Event description
The online symposium “Mapping the Horizons of Global Bioethics for Education, Research, and Practice: Reflections for the Future” brings the June 2025 Harvard–CUHK Joint International Symposium back into focus—this time to turn horizons into routes. Three June speakers return as moderators, cueing curated highlight snippets from the June symposium to spark fresh dialogue with new discussants and real-time input from participants from around the world. The goal is practical: to translate June insights into actionable priorities that shape what we teach, what we study, and how we practice in global bioethics.
The symposium is organized around three guiding questions:
Education: As bioethics goes global, what should we teach and how do we engage learners?
Research: If we take “global” seriously, what should the research agenda look like?
Practice: How do global perspectives and engagement shape relevance, impact, and learning in clinical bioethics?
Date and Time:
(Hong Kong Time) | Equivalent Time: (Eastern Time) Tuesday, |
9:00 – 11:00 am
Mode:
Zoom
Webinar
Come and join usJune Symposium Wrap-up
June Symposium Videos
Programme & Speakers
Symposium Co-organizers
Programme & Speakers
9:00 – 9:05 am
(5 minutes)
Welcome Address
Dr. Ann Sin Nga LAU
Co-Director,
CUHK Centre for Bioethics,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong, China
9:05 – 9:10 am
(5 minutes)
Opening Remarks and June Symposium Highlights
Professor Roger Yat-nork CHUNG
Co-Director,
CUHK Centre for Bioethics,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong, China
Dr. Rebecca Weintraub Brendel
Director,
Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics,
USA
9:10 – 9:45 am
(35 minutes)
Global Bioethics Education:
As bioethics goes global, what should we teach and how should we engage learners?
Moderator:
Dr. Rebecca Weintraub BRENDEL
Director,
Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics,
USA
Rebecca Weintraub Brendel is the Director of the Center for Bioethics, the Frances Glessner Lee Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine in the Field of Legal Medicine, and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She practices clinical and forensic psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she is the Director of Law and Ethics at the Center for Law, Brain, and Behavior. Dr. Brendel was the Founding Director of the Master of Science in Bioethics (MBE) program at Harvard Medical School, a Medical Director of the One Fund Center for Boston Marathon bombing survivors, and a Clinical Director of the Home Base program at MGH for veterans. She is admitted to the Massachusetts Bar.
Dr. Brendel received her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Philosophy from Yale University and both a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a Juris Doctor (JD, with honors) from the University of Chicago, and completed psychiatry and forensic psychiatry training at MGH-McLean. Her work centers on psychiatry, medicine, law, and ethics. A past president of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (2018-2019) and the American Psychiatric Association (2022-2023), she remains active in medical ethics leadership across numerous professional organizations, including the American College of Psychiatrists Ethics Committee and the American Medical Association Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA).
Discussants:
Dr. Michael DUNN
Associate Professor and Co-Director of Education,
Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine,
National University of Singapore,
Singapore
Michael Dunn is an Associate Professor and the Co-Director of Education at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics (CBmE) in the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He works across bioethics, health law, socio-legal studies, and health/social care services research. Dr. Dunn is an experienced university teacher, particularly in professional education settings. As the Director of Undergraduate Education, he leads CBmE’s undergraduate programs in health ethics, law, and professionalism, which are delivered over five years and are responsible for educating 2,500 medical, dental, pharmacy, and nursing students within NUS at any one time. Within CBmE, he contributes to postgraduate education, teaching courses in the theory and methodology of bioethics, the ethics of AI and health data, and the ethical dimensions of ageing. He also leads continuing education ‘refresher’ training in ethical skills for local health professionals. Additionally, he has supervised 10 doctoral students and has been acknowledged for the quality of his graduate supervision in university teaching awards.
Dr. Mildred Z. SOLOMON
Director of the Fellowship in Bioethics and
Co-Director of the Online Fellowship Certificate Program,
Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics,
USA
Mildred Z. Solomon is Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine (part-time) at Harvard Medical School and President Emerita of The Hastings Center for Bioethics, where she served as president for 11 years. At Harvard, Dr. Solomon is core founding faculty of the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, where she directs the school’s Fellowship in Bioethics and has trained over 270 health professionals from the USA and around the world.
Dr. Solomon’s own research covers many topics – including ethics of end-of-life care, medical professionalism, and responsible conduct of research. Recent publications include a special report on trustworthiness in science and healthcare and a second report, Democracy in Crisis, on the erosion of democratic norms in the USA. Prior to her role at The Hastings Center, she was Senior Director for Implementation Science at the Association of American Medical Colleges. Frequently cited in the media, including The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, The New York Review of Books, The Daily Beast, Forbes, The Scientist and other outlets, Dr. Solomon holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Smith College and a Doctor of Education (EdD) from Harvard University.
9:45 – 10:20 am
(35 minutes)
Global Bioethics Research:
If we take the notion of global bioethics seriously, what should the research agenda look like?
Moderator:
Professor Roger Yat-nork Chung
Co-Director,
CUHK Centre for Bioethics,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong, China
Roger Yat-nork Chung is a social epidemiologist and bioethicist who uses the lens of biomedical ethics and justice to examine the social determinants of health and health inequalities. His current research investigates social determinants such as poverty, deprivation, socioeconomic disadvantage, environmental and housing factors, and migrant status. He is also particularly interested in the health of migrant workers and rare disease patients, and conducts research on aging-related issues such as multimorbidity and long-term/end-of-life care.
Dr. Chung is currently the Co-Director of CUHK Centre for Bioethics, an Associate Professor of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care of CUHK, the Programme Director of the Master of Public Health (MPH), and the Associate Director of the CUHK Institute of Health Equity. He is also the inaugural International Health Policy Fellow of the National Academy of Medicine in the USA. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Public Health, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a Master of Health Sciences (MHS), Harvard Medical School with a Master of Science in Bioethics (MBE), and the University of Hong Kong with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in social and life course epidemiology.
Discussants:
Professor Dong DONG
Research Fellow (by courtesy),
CUHK Centre for Bioethics,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong, China
Dong Dong works with an interdisciplinary and multimethodological approach to explore justice, equity, and intersectionality within the context of health. With expertise in communication and epidemiology, Dr. Dong actively engages with underprivileged and underserved populations, seeking to bridge theory and practice through community-academic partnerships. Rare diseases are a recurring focus in her research, with a particular emphasis on collecting real-world evidence from patients’ perspectives and experiences. Dr. Dong’s involvement extends to health promotion among culturally diverse communities, particularly those from South Asia, where she examines questions of communicative injustice and discrimination, often through a gendered lens. Additionally, she investigates the intersection of reproductive health, genetic literacy, and bioethics within the realm of science and technology studies.
Dr. Dong’s collaborations with various stakeholders have resulted in policy-level contributions and gained recognition at national and international levels. She leads the Rare Disease Real-World Data Lab and has established a national database called the “General Social Survey of Chinese Patients with Rare Diseases.” Furthermore, she holds board memberships in several regional and national rare disease patient organizations and has been awarded the 2022 Equity Initiative Fellowship. As a Principal Investigator, she has been awarded numerous research grants totaling over US$2 million. Her work has led to more than 100 peer-reviewed international publications. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), a Master of Philosophy (MPhil), and a Master of Science (MSc) in Bioethics.
Dr. Unini ODAMA
Affiliate,
Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics,
USA
Unini Odama is a nephrologist, public health practitioner, and bioethicist. She is a teaching instructor for the Master of Science in Bioethics (MBE) program and an Affiliate at the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics. Dr. Odama’s experience includes providing healthcare in Rural America, serving as a health director for the Georgia Department of Public Health, and leading strategies for infection prevention and management, as well as enhancing kidney health outcomes at DaVita Kidney Care. Her interests include preventing chronic diseases, frameworks for global health excellence, and utilizing health policy and innovation to achieve optimal health outcomes.
Dr. Odama is a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology (FASN). She received her a Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Jos in Nigeria, completed her internal medicine training at Michael Reese/University of Illinois, pursued a fellowship in general nephrology and kidney transplantation at Virginia Commonwealth University, earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) from Emory University, and obtained her MBE from Harvard Medical School.
10:20 – 10:55 am
(35 minutes)
Global Bioethics in Practice:
How do global perspectives and engagement shape relevance, impact, and learning in clinical bioethics?
Moderator:
Dr. Hui Siu TAN
Bioethicist and Clinical Ethicist,
Ministry of Health,
Malaysia
Hui Siu Tan is a full-time clinician. As a former Head of Pediatrics in the districts, she contributed to several local initiatives and national guidelines. She took a mid-career gap year to complete a Master of Science in Bioethics (MBE) at Harvard Medical School and a Certificate (Paediatric Bioethics) at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Currently, Dr. Tan concentrates on developing clinical ethics services in Malaysia and hopes to use bioethics to improve care, strengthen relationships, and advocate for better systems.
Dr. Tan is currently the Head of Hospital Ethics Support Service (HESS) at Hospital Ampang which was established in 2020 to provide ethics consults, regular clinical ethics, and communication training. She is a certified Healthcare Ethics Consultant (HEC-C) and also a board member of the Malaysian Research and Ethics Committee (MREC). Dr. Tan enjoys her clinical work and daily engagement with colleagues, patients, and families, listening to their stories as they navigate different systems. She is passionate about patient-physician relationships, self-determination in health and dying, communication skills, social advocacy, and healthcare leadership.
Discussants:
Professor Emmanuel Hei Lok CHEUNG
Clinical Assistant Professor of Practice,
Critical Care Medicine Unit,
School of Clinical Medicine,
The University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong, China
Emmanuel Cheung is an intensive care physician with a special interest in medical ethics and end-of-life care. His current appointments include Clinical Assistant Professor of Practice at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), Honorary Specialist at Queen Mary Hospital, and Research Fellow at the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, the University of Hong Kong. After completing his specialist training in intensive care medicine, Dr. Cheung obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in medical law and ethics from the University of Edinburgh. A passionate advocate for a humanistic approach to clinical care, his research focuses on post-intensive care syndrome and geriatric critical care. He is also dedicated to medical ethics and humanities education for HKUMed’s Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students, and actively collaborates with them to develop new teaching and learning opportunities in bioethics.
Ms. Hillary CHUA
Sheridan Fellow,
Faculty of Law,
National University of Singapore,
Singapore
Hillary Chua is a Sheridan Fellow at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, where she has taught the law of torts and conducts research in medical law and ethics, and disability law. She is currently on leave while pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Law at the University of Oxford, with a focus on comparing mental capacity law in England and Wales and Singapore, in terms of how it regulates consent to intimate relationships among intellectually disabled adults. She holds a Master’s degree in Bioethics from Harvard Medical School (2019), and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from King’s College London. She has been called to the Singapore Bar and practised medical law before joining academia. She was a member of the National University Hospital (Singapore) Clinical Ethics Committee from 2022-2024.
10:55 – 11:00 am
(5 minutes)
Closing Segment
Symposium Wrap-up
Dr. Rebecca Weintraub BRENDEL
Director,
Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics,
USA
Professor Roger Yat-nork CHUNG
Co-Director,
CUHK Centre for Bioethics,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong, China
Final Closing Remarks
Dr. Ann Sin Nga LAU
Co-Director,
CUHK Centre for Bioethics,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
Hong Kong, China
11:00 am
End of Symposium
Co-organized by:
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| The Center for Bioethics brings together the rich intellectual resources across Harvard Medical School and Harvard University, along with colleagues and institutions worldwide, to help ensure that scientific progress, medical therapeutics, and health care practices are developed hand-in-hand with reflection upon the profound moral questions raised by advances in the life sciences and biotechnology. Our mission is executed through education, research, and service, with programs that prepare the next generation of practitioners and leaders in bioethics, conduct normative and empirical research to address bioethical questions in clinical care, research, and public policy, and engage the public in understanding and addressing ethical aspects of health care and biotechnology. | CUHK Centre for Bioethics at the Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) is dedicated to advancing education, research, and engagement in bioethics. Located in Hong Kong, where Eastern and Western traditions converge, the Centre fosters cross-cultural dialogue and interdisciplinary collaboration to address the ethical challenges posed by modern science and technology. Committed to shaping future health practitioners and biomedical scientists with a strong foundation in biomedical ethics, the Centre promotes broader bioethical awareness across professions and communities. It endeavours to contribute meaningfully to the global discourse on bioethics and navigate the ethical challenges arising from the evolving landscape of science and biomedicine, ensuring that progress is guided by values central to humanity, such as compassion, justice, and respect for life. |
