linda Furlini

Developing a qualitative study proposal? Unsure what ethical issues you need to address in your study and why? This interactive workshop will provide a general overview of research ethics as it relates to qualitative research. Bring your questions! Space is limited.

Monday, February 27th, 2012
Montreal General Hospital - Room D6-190
9:30 am - 11:30 am

Coordinate This?! Ethical Dilemmas in Clinical Research 4

Presented by: Linda Furlini, PhD, TBA

This workshop is designed for study coordinators and research staff by those who know it best. Come listen to your peers discuss challenging issues and cases drawn from experience in the field. During this interactive session, you will have a unique opportunity to ask questions and share ethical issues that arise in your work.

Monday, March 26th, 2012
Montreal General Hospital, Osler Amphitheatre
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

***NEW*** Informed Consent: The Process with Children and Parents

Presented by: Linda Furlini, PhD

How to obtain ongoing consent with children who participate in research? What information do parents and children need in order to make an informed decision? This interactive session will present an overview of informed consent as a process and examine ethical issues that may arise.

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
Montreal Children's Hospital, Room C-417
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

To register for one or more of these workshops, please click here