By Andrew Rock
Around 21 Americans die each day waiting for transplants. In New York, over 10,000 people are currently in need of an organ transplant. Though exact numbers vary by state, approximately 45% of American adults are registered as organ donors. Given the life-saving capabilities of organs, and great demand for them, what prevents more people fr0m donating?
Experts have been examining the somewhat beguiling gap that exists between the number …

By Caroline Song
A study conducted by Dr. Scott Frey at the University of Missouri suggests that the ability of hand transplant recipients to recover their senses of touch might be due to physiological changes within the hand as well as other important neurological changes. The results of the study could help facilitate the recovery process for patients who suffer brain or spinal cord injuries.
Following the loss of a limb, the …

By Kaitlyn Schaeffer
Twenty-three million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease, and of these, 615,000 have reached end stage renal failure. More than 100,000 patients are waiting for a deceased organ transplant; however, based on recent UNOS data, only 16,000 of them can expect to receive a donor kidney.
The current organ shortage means those on waiting lists will have to wait longer than expected, and longer waits correlate with an increased risk of …

October 2014 Newsletter

Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI) is dedicated to fostering public awareness and understanding of bioethical issues, as well as to exploring solutions to bioethical challenges.

Through its events and activities, GBI seeks to keep the international community, policy decision-makers, the media, and the general public informed and aware of important bioethical issues. Such awareness is essential for making informed decisions and fostering public debates about possible solutions to these pressing …

By Caroline Song
The Moscow Times recently published an article highlighting the problems that are currently plaguing Russia’s organ procurement process.
After getting into a car accident, Alina Sablina fell into a coma and subsequently passed away. While filing charges against the other driver, Sablina’s parents came across a forensic report that listed the removal of seven of their daughter’s organs. However, neither Sablina nor her parents had consented to the procedures, or …

By J. Adebukola Awosogba
From 19th century farmland to the to site of the nation’s first full face transplant, the Longwood Area embodies 180 years of Bostonian history.
Named after the home of Nepolean Bonaparte, Longwood circa 1877 was a place where New England aristocrats enjoyed the occasional tennis or cricket match. However, the twentieth century ushered in a new era of art and education.  By 1920, Longwood was home to the Isabelle …

By Amy Xia
Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman from California with terminal brain cancer, ended her life with physician prescribed medications last Saturday. She became the face of the Death with Dignity movement, with a viral video about her decision to die on her own terms. She worked closely with Compassion & Choices, an advocacy group that aims to promote patient choice at the end-of-life. Currently, only five states in the …

By Caroline Song
Recently, a group of prominent members of the German parliament introduced for debate a set of requirements that would legalize doctor-assisted suicide in their country. These legislators believe that the laws currently in place prolong human suffering, and as such are an affront to human dignity. Instead, they argue, patients should be able to decide for themselves how much pain they can tolerate.
The list of conditions included seven …

By Andrew Rock
Brittany Maynard, the 29-year-old woman whose recent battle with terminal brain cancer made her the new face of the right-to-die movement, ended her own life on Sunday night. She declared via Facebook, “Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love.”
Maynard continued, “Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that …

By Amy Xia
With extremely short wait times for organ transplants, China has become a popular destination for “transplant tourism.” Compared to the average wait of 4-5 years in the United States, the wait in China is much shorter.
In one case, a patient waited only a month for both a kidney and liver transplants, although the family of the patient was given little information about the organs and who they were …