On Tech Ethics with CITI Program

Discusses the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate antibiotic discovery. 

Our guest today is César de la Fuente who is a Presidential Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. César’s research focuses on using computational approaches to accelerate discoveries in biology and medicine. Specifically, he pioneered the development of the first computer-designed antibiotic with efficacy in animal models, demonstrating the application of AI for antibiotic discovery and helping launch this emerging field. 
 

Related publications: 

• Pioneering study describing an antibiotic designed by AI with efficacy in preclinical mouse models: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03746-3 
• First exploration of the human proteome as a source of antibiotics, yielding numerous preclinical candidates: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-021-00801-1 
• First therapeutic molecules (i.e., antibiotics) identified in extinct organisms, launching the field of molecular de-extinction: https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/pdfExtended/S1931-3128(23)00296-2 
• Relevant review in Science with the Collins Lab covering this emerging field: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adh1114 

Related media coverage: 

• STAT - “Giant sloths and woolly mammoths: Mining past creatures’ DNA for future antibiotics:” https://www.statnews.com/2023/10/25/antibiotics-resistance-ancient-dna-cesar-de-la-fuente/ 
• Vox - “Using AI, scientists bring Neanderthal antibiotics back from extinction:” https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23811682/ai-neanderthal-antibiotics-extinction 
• CNN - “Why ‘resurrection biology’ is gaining traction around the world:” https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/26/world/resurrection-biology-extinct-species-virus-scn/index.html 

Additional resources: 

• De La Fuente Lab: http://delafuentelab.seas.upenn.edu/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cesardelafuentenunez/ 
• X: https://twitter.com/delafuenteupenn 
• CITI Program’s Bioethics course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/bioethics/ 
• CITI Program’s Technology, Ethics, and Regulations course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/technology-ethics-and-regulations/ 

Discusses RealResponse, which is a platform that helps create safe, ethical, and inclusive educational and workplace environments.

Our guest today is David Chadwick who is the Founder and CEO of RealResponse.

Additional resources:

·         RealResponse: https://www.realresponse.com/

·         On Campus with CITI Program: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1896915

·         CITI Program’s Safe Research Environments course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/safe-research-environments/

Discusses artificial placenta and womb technologies, including some ethical considerations for first-in-human clinical trials. 

Our guest today is Stephanie Kukora who is a neonatologist and bioethicist at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, where she serves as core faculty in the Certificate Program in Pediatric Bioethics. She conducts research related to shared decision-making, global health, and education targeting communication skills for clinicians. 
 

Additional resources: 

• “Ethical challenges in first-in-human trials of the artificial placenta and artificial womb: not all technologies are created equally, ethically:” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41372-023-01713-5 
• CITI Program’s Bioethics course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/bioethics/ 
• CITI Program’s Healthcare Ethics Committee course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/healthcare-ethics-committee/ 

Discusses privacy and other ethical considerations for extended reality settings. 

Our guest today is Mihaela Popescu who is a Professor of Digital Media in the Department of Communication Studies at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and the Faculty Director of CSUSB's Extended Reality for Learning Lab (xREAL). She holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Additional resources: 

• Educause: https://www.educause.edu/ 
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: https://www.eff.org/ 
• CITI Program’s Technology, Ethics, and Regulations course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/technology-ethics-and-regulations/ 

Discusses considerations for using artificial intelligence in Institutional Review Board operations. 

Our guest is Myra Luna-Lucero, EdD, the Research Compliance Director at Columbia University’s Teachers College. She spearheaded the College’s “Ethics & Safety Amid Uncertainty” initiative and co-chaired the Research Compliance & Safety Committee. She has also recently launched the “Research Writing & Ethics” internship program and oversaw an extensive transformation of the College’s IRB website. She regularly offers seminars and workshops on research compliance and IRB leadership. A researcher and teacher herself, Dr. Luna-Lucero has studied and published on student motivation in STEM fields, barriers to accessing education for students in rural communities, and community activism. 
 

Additional resources: 

• CITI Program’s Essentials of Responsible AI course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/essentials-of-responsible-ai/ 
• CITI Program’s Technology, Ethics, and Regulations course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/technology-ethics-and-regulations/ 

Discusses recent developments in the regulation of artificial intelligence.

Our guest today is Brenda Leong who is a Partner at Luminos.Law and an adjunct faculty member teaching privacy and information security at George Mason University.

Additional resources:

· White House Fact Sheet on the Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence/
· European Union AI Act overview: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20231206IPR15699/artificial-intelligence-act-deal-on-comprehensive-rules-for-trustworthy-ai
· The Bletchley Declaration: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-safety-summit-2023-the-bletchley-declaration/the-bletchley-declaration-by-countries-attending-the-ai-safety-summit-1-2-november-2023
· G7 Guiding Principles and Code of Conduct for AI: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/g7-leaders-statement-hiroshima-ai-process
· Luminos.Law: https://luminos.law/
· CITI Program’s Essentials of Responsible AI course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/essentials-of-responsible-ai/

Discusses the impact of generative artificial intelligence on research integrity.

Our guest today is Mohammad Hosseini who is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University. Mohammad’s work explores a broad range of research ethics issues, such as recognizing contributions in academic publications, citations and publication ethics, gender issues in academia, and employing artificial intelligence and large language models in research.

Additional resources:

· “How ChatGPT is transforming the postdoc experience” (Nordling 2023): https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03235-8

· “An exploratory survey about using ChatGPT in education, healthcare, and research” (Hosseini et al. 2023): https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0292216

· CITI Program’s Essentials of Responsible AI course: https://about.citiprogram.org/course/essentials-of-responsible-ai/

Discusses ethical and policy considerations for xenotransplantation clinical trials.

Our guest today is Karen Maschke, a Senior Research Scholar at The Hastings Center and editor of The Hastings Center’s journal Ethics & Human Research. Her work focuses on ethical, regulatory, and policy issues associated with developing and using new biotechnologies.

Additional resource:

· The Hastings Center “Ethical and Policy Guidance for Translational Xenotransplantation Clinical Trials:” https://www.thehastingscenter.org/who-we-are/our-research/current-projects/ethical-and-policy-guidance-for-translational-xenotransplantation-clinical-trials/

Our guest today is Patrick English, a Professor of Automotive Engineering Technology at Ferris State University. He teaches both the engineering aspects and the service of advanced vehicles. Dr. English has two technical associates, a BS in vocational industrial education, a master’s degree in workforce education development, and a PhD in technology management.

Additional resources:

• Jones Day “Autonomous Vehicles: Legal and Regulatory Developments in the United States” white paper: https://www.jonesday.com/en/insights/2021/05/autonomous-vehicles-legal-and-regulatory-developments-in-the-us
• SAE International: https://www.sae.org/ 
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: https://www.nhtsa.gov/
• Ferris State University’s School of Automotive and Heavy Equipment: https://www.ferris.edu/CET/auto-heet/homepage.htm

Addresses human subjects research in space, including the unique ethical and regulatory considerations.

Our guest today is Tom Salazar, the Chief Research Oversight and Compliance Officer at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California. Tom’s areas of expertise include bioethics and research compliance in topics such as psychedelic drugs, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and space research.

Additional resources:

• Tom Salazar’s email: [email protected]
• The Outer Space Treaty of 1966: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html
• Code of Conduct for the International Space Station Crew (14 CFR 1214.403): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-V/part-1214/subpart-1214.4/section-1214.403