2006

Listed below are activities for the year 2006

October 30,2006
Web based Research Ethics training
The Caribbean Research Ethics Initiative, working in colaboration with the Director of the CITI Program of the University of Miami, has now facilitated the access of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of the West Indies (Mona, Cave Hill and St Augustine) and the University of Technology (Jamaica) to the CITI Program. Customisation of the site to suit the needs of each institution or campus has been completed with Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at the St. Augustine Complex in Trinidad being the most recent. Work is continuing to encourage others to avail themselves of this resource in our pursuit of improving the capacity for research ethics in the Caribbean.

October 30,2006
Bioethics Society of English Speaking Caribbean.
The Society recently launched its own web page - www.bioethicscaribe.org.jm. Visit the site and learn about the Society, apply for membership if you are not already a member and join in the discussion forum.

May 22, 2006
2nd Research Ethics Conference
The 2nd Caribean Research Ethics Initiative Joint UWI / UM Ethics Programs sponsored Research Ethics Conference came and went over the period May 18 - 20. The attendance in spight of the inclement weather and competing events such as cricket and examinations, was very encouraging and participation was very good. From the feedback so far the conference could be said to have been very successful. The organisers will be preparing a proceedings which will be made available to registrants and other interested persons. If you are interested in receiving a copy go to the contact us page and send an email to us.

May 22, 2006
BSEC
The Bioethics Society of the English Speaking Caribbean (BSEC) is now a reality with the formal launch taking place on Friday May 19th following the presenations of the Research Ethics Conference. Founding and prospective members of the Society were on hand to witness this event and Dr. Derrick Aarons was installed as the founding president. In his brief remarks he welcomed the birth of the Society labelling it as a "dream come true". Greetings,best wishes and a pledge of support were received from Prof. Fernando Lolas, Director of Bioethics for the Pan American Health Organisation, who was unable to attend. The launch was followed by a reception which was sponsored by the organisers of the 2nd Caribbean Research Ethics Conference.

May 22, 2006
CREI
The Caribbean Research Ethics Initiative (CREI) recently completed a half day workshop at the Caribbean Health Research Council's annual Research Conference in St. Kitts, from April 28 -30. This was the first workshop put on by the initiative. The workshop was well attended and well received by the attendees. The evaluations showed an average 90% satisfaction rate. CREI hopes to continue to work with Caribbean Institutions to further develop research ethics in the region.

May 19,2006 4.45pm - Launch of the Bioethics Society of the English Speaking Caribbean (BSEC)immediately following the Research Conference presentations. BSEC is the brainchild of Dr. Derrick Aarons, Bioethicist and the launch is facilitated by the Caribbean Research Ethics Initiative (CREI) and the University of Miami Bioethics Program. CREI is a project being developed by Dr. Anthony Mullings, Senior Lecturer at UWI, Mona and Research Associate with Univ. of Miami Bioethics Program with assistance of colleagues at UWI and Univ. of Miami Ethics Programs.

May 18 - 20, 2006 - The Carribean Research Ethics Initiative 2nd Annual joint UWIMona / Univ. of Miami Ethics Programs, Research Ethics Conference, UWI, Mona, Kingston Jamaica. The conference will be held at the Social Sciences Lecture Theatre. conference registration is free but CME credits will be available for nurses and doctors for a fee. The theme of the conference is "Responsible conduct of research - the role of ethics in ensuring responsible research" and the objective is "To deepen knowledge and understanding of research ethics and the review process across the disciplines and to link it with professional ethics." The conference begins on Thursday evening at 5:30pm with a ceremony at the Mona Visitors Lodge under the sponsorship of the Principal, Pro Vice Chancellor and Professor Elsa Leo-Rhynie. This will be followed by a reception. The conference continues on Friday with a full day of presentations followed by the launch of the Bioethics Society of the English Speaking Caribbean. On Saturday there will be a half day hands on workshop on Consent, Inducement, Conflict of interest and Research in the Elderly and End of Life issues.

May 4 & 5, 2006 - Health Research Ethics in the Americas II, - Miami Beach Hilton, Miami, Florida. Health Research Ethics in the Americas II, a special conference on the challenges of international human subjects research, is set for May 4-5 in Miami Beach. Co-sponsored by UM's Ethics Programs and UM's John E. Fogarty International Center, the conference will feature experts from the National Institutes of Health, the Pan American Health Organization, UWI and the Bioethics Society of the English-speaking Caribbean, as well as leading UM faculty. There is no charge to attend, but pre-registration is required. For more information and a registration form, please visit www.miami.edu/ethics or email ethics@miami.edu.

April 28, 2006, 2:00pm to 5:00pm - CARIBBEAN RESEARCH ETHICS INITIATIVE (CREI), RESEARCH ETHICS WORKSHOP. Caribbean Health Research Council Annual Research Conference, St. Kitts, WI. "Satisfying the Requirements for Research Ethics Committee Approval - a framework for self evaluating your proposal" The workshop aims to provide an introduction for new researchers and a refresher for other researchers in aspects of Research Ethics. There will be presentations on: Is it research; The Research Ethics Committee; Risks, Harms and Benefits; The Consent Process and Conflict of Interest. Facilitators will be Dr. Anthony Mullings, Senior Lecturer at the UWI, Mona, Research Associate, University of Miami Bioethics Program and Dr. Kenneth Goodman PhD, Director, University of Miami Bioethics Program. Registration is free and you are encouraged to pre-register with the conference secretariat.