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JHLI Newsletter: Jaharis Programming - Annual Symposium and Speaker Series

The 2019 Jaharis Symposium, titled “‘Democratizing’ Medicine in a Data and Tech Driven World,” addressed significant and pressing questions of law and policy that will inevitably arise from the adoption of technological and data-driven innovation in medicine. The day-long interdisciplinary symposium was co-sponsored by the Mary and Michael Jaharis Health Law Institute and the Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology (CIPLIT®).

Technological and data-driven innovations are often heralded as breakthroughs that will “democratize” medicine, by promising to vastly improve access – both to knowledge and medical services – and to allow those who are affected by the discoveries to collaborate in their development. Featured speakers included Afia Asamoah, JD, MPP, Senior Counsel, Product, Regulatory, and Policy at Verily Life Sciences (formerly Google Life Sciences, an Alphabet company) and Patrick M. McCarthy, MD, Executive Director of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Medicine and the Heller-Sacks Professor of Surgery in the Feinberg School of Medicine and Chief of Cardiac Surgery.

In addition, renowned panelists from the fields of law, technology, and medicine delved into the scientific, ethical, and legal implications of some contemporary examples of “do-it-yourself” and “do-it-together” medicine. The first panel addressed complex and fascinating ethical and legal issues pertaining to the introduction of artificial intelligence in medicine, while the second panel discussed what is collectively referred to as “do it together” medicine: citizen science, participant-driven research, and precision medicine. The final panel addressed biohacking, or “do it yourself” medicine – altering or conducting research on one’s own body. The speakers explored technology’s promise of collaboration and accessibility, while raising legitimate legal and ethical concerns about ownership, justice, and the law’s ability to keep up with innovation. The symposium discussed important policy and ethical issues and offered practical insight into how the law (and practicing lawyers) can address questions that arise as new technologies impact the practice of medicine.

A full house of students, faculty, local practitioners, and alumni attended the symposium in person, providing lively debate and opportunities for continued learning. The featured talks and panels are now available for viewing on the symposium website, at http://go.depaul.edu/jhlivideo. DePaul Law Alumni can obtain Illinois MCLE credit, including professionalism credit, at no cost by viewing the on-demand seminar videos.

Genetic Justice:
Data, Privacy, and Crime
Thursday, March 12, 2020
8:30 am-4:30 pm CDT

The 2020 Jaharis Symposium on Health Law and Intellectual Property, will feature Dr. Sheila Jasanoff, JD, PhD, Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Harvard Kennedy School.

This day-long interdisciplinary symposium is co-sponsored by the Mary and Michael Jaharis Health Law Institute and the Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology (CIPLIT®).

For more information, visit go.depaul.edu/jhli.

2018-2019 JHLI Lectures

  • Dr. Avishalom Westreich, Esq., Associate Professor, Law School, College of Law and Business, Ramat Gan, Israel
  • Renee Coover, Associate Attorney at ByrdAddato Swati Ayyagari, Sr. Manager, Health Care Regulatory Compliance & Risk and Accounting Advisory Services at Plante Moran PLLC
  • Panel: Alison Tothy, MD, Physician/Speaker/Consultan; Barbara Lewis, Director People Services, AdvantEdge Healthcare Solutions; Cathy Lovely, MBA, Asst. Director of Organizational Development, UI Health; Anna Scaccia, Director of Emergency Department, Trauma and EMS at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
  • Carolyn Metnick, Partner at Akerman LLP
  • Libby Banek, Partner at Faegre Baker Daniels (Washington, DC)
  • Ilana Shulman, Chief Compliance Officer of Hillrom 

2019-2020 JHLI Series

  • Maya Sabatello, Assistant Professor of Clinical Bioethics, Politics and Culture Project at Columbia University
  • Leslie Gerwin, Associate Director of the Program in Law and Public Affairs at Princeton University (special lecture while lecturer is in Chicago)
  • Panel: Stephanie Kuhlmann, Assistant General Counsel at Lurie Children’s Hospital, Patrick Martinez, Partner at McDermott, Will and Emery, Ann Ford, Partner at Hall Prangle & Schoonveld and Managing Director of HPS Advise and Faculty Director
  • Lecture and book signing: Christopher Robertson, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation and Professor for Law at the University of Arizona, and author of the forthcoming book Exposed: Why Our Health Insurance is Incomplete and What Can Be Done About It.
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