LIVINGSTON, NJ, March 16, 2015 – The National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section (NCJW/Essex) invites you to “Medical Research and Medical Ethics: My Body, My Consent,” a Lunch and Learn on April 29, 2015 from 12 noon to 2:00 pm at Temple Emanu-El in Livingston, NJ.
Our speaker, Paula Bistak, DMH, Executive Director of the Human Subjects Protection Program at Rutgers University, will discuss the ethical issues involved in the use of tissue taken from patients during diagnostic procedures. In addition, she will explore legal, regulatory and social safeguards that exist today to protect patients’ rights. Dr. Bistak has a Doctorate in Medical Humanities from Drew University and a Master’s in Health Planning and Administration from the University of Cincinnati.
The story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor young black woman diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951 and whose cells were used without her knowledge to develop the first immortal cell line know as HeLa cells, will serve as the starting point for discussion. Her story was chronicled in the award winning book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. The book was hailed as a reporting tour de force and raised the question, “Who owns our bodies?”
Pre-registration is required. NCJW/Essex members: $18; Nonmembers: $25; includes a buffet lunch. To register, please call 973-740-0588 or visit www.ncjwessex.org.