Ira Pastor, ideaXme exponential health ambassador and founder of Bioquark, interviews Dr. David Magnus, the Thomas A. Raffin Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Ethics, and Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University, where he directs the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics.
Ira Pastor comments:
On several recent shows we have spent time on different topics pertaining to human health, disease, degeneration and aging. We’ve focused on a variety of therapeutic and preventative technologies being developed in the private and public sector of the economy, both in the U.S. and abroad, some on the “cutting edge”; some on the “bleeding edge”; and some on the “sounds like science fiction edge.”
While many of these technologies hold amazing promise for the future improvement of the human condition, with their respective applications arise many ethics related questions that we must always take time to be aware of and be open to dialogue in relation to
Bioethics is broadly defined as the study of the ethical issues emerging from advances in biology and medicine and is concerned with all of the questions that arise from the combinatorial relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, theology and philosophy.
Today’s guest, who is going to talk to us for a while about the topic of bioethics and drill down with us in regards to various categories of emerging technologies, is Dr. David Magnus, the Thomas A. Raffin Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Ethics, and Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University, where he directs the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics.
Dr. David Magnus
Dr. Magnus received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Stanford University and currently co-chairs Stanford Hospital and Clinic’s Ethics Committee, which provides consultation to doctors, patients and families on issues concerning surrogate decision making at the end of life and organ donation.
He is a member of Stanford’s End of Life Work Group, Palliative Care Board and the newly formed Innovative Care Committee.
In addition, David has spearheaded ethics training programs offered to medical students and clinicians.
He serves as the Editor-In-Chief of The American Journal of Bioethics and is widely published on a range of topics including brain death, organ transplantation, stem cells, health care reform, research ethics, end-of-life care, and genetic technology.
His published journals include The New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Hastings Center Report, Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, and The Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics.
Dr. Magnus has served on the National Research Council Ad Hoc Committee on the Bioconfinement of Genetically Engineered Organisms and on the California Human Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee.
He has also consulted for both the World Bank on Food Security and Biotechnology and the National Conference of State Legislatures on cloning. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Institutional Review Board for the Precision Medicine Initiative “All of Us” program at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Along with his scholarly work, he has written an extensive number of editorial pieces in prominent newspapers and has been quoted in TIME magazine, Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He has also appeared on many television shows, including Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, FOX News Sunday, and ABC World News.
David served as President of the American Bioethics Program Directors, representing the leadership of 60 academic bioethics programs across North America.
Today we will hear from Dr. Magnus:
About his background, where he grew up, and how he became interested in philosophy. How he became interested in the field of bioethics. A short historical journey regarding the emergence of the field of modern bioethics. He’ll go into bioethics standardization.
Dr. Magnus will take us through a “bioethical walk through life” focusing on technologies at various stages of life, including: embryogenesis, ontogenesis, cloning (therapeutic / reproductive), embryonic stem cells, germline editing with CRISPR, ectogenesis / artificial womb technology, and monkey / human chimera experiments.
He’ll also discuss improvements of the Human Condition, anti-aging wellness, radical life extension, the modern bio-hacking movement, DIY gene editing, micro-dosing for neural enhancement, and “right to try” initiatives for unapproved / experimental medicines. Finally, he’ll discuss “End of Life” palliative care decisions, advanced healthcare directives, organ transplantation, and brain death.
Credits: Ira Pastor interview video, text, and audio.
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