kimmelmanI am happy to announce the appointment of Jonathan Kimmelman, PhD, in the role of Interim Director, Biomedical Ethics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University. Dr. Kimmelman succeeds Dr. Eugene Bereza, who was the Unit’s Director from 2005 to 2014. Dr. Bereza was a champion and worked to position the Unit as an area that provided support and guidance to the departments and affiliated hospitals on the biomedical front. We take this opportunity to thank Dr. Bereza for the work that he did for the Unit during that time.

As Interim Director, Jonathan Kimmelman will lead the Biomedical Ethics Unit in the carrying out its mission to support scholarly research, clinical services, teaching and public outreach. He will work with various departments, both internal and external to the Faculty, including affiliated hospitals, to further the Unit’s reach, visibility and collaborations. He will provide advice and insight to the Faculty on matters related to the future of biomedical ethics as it pertains to education at the MDCM, postgraduate and professional levels, to research and to identifying new partners locally, nationally and internationally.

Jonathan Kimmelman is an Associate Professor in the Biomedical Ethics Unit / Social Studies of Medicine, with a cross appointment in Experimental Medicine. His research focuses on ethical, policy and scientific dimensions of drug and diagnostics development. He founded and directs the Studies of Translation, Ethics and Medicine (STREAM) and has authored a number of books and major publications appearing in Science, PLoS Medicine, BMJ and Hastings Center Report. He has extensive experience both in Canada and the United States serving on advisory bodies and committees. He currently chairs the Ethics Committee of the International Society of Stem Cell Research.

I congratulate Dr. Kimmelman on this appointment and wish him success in leading the Unit, in developing and assessing the educational objectives, and in pursuing opportunities to increase the visibility of the Unit’s initiatives and activities.

Mara Ludwig, MD

Vice-Dean, Faculty Affairs

For more information on the Biomedical Ethics Unit please visit: https://www.mcgill.ca/biomedicalethicsunit/

December 9, 2015