Kristen Inteman

Adrienne Asch

The Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology will host a three-day conference from May 22 to 24, which will conclude its 2013 lecture series, “The Heart of Medicine.”  The conference will delve into the world of ethics, morals and medicine with presentations, discussions, panels and workshops.

The conference will look at the way ethics and morals function inside a contemporary health care system that faces pressure from pharmaceutical companies, severe differences in socioeconomic classes and available healthcare options, and a growing burden to survive as a business while providing a public service.

Panel and lecture discussions will vary from body- and bio-ethics to mental health to bias and profit in the industry. The keynote lectures will include:

  • “Advocacy and Activism in Biomedical Research: Why ‘Value-Balanced’ is just as bad as ‘Value-Free,’” at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, by Kristen Inteman. Inteman is an associate professor of philosophy at Montana State University. She has been awarded numerous teaching awards and has been published in a variety of journals.
  • “Should We Try To Select Our Children’s Traits?: Values at Stake for Family and Society,” at 9 a.m., Friday, May 24, by Adrienne Asch. Asch is director of the Center for Ethics at Yeshiva University. She has published numerous articles in assorted journals and is the co-editor of Prenatal Testing and Disability Rights and The Double-Edged Helix: Social Implications of Genetics in a Diverse Society.

Registration is $50 to attend the full conference, which includes access to all lectures and panels, in addition to meals throughout the day. More information can be found on the Center’s home page. All conference-related activities will take place on the UT Dallas campus in the Residence Hall South.

Since being formed to investigate and explore the relationship between the humanities and the sciences, the Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology is holding its third conference in as many years. Last year’s symposium focused on “Human Enhancement.”