Current Projects
Updating the Ottawa Statement on the Ethical Design and Conduct of Cluster Randomized Trials
2022 - Present
Published in 2012, the Ottawa Statement on the Ethical Design and Conduct of Cluster Randomized Trials provides valuable guidance to researchers and research ethics committees around the world. Recent developments in the use of innovative designs, trials in low-income settings, and pragmatism highlight the need for additional guidance on nascent ethical issues in cluster trials. This CIHR-funded project brings together 31 biostatisticians, ethicists, patient partners, and trialists from Africa, Europe, North America, and South America to identify novel ethical issues, propose solutions, and produce an updated Ottawa Statement and two implementation guidance documents.
Organ donation and transplantation ethics
2019 - Present
Deceased organ donation and transplantation raise profound ethical issues. Globally, over 140 000 transplants occur annually, yet many thousands of patients die waiting for a life-saving organ. As the need for organs continues to outplace supply, it is critical to find ethical means to increase the number of organs available for transplant. Our team of ethicists, legal scholars, scientists, and practising physicians seeks to resolve ethical issues in donation and transplantation while simultaneously conducting cutting-edge empirical research to improve donation practices for the benefit of all stakeholders.
