Public Bioethics

The Berman Institute plays a leading role in translating complex bioethics scholarship into accessible, relevant, and timely information for the general public.

30 Years of Achievement

From its earliest days, the Berman Institute has emphasized engagement beyond academia. Our faculty are among the most frequently cited bioethics experts in national and international media, offering trusted perspectives on issues ranging from end-of- life decision-making and reproductive ethics to genomics, artificial intelligence, and pandemic response.

Institute scholars have appeared regularly in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NPR, CNN, PBS, and major international media, helping audiences understand the ethical dimensions of breaking medical and scientific news. During public health crises, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic but also during outbreaks of Ebola and Zika, Berman Institute experts became prominent voices explaining ethical issues related to vaccine allocation, public trust, emergency powers, misinformation, and health equity.

A transformative milestone in the Institute’s public engagement strategy was the creation of the Dracopoulos-Bloomberg iDeas Lab, which has reimagined how bioethics scholarship reaches broader audiences. The iDeas Lab serves as a hub for digital innovation, storytelling, and creative dissemination, pairing bioethics research with multimedia tools designed for public consumption. Through podcasts, audio documentaries, short films, and interactive websites, the Lab has translated bioethics issues into compelling narratives and experimented with new formats for communicating scholarly research.

In addition to media engagement and digital innovation, the Institute connects with the public through forums, lectures, webinars, and social media campaigns that foster bioethics literacy and engagement. The Berman Institute also compiles and shares multiple weekly e-newsletters on a range of bioethics topics to thousands of subscribers, many of whom work in academia or research.

Recognizing that ethical questions in medicine, science, and public health affect everyday lives, the Institute has made public communication a core part of its mission, ensuring that consideration of bioethics issues informs public dialogue, policy debates, and societal decision-making.

Public Bioethics Highlights