A Special Symposium
Ethics in Imaging Research

Organizers: Claudia Hillenbrand, Ph.D., Lawrence L. Wald, Ph.D.
Skill Level: Intermediate

Wednesday 7 May 2008

Overview:

There are a number of important ethical issues to be aware of for today's imaging scientists. In this two-hour symposium, we hope to summarize the current thinking on these important issues:
1) Ethical handling of incidental findings in healthy subject examinations and what is expected as due diligence handling of imaging data in a way that might help your subject;
2) The growing burden of grant compliance; managing a grant today in a manner that was common 15 years ago could land the principal investigator in jail;
3) Manipulation of digital images. MR images are manipulated almost by definition, but recent high profile cases in other fields show that there is a continuum between ethical enhancements and outright fraud. This seminar will discuss mechanisms for appropriate scientific conduct (good scientific practice) and some case histories from other fields.

Educational Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

  • Identify and resolve shortcomings in ethical treatment of volunteers;
  • Recognize the critical elements of grants compliance needed to comply with funding agency regulations; and
  • Apply only proper acquisition and manipulation of scientific digital images.

    • Audience Description:

    This special symposium addresses basic scientists and clinicians working in imaging research, who perform volunteer imaging, actively publish imaging data, and/ or pursue extramural funding, and who wish to review the ethical implications of their work.  This session will be aimed at M.D.s, Ph.D.s, students, and technologists, in all imaging research areas.

         
    Wednesday    
         
    14:00 Ethics of Incidental Findings - What Do You Owe Your Subject? A. Gregory Sorensen, M.D.
    14:30 Discussion  
    14:40 Grants and Contracts - The Growing Burden of Regulatory Compliance Mark Barnes
    15:10 Discussion  
    15:20 Good Scientific Conduct - Ethics in Imaging Research Douglas W. Cromey, M.S.
    15:50 Discussion  
    16:00 Adjournment