Policy Briefs, the PREPARED way

. Prof. Doris Schroeder, professor of Moral Philosophy at University of Central Lancashire in Cyprus, and Dr Michael Makanga, Executive Director of the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership . Policy briefs come in two main forms – advocacy policy briefs, which argue for a particular course of action, and overview or objective policy […]
Empathy in science: Ethics of Care in the Philippines

Prof. Fatima Alvarez-Castillo is the former Dean of University of the Philippines Manila, and a gender and equity specialist. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, almost one fourth of Filipino families lived below the poverty line. Over half of Filipinos considered themselves food insecure. About 17 million lived in slums, many in shanties, in one small room where whole families […]
What will the PREPARED values be?

Doris Schroeder, Vilma Lukaševičienė, Kate Chatfield, Natalie Evans, Eugenijus Gefenas Many legal documents and ethics codes include moral values or principles. For instance, dignity, equal rights, freedom, justice and peace are the values introducing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). The TRUST Code (2018) for equitable research partnerships is founded upon fairness, respect, care and honesty and the Singapore […]
The TRUST Code — Research equity gets a new name

In 2018, the TRUST consortium launched the Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings in the European Parliament. Five years later and the Code is successfully used all over the world to promote equitable research partnerships, having been adopted across the research cycle by funders (e.g. European Commission), research organisations and publishers (e.g. NATURE). © Stelios Kouloglou […]
Should new trials be started during military conflicts?

Dr Aliukonis is a practising doctor-surgeon and a former clinical research specialist for the Lithuanian Bioethics Committee. He teaches medical ethics at Vilnius University. The outbreak of war introduces unforeseen challenges for clinical trials, whether they are already underway or in development. Military conflicts can cause supply chain disruptions, challenges in recruiting and retaining staff, […]
Under pressure: research needs in a sudden crisis

Lisa Tambornino is a researcher and research manager at EUREC, the European Network of Research Ethics Committees. Carly Seedall is a research analyst at EUREC, focused on cross-national research ethics. Reliable research is always important. But it is especially important in a global crisis. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, decision-makers knew very little […]
It’s not the war, but lost studies putting Ukraine’s clinical research and patients in danger

“Medication” by Gatis Gribusts, CC BY 2.0 Clinical trials are needed in Ukraine, so we can protect our professionals and patients, help advance medical science and improve regulation and ethical standards across the board. Dr Ivan Vyshnyvetskyy is the managing director of FutureMeds and President of the Ukrainian Association for Clinical Research In the clinical […]
Another world is possible – Farewell to Dr Vasantha Muthuswamy

Prof. Doris Schroeder is the Co-ordinator of the TRUST and the PREPARED projects. She first met Dr Vasantha at a meeting in Delhi in 2008. They have been collaborating ever since. Dr Nandini Kumar is the Vice-President of FERCI, and one of Dr Vasantha’s closest and most long-term colleagues. In 2003, Indian author Arundhati Roy […]
Morality and balance — a review of “The COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethical Challenges and Considerations”

The COVID-19 pandemic has left many unanswered questions. As we try to make sense of it, Dr Orla Dummond, senior research analyst at Trilateral Research, reflects on a thought-provoking book considering key ethical questions. The COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethical Challenges and Considerations edited by Eleftheria Egel and Cheryl Patton, successfully navigates issues of morality and balance which […]
A research funder navigates COVID-19: the good, the bad and the resilient

Dr Michael Makanga is the Executive Director of the EDCTP, an EU-African partnership that provides over €750 million in funding to clinical research to detect, treat and prevent poverty-related diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. He is a clinician-scientist from Uganda with 26 years of professional experience working on health and poverty-related diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.Hear him […]