Bioethics expert critiques beliefs about brain injury

Dr. Joseph Fins, chief of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, argued that brain injured individuals are not beyond recovery in his speech about brain injuries and stigmas yesterday at The Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research in New Brunswick.

Carol Boyer, associate director of the sociology department at IHHCPAR, organized the event.

According to Boyer, Francis Barchi, wife of Rutgers President Robert L. Barchi, is leading a group developing a bioethics program at the institute, which is in its early stages.

There is a large number of faculty here interested in the application of research in clinical care and health research, Boyer said.

Dr. Eric Singer, assistant professor of urologic oncology at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, said he was excited to hear Fins speak.

I have an interest in bioethics, Singer said. Its a great honor to have Fins visit Rutgers and hear what great minds in the field have to say.

Fins, a professor of medical ethics, said he interviewed about 40 families that have dealt with brain-injured family members. He has about 80 hours of audio recordings from the interviews.

He said he is appalled by the way brain injuries are usually handled.

I want to tell you about empirical research conducted with the families, Fins said.

His research will be published in his upcoming book, Rights Come to Mind.

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Bioethics expert critiques beliefs about brain injury