Student-lead Public Health Ethics Research Project

This project has two stages, where the philosophical portion of the literature review is done prior to beginning the next stage. Research through literature review, participating in discussions regarding the readings, potential research questions that are applicable to COVID-19 pandemics, and will complete a research paper for publication or presentation. The paper will focus on the historical and ethical dimensions of disease controls, such as quarantine and contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemics from the aspects of individual liberty, state power, and the general welfare. The diversity of disease controls across the countries from different political systems, as well as different approaches and steps of enforcing the controls offer a great area of exploring its ethical and legal implications. We hope to investigate areas within public health ethics, which often emphasizes the state’s obligation to protect the health and general welfare of the population at hand. This would lead to further exploration of biopolitics, and how much individual liberty is valued by the various states.

Student Team Members

Erin Elizabeth Greig, Class of 2023, Global Health
Reika Grace Shimomura, Class of 2023, Global Health

Faculty Team Members

Meifang Chen, Assistant Professor of Health Policy at Duke Kunshan