Stavros Niarchos Foundation Bioethics Academy
In 2019, the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (JHU) in conjunction with the Bioethics Chair at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) launched a new initiative called the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Bioethics Academy (SNFBA). The SNFBA is exclusively supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and was created with the intent to support and enhance knowledge and awareness for bioethics in Greece.
The three main components of the SNFBA are:
- An intensive bioethics course offered every year at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens, Greece;
- Annual in-depth workshops alternating between Zurich, Switzerland (hosted at ETH) and Baltimore, USA (hosted by JHU). These workshops will include faculty from the Summer Course along with additional visiting faculty. Approximately 20 attendees will be invited per workshop, based on their interest in further training and education in bioethics and their aptitude for bioethics. Workshop content will be topical and developed with input from the selected participants. The program will include presentations by all participants, intensive case analysis and consultation (with at least some actual cases provided by participants), train-the-trainer exercises so that participants can return to their institutions/workplaces to help educate their peers, and additional specialized content.
- An alumni network created for summer course participants, all of whom will automatically be members. In addition to providing news, resources and information via a dedicated SNFBA website, email, and social media channels, the network will be a means for staying in touch with other SNFBA alumni in Greece and bioethics faculty at JHU and ETH. The network will host virtual discussions via webinar and convene in-person reunions and events in conjunction with the timing of the annual summer course and SNF Annual International Conference in Athens.

4th Annual Stavros Niarchos Foundation Bioethics Academy Intensive Course
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Bioethics Academy (SNFBA) is co-directed by Prof. Jeffrey Kahn, the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (JHU), and Prof. Effy Vayena, Head of the Health Ethics and Policy Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH).
Objective
The 4th Annual SNFBA will be a three-day intensive course focusing on Ethical Issues across the Biomedical Research Spectrum and will include lectures by international faculty and small group discussions facilitated by SNFBA faculty from JHU, ETH, and Greek universities.
Topics will include:
- Foundations of Bioethics
- Informed Consent
- Public Health Ethics
- Global Health Ethics
- Research with Pregnant Women
- Stem Cell Research
- Genomics
- Digital Health & AI
- Legal Framework for Research
Dates of the Event
June 19-21, 2023
Place of Event
The Ionic Centre in Plaka Athens
Cost
The SNFBA is free to accepted participants, and fully supported through the generosity of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Lodging (and travel where required) is provided to accepted participants who reside outside of Athens. The total number of participants is limited to 50 to preserve a high-quality experience.
Eligibility
Applications are encouraged from professionals working in institutions in Greece, with the following experience and expertise:
- Professionals working in, or overseeing, clinical research
- Medical, pharmacology, and biology students interested in developing capacity in clinical research
- Members of committees performing biomedical research ethics review
- Professionals working in health and science policy
The deadline for application was Wednesday, April 12. Applications are now closed.
For questions please contact Katerina Ligomenides (snfbagreece@gmail.com)
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is not involved in the evaluation of applications or selection of participants in any way.
Intensive Course Faculty
Co-Directors
Lecturing Faculty and Small Group Discussion Leaders
In-Depth winter two-day Workshops
These workshops will alternate between Zurich, Switzerland (hosted at ETH) and Baltimore, U.S.A. (hosted at JHU) and will include faculty from the Summer Course along with additional visiting faculty. Approximately 20 attendees will be invited per workshop, based on their interest in further training and education in bioethics and their aptitude for bioethics.
Workshop content will be topical and developed with input from the selected participants. The program will include presentations by all participants, intensive case analysis and consultation (with at least some actual cases provided by participants), train-the-trainer exercises so that participants can return to their institutions/workplaces to help educate their peers, and additional specialized content.
Alumni Network
The third component of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Bioethics Academy will be an Alumni Network created for summer course participants, all of whom will automatically be members.
In addition to providing news, resources and information via a dedicated SNFBA website, email, and social media channels, the network will be a means for staying in touch with other SNFBA alumni in Greece and bioethics faculty at JHU and ETH. The network will host virtual discussions via webinar and convene in-person reunions and events in conjunction with the timing of the annual summer course and SNF Annual International Conference in Athens.