BU Summer Undergraduate Research: Ethics

1. BU Summer Undergraduate Research: Ethics Tom Gilmore Chair and Professor Biology Department June 10, 2016

2. Words of Wisdom • Take advantage of the opportunity. • What you get out of this will be largely proportional to the effort you put in. • Be a good team player. • Keep careful and honest records. • Be careful! • Follow the rules of the lab/workplace and the University. • Learn from your mentor and especially those around you. • Try to have (at least some) fun.

4. Trolley Problem Philippa Ruth Foot, British philosopher (1920-2010)

5. Trolley Problem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem

6. Trolley Problem (extended)

7. Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) • Introductory Principles from Open Seminar in Research Ethicshttp://openseminar.org/ethics/ June 11, 2016 Adapted from information provided by: Alan Fine Director, Resposible Conduct of Research Program Boston Universitiy afine@bu.edu Gary Comstock ASC Fellow, National Humanities Center, 2007-09 Professor of Philosophy, NC State http://www.webguru.neu.edu/

8. Research Interests • Each of us goes into research for individual reasons • intrinsically rewarding career • advance the state of scientific or humanistic knowledge • improve the well-being of others • acquire flexibility in a work schedule

9. Opportunities Come with Risks • A major risk in research involves compromises of integrity and honesty through research misconduct • YOUR INTERESTS become entwined with INTERESTS AND REPTUTATIONS OF OTHERS

10. Responsibilities of a Researcher --Advancing human knowledge through research --Bearing responsibility for the use of human and animal subjects in science --Avoiding “misconduct” in research --Mentoring and working with research mentors --Bearing responsibility for the use that society makes of the research findings

11. The Research Community Has Created Specific Rules to Guide You • As a junior researcher, you will be involved in conducting, discussing, and perhaps even publishing your research • Because many potential traps and ethical dilemmas can arise, you should know how the US National Science & Technology Council defines “scientific misconduct”

12. The Research Community has Created Specific Rules to Guide You • The scientist as a responsible member of society – The societal and environmental impacts of scientific research – Protection of human subjects and animal subjects • Fundamental responsibilities of the scientists to promote the progress of science – Mentor/mentee responsibilities and relationships – Integrity in data acquisition and laboratory tools; management, sharing and ownership – Integrity in peer review – Integrity in authorship and publication – Collaborative research including collaborations with industry • Procedures to protect objectivity in science – Research misconduct and procedures for handling misconduct – Conflict of interest disclosure – personal, professional, and financial

13. “Research misconduct” includes • Fabrication -- making up data or results and then recording or reporting them as truth • Falsification -- manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing, or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record

14. “Research misconduct” (continued) • Plagiarism -- appropriating and using another person's documented ideas, processes, results, or words without giving “appropriate” credit, whether from books, on-line materials, confidential documents, etc. • Research misconduct DOES NOTinclude errors of judgment, errors in recording, selection or analysis of data, or incorrect opinions.

15. “Research misconduct” (continued)

16. Many Gray Areas Exist Around these Definitions • For example, sometimes an image is easier to interpret if it is modified with image enhancing software. If we use, for example, Photoshop to "clean up" a digital image, are we guilty of a federal crime? (Not necessarily--just be sure to check first with your mentor and explain carefully what you are proposing to do.)

17. Advantages of Image Manipulation Silver Dollar Galaxy Amoeba Endothelial Cells Art Text

18. Dangers of Image Manipulation

19. There Are Ethical Situations for Which There is No Rule • How do we make wise decisions under trying, new, and challenging conditions? • rely on our peers, colleagues and mentors (discuss what you are doing with others) • more senior mentors can help you see dangers that you do not perceive, guide you around obstacles, and help you think through the ethical implications of our work.

20. At Boston University • An anonymous whistleblower hot line http://www.bu.edu/ethics Scroll down to REPORTING HOTLINE • A confidential institutional official to advise on whistle-blowing: • You may confer with RCR Director Alan Fine or your Summer Program Director on an anonymous basis. • A scientific misconduct procedure providing for an inquiry committee of scientists to review credible allegations of misconduct

21. Animals in Research • You may use animals in your research • Many animals are capable of pain and most sentient species are protected by animal welfare laws • In addition to the law, many ethical considerations require us to take into account the potential suffering of all sentient beings • If you are using animals, you will need to take training in the proper use of animals (IACUC)

22. Basic Guidelines An animal research protocol must have: • A clear scientific purpose and objective that will benefit the health of other animals and/or humans; and • be carried out using properly designed, humane procedures by personnel who are knowledgeable concerning the proper care and handling of the species being studied.

23. Human Subjects in Research • You may be using other people in your research. • In many cases, the subjects of your research may benefit from the experience. • On the other hand, some could be harmed, even by the best intentioned researcher. • How do we minimize the risks to each individual, ensure that moral rights are protected, and maximize overall well-being?

24. Six basic guidelines for including humans in research • Obtain their informed consent in writing prior to beginning the project • Minimize risks to the person on whom the research is being conducted • Ensure that the risks to the person are proportional to the potential benefits that the research may bring them • Provide everyone with sufficient information about the research that they can make an informed decision about whether to participate • Maintain their privacy • Allow subjects to withdraw from the project at any time

25. Mentor’s Guidance • If you will be interviewing or polling or in any way using people in your research, OR • If you will be using animals in your research Ask your mentor for guidance; it is your job to ensure that your activities are legal and ethical.

26. Somewhat Notorious Fraud Cases • Mark Spector, Cornell Graduate Student • David Baltimore, President of Rockefeller University • Stem Cell Research; Harvard Medical School/Rincon Institute • Interview preference (UCLA): Science, 2014 • Boston University

27. Somewhat Notorious Fraud Cases: Mark Spector, Cancer Signaling 1. M. Spector et al. 1981. A mouse homolog to the avian sarcoma virus src protein is a member of a protein kinase cascade. Cell 25:9-21. 2. E. Racker. 1983. The Warburg effect: two years later. Science, 222:232.

28. Somewhat Notorious Fraud Cases: David Baltimore, Immunology 1. Weaver D, Reis MH, Albanese C, Costantini F, Baltimore D, Imanishi-Kari T. 1986. Altered repertoire of endogenous immunoglobulin gene expression in transgenic mice containing a rearranged mu heavy chain gene. Cell 45: 247–59.

29. Somewhat Notorious Fraud Cases: Stem Cell Development 1. Obokata, Haruko et al (Charles Vacanti; Yoshiki Sasai) 2014. Stimulus-triggered fate conversion of somatic cells into pluripotency". Nature 505: 641–647. Not reproducbile

30. Somewhat Notorious Fraud Cases: The Interviewer Effect 1. LaCour M, Green DP. 2014. When contact changes minds: an experiment on transmission of support of gay equality. Science 346: 1366-1369 • “MJL received research funding from the Williams Institute, Ford Foundation, and Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund.” • “From a total of 33,941 registered voters….resulting in a total of 9,507…respondents [who] were paid $10 upon enrollment.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ohlA__xABw

31. Somewhat Notorious Fraud Cases: Undergraduate, Boston University Recordings June 6, 10 PM 15 @ 1.5 12@ 2.6 June 7, midnite 17 @ 2.6 10 @ 4.5 June 8, 7 PM 12 @ 3.5 15 @ 5.2

32. Additional Resources About RCR National Science Foundation http://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/rcr.jsp •National Institutes of Health. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Research Integrity http://ori.dhhs.gov/education/products/rcr_general.shtml

33. The End – Questions?