Research Ethics Consultation Service Case Series
Liza-Marie Johnson, MD, MPH, MSB
Program Director of the Section on Bioethics
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Abstract: Can a pediatric clinical trial that poses greater than minimal risk with no direct benefit be ethically acceptable? The St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital research ethics consultation service grappled with this question when asked to consult on a proposed safety study in children with sickle cell disease. It involved testing a drug marketed for other conditions. Dr. Johnson, a bioethicist and pediatric hematologist-oncologist, will discuss this case and the role of research ethics consultation.
The University of Pittsburgh’s Research Ethics Consultation Service (RECS) serves the entire research ecosystem at Pitt: scholars, researchers and members of research teams, as well as research oversight committee members. RECS consultants help researchers in all disciplines think through the ethical and conceptual questions that arise in the design and conduct of their research. To request a consultation, contact RECS@pitt.edu.