Biomedical research generates knowledge that can improve human health, but it also raises important ethical questions. The Biomedical Ethics and Policy group at the Institute for Biomedicine investigates the ethical and societal dimensions of biomedical research, including participation in studies and biobanking, as well as the use and sharing of data and biological samples. Through its work, the group actively contributes to international debates on bioethics, biobanking, and the responsible use of health data.
By supporting the Institute’s own research, the group ensures that ethical considerations are integrated from the very beginning of the research process, through an Ethics by Design-approach. A key outcome of this work is the ethical framework for biobanking, developed within the CHRIS study. With innovative concepts such as the dynamic informed consent and clearly defined access policies for data and biological samples emerging from this work, the Institute sets European standards for responsible, participant-centered, and socially relevant research.
The groups work brings together scientific and societal perspectives. It explores how the interests and needs of research participants, scientists, and other stakeholders can be balanced to enable responsible research. To do this, it combines empirical studies – by using social sciences methods such as surveys and interviews – with theoretical reflection. In this way, the group aims to identify and analyze ethical challenges and develop solutions that reconcile the rights of those involved with the practical realities of research.
In close collaboration with the Institute’s legal team, the group translates the knowledge gained into concrete tools: ethical frameworks, workflows, and guidelines that support researchers in planning and conducting their projects responsibly.
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