Center for Bioethics, Science and Society

Our mission as the Center for Bioethics, Science and Society is to explore and assess the basic research being carried out at Northwestern University by asking the central questions of bioethics.  Such questions allow the widest possible reflection on nationally recognized research in nanotechnology, genomics, genetics, regenerative medicine, end of life care, neonatal and obstetrical dilemmas, and neuroscience. We are committed to public involvement in science, thorough research, dissemination of knowledge, and communication between the academy, and the public.  Through our scholarship, we hope to increase the transparency of basic and translational research.

At Northwestern University, we are committed to exploring the cultural and social framing of science, to understanding its nature, goal, and meaning, and to understanding the nature of the duty to heal, in all its complexity.  The question we ask is not only, what is the impact of science and technology, but also, what sort of future to we wish to create, and what sort of knowledge do we need to responsibly build that future? It is our contention that we need scholars in science, philosophy, religion, humanities, law, and policy to create that future.