Research Ethics

The Berman Institute has played a pivotal role in shaping contemporary research ethics through scholarship, policy influence, and global partnerships. Its contributions have advanced protections for human subjects, strengthened ethical oversight systems, and informed best practices across clinical research, public health, and emerging biotechnologies.Our faculty members are internationally recognized leaders in foundational issues in research ethics, including informed consent and its limits; justice, including both exploitation and just access; research oversight; the ethics of clinical trials; and global health research.

Historically, as new ethical challenges have emerged, our faculty have responded and developed expertise in a variety of areas. These include pragmatic clinical trials and learning health systems; HIV/AIDS prevention research; human stem cell science; research during pregnancy; research in resource-constrained countries and contexts; vaccine research and development; and the ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding emerging technologies, including data science and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Institute has become a leading center for advancing ethical standards in human subjects research, developing frameworks that guide responsible inquiry in both academic and industry settings. Its faculty have produced foundational scholarship clarifying principles such as informed consent, risk-benefit assessment, community engagement, and the obligations of researchers during and after studies. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, the Institute has helped translate abstract ethical norms into concrete guidance adaptable to evolving scientific contexts, including genetic research, global health trials, and digital data studies.

The Berman Institute made critical contributions in research ethics policy. Faculty have long been sought out for numerous roles related to their research ethics expertise, including service on committees for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US National Institutes of Health, US National Academies, and World Health Organization; the Global Forum on Bioethics  in Research; institutional review boards (IRBs) and data safety monitoring boards; and on the editorial boards of relevant scholarly journals.

Faculty have served as leaders within preeminent research ethics organizations and other bodies, such as Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research, the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, and the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections.

A hallmark achievement has been the Institute’s sustained work on enhancing IRB performance. In addition to serving on every Johns Hopkins School of Medicine IRB, faculty have conducted empirical studies on how IRBs function—identifying sources of variability, delays, and inconsistency—and proposing reforms to improve efficiency and participant protection. This research has informed national conversations about streamlining ethics review while maintaining rigorous safeguards.

Internationally, the Berman Institute has partnered with institutions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to develop locally grounded ethical frameworks for clinical trials, community engagement strategies, and capacity-building programs for ethics committees. These collaborations have strengthened protections in settings where research is rapidly expanding but regulatory infrastructures may be limited.

The Institute has been at the forefront of addressing ethical challenges in emerging technologies. Faculty have examined the implications of genomic sequencing, artificial intelligence in health research, digital surveillance tools, and gene-editing techniques — producing guidance that helps guide responsible use, promotes transparency, and safeguards vulnerable populations.