Hastings-science journalism event; next CRISPR drugs, AI in doctor's office
February 8, 2024
In Science We Trust? Join us for a Hastings-Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT event
We’re teaming up with the renowned Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT to present a webinar on the pivotal issue of trust in science. Moderated by John Evans of the University of California, San Diego, and a Hastings Center Fellow, this event will feature bioethicist Lauren Taylor of NYU and The Hastings Center, scientist Christopher Reddy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and MIT, and journalist Nicholas St. Fleur of Stat News. They will explore the worldwide trend of distrust in science and medicine: What generated the distrust we’re seeing today? How can scientists and science journalists work together to build trust with more effective communication—to engage and inform public discourse? Join us on Tuesday, March 5, 1 pm Eastern time. Learn more and register.
After the First CRISPR Drug, What's Next? Potential for addressing the antibiotic resistance crisis
The first therapy using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology—a drug for sickle-cell disease-—was approved a couple of months ago and hailed as a milestone. What might be the next CRISPR drugs? Promising prospects include antimicrobials to address the worldwide antibiotic resistance crisis, which claims 1.27 million lives each year. An article by Hastings Center research associate Danielle Pacia and coauthors Beatrice L. Brown, a student at Yale Law School; Timo Minssen of the University of Copenhagen; and Jonathan J. Darrow of Harvard Medical School; evaluates the potential of one kind of CRISPR-enhanced antimicrobial therapy and considers scientific and economic hurdles to overcome. Read the article in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences.
Can Artificial Intelligence Improve Doctor-Patient Visits and Reduce Burnout? New tools show promise but have limitations
Physicians are testing AI tools that record their conversations with patients and create written notes. The hope is that such tools will free doctors to focus on their patients and reduce the burden of documentation. But there are technical limitations and ethical issues to work out. Of particular concern is guarding patients’ privacy by restricting who has access to recordings of highly personal conversations, said Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky in an interview with AAMC News. She noted the risk of having such a recording “attached to my health record, where maybe my family history and even DNA information are.” Read the AAMC News article.
Upcoming Events
Hastings Center Fellows Regional Colloquium Series. Keynote featuring Arthur Caplan, Hastings Center fellow, NYU Grossman School of Medicine. February 9.
Reflections on the Idea of Social and Behavioral Genomics, with Hastings Center senior research scholar Erik Parens. February 14.
AI in Health. Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky will speak about AI in health at the Lake Nona symposium. February 28 - March 1.
In Science We Trust? Hastings Center-Knight Science Journalism Program webinar. March 5.
Imagining Socially Just Policy Narratives About Dementia, with Hastings Center senior research scholar Nancy Berlinger. University of Utah, Salt Lake City. March 6.
The Hastings Center seeks to ensure responsible health and science policy and practice. We work to secure the wisest possible use of emerging technologies and fair, compassionate, and just health care for people across their lifespan.
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