INSTITUTE OF BIOETHICS
Mission of the institute
The Institute of Bioethics of the Francisco de Vitoria University is a training, research and dissemination center specialized in Bioethics, whose actions, within the aims and ideals that inspire the Francisco de Vitoria University, are based on the search for truth and respect for the dignity of every person from the moment he/she begins to exist until the end of his/her life. Its fundamental aim is the teaching, study and research of present and future ethical and bioethical challenges posed by interventions on life from an interdisciplinary perspective, namely scientific, philosophical (anthropological and ethical) and legal, proposing solutions based on a bioethics centered on the person and his inherent dignity, the ethics of care, interdependence in vulnerability and virtue.
Contact: beca.bioetica@ufv.es
Location: Module 4 second floor
Director
Prof. Dr. Elena Postigo Solana
Bioethics Professors
Prof. Dr. Sagrario Crespo
Prof. Dr. Alfonso Canabal Prof.
Dr. J. Ignacio Centenera Prof.
Dr. Javier Galán Prof. Dr. David García Prof.
Dr. Mónica López Barahona
Prof. Dr. Ramón Lucas Lucas LC.
Prof. Fernando Lorenzo
Prof. Patricia Madrazo
Interns:
Carmen Barbacid
Carmen Cabrera
Development areas
Training
Research
Activities and outreach
UFV-Bancofar Chair in Bioethics
Training
The bioethics institute of the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria develops its undergraduate and postgraduate training through different activities:
1. The official master's degree in Bioethics
The official master’s degree in Bioethics, taught in collaboration with the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, began to be taught as an official degree in October 2021. It is a master’s degree of 60 ECTS credits and qualifies for the doctorate in the European Higher Education framework
For more information, please consult here.
2. Training seminars
Throughout the academic year, the institute organizes seminars on emerging issues in bioethics for the entire UFV community:
2.COVID Challenges
On November 4, 2020, the Institute of Bioethics organized a seminar to reflect on the bioethical issues presented by the global pandemic situation by COVID-19. The recording is available below:
2.Euthanasia
In view of the imminent approval of the euthanasia law in Spain, on February 24, 2021, the Institute of Bioethics gave a seminar in which the bioethical issues involved in the approval of this law were discussed.
In addition, on March 18, 2021, 6 days prior to the passage of the law, the Bioethics Institute published a manifesto entitled Caring is always possible in relation to this issue.
Investigación
1. Transhumanism, Posthumanism, Postfeminism
In February 2020 the Research Project “Transhumanism, Posthumanism, Postfeminism: interdisciplinary, philosophical, bioethical and legal analysis” submitted for the UFV internal call for applications and funded by the Vice-Rectorate for Research of the UFV was approved. The PI of the project was Elena Postigo and in this same line of research she directed the 2021 Open Reason conference “Transhumanism: Homo Sapiens or Cyborg?
The project “Transhumanism, Posthumanism, Postfeminism: interdisciplinary, philosophical, bioethical and legal analysis”, was an interdisciplinary project, which brought together professors from different faculties, to analyze transhumanism from different perspectives, including its ethical and bioethical implications and closed in December 2022 with the publication of a special issue in the Journal Cuadernos de Bioética with the participation of almost all the members of the project.
2. Bioethical and biolegal analysis of emerging technologies
In February 2022, the research project “Bioethical and biolegal analysis of emerging technologies applied to human health and proposal of action protocols” was approved under the acronym BioEmerTech. The purpose of the project is: to address the study of gene editing, enhancement interventions and interventions on the brain (neuroimplants, brain-computer interface and deep intracranial stimulation), from a triple perspective; scientific, bioethical and legal. The specific aims of the project are:
Identify the status of advances made by the emerging technologies identified (germline and somatic gene editing, human genome enhancement interventions and brain interventions (neuroimplants, brain-computer interface and deep intracranial stimulation for therapeutic purposes) in their application to human health
To analyze the main ethical issues raised by these technologies from the perspective of Bioethics and Biolaw (Spanish, European and international)
To make concrete proposals for regulatory regulation and action protocols so that the application of these technologies to human health is adequately addressed in the coming years, so that the human health of people and future generations is not put at stake
Photo of the BioEmerTech research group
Since its formation, several members of the project have given seminars on the issues studied:
- Seminar on Bioethics and genetic alterations, given by Professors Nicolás Jouve, Professor of Genetics at UAH, Miquel Angel Serra, senior researcher at UPF, and Águeda Tejera, Professor of Genetics at UFV. This seminar addressed the issues of gene editing or CRISPR/Cas9, for therapeutic and enhancement purposes, and telomeres.
- Seminar on Neuroethics: therapies, enhancement and bioethical challenges given by Prof. Alberto Carrara L.C.
- Seminar Neurorights and the regulation of emerging issues in Bioethics, given by Professors Alberto García, Dean of the Faculty of Bioethics of the UPRA and José Carlos Abellán, URJC.
- Seminar on the protection of freedom of thought and the neurorights, given by Professor José Manuel Muñoz, PhD in Logic, History and Philosophy of Science
In addition, on October 20, 2023, the Institute of Bioethics, in collaboration with the UFV-Bancofar Chair of Bioethics, organized a Bioethics conference entitled “Bioethical and Biolegal Analysis of Emerging Technologies applied to Health”.
Activities and outreach
1. International Conference on Transhumanism
As a result of the progress made with the project “Transhumanism, Posthumanism, Postfeminism”, the PI of the project and director of the Institute of Bioethics, Elena Postigo, led the 2021 Open Reason conference “Transhumanism: Homo Sapiens or Cyborg?”
Promotional poster for the congress “Transhumanism: Homo Sapiens or Cyborg?”
2. Humanae Vitae Congress
In collaboration with the Jérôme Lejeune International Chair of Bioethics, the Institute of Bioethics of the UFV, organized the Humanae Vitae Congress which was held on May 19 and 20, 2023 in Rome.
Promotional poster for the “Humanae Vitae” congress
3. Round table on the issue of neuralink
The Open Reason Institute and the Faculty of Experimental Sciences, in collaboration with the Institute of Bioethics, organized a round table to discuss the bioethical issues surrounding the company Neuralink founded by Elon Musk. The event took place on April 17, 2024 and featured presentations by Professors Ángel Sánchez Palencia, Professor of Anthropology at UFV, and Alberto Carrara, LC. professor of neuroethics at APRA.
Promotional poster for the “neuralink” seminar
UFV-Bancofar Chair of Bioethics
On May 19, 2022, the agreement was signed for the creation of the UFV-Bancofar Bioethics Chair.
Attached to the Department of Humanities of the UFV, the UFV-Bancofar Chair of Bioethics aims, through different actions, to provide training to professionals from different fields, as well as to promote research in Bioethics, pharmaceutical research, and to become a forum for debate for professionals whose scientific or professional activity is focused on this area of knowledge and research.
Among the main aims of the Chair are to broaden the knowledge of bioethics in the Spanish pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, teaching and postgraduate training in Bioethics, research in the field of Bioethics and integral ecology, the organization of scientific conferences, courses, symposiums or meetings of experts, as well as the publication of documents or monographs on Bioethics and to become a leading consultant in Bioethics.
All the seminars given by the UFV-Bancofar Chair of Bioethics in collaboration with the university’s Institute of Bioethics can be consulted below.
Seminars
Throughout the academic year, the Bioethics Institute, in collaboration with the UFV-Bancofar Bioethics Chair, gives bioethics training seminars:
- Ethics of pharmaceutical activity: On October 6, 2022, the first seminar of the UFV-Bancofar Bioethics Chair was given to deal with ethical issues related to pharmaceutical activity. The seminar was given by Professor José López Guzmán, UNAV.
- Ethical functions and responsibilities in community pharmacy: On November 23, 2022, the seminar was given by Mr. Manuel Pozo and Mr. Manuel García of Bancofar’s Institutional Relations Department.
- Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: On March 1, 2023 a seminar was given to deal with the issues of Ethics and Artificial Intelligence by Professor Inmaculada Puebla.
- Ethics and Transparency in the Pharmacy Office: On April 19 a seminar was organized on the ethical issues that arise in the Pharmacy Office. The seminar was given by Mr. Manuel Pozo and Mr. Juan Manuel García Conde.
- Antropología, Genómica y Bioética; un diálogo interdisciplinar: On November 22, 2023, a seminar was given by Professors Ángel Sánchez-Palencia, Elena Postigo Solana and Marian Mellén from different areas of research with the aim of encouraging dialogue between the different disciplines of knowledge.
- Deontological principles in the practice of the pharmaceutical profession: On January 31, 2024 Professor José López Guzmán gave a seminar on the pharmaceutical code of ethics
