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2023

Júlia Fontserè, La Salle Manlleu.

This work aims to explore the potential for society to evolve into a dystopian reality through the use of contemporary biotechnological tools. The primary goal is to provide a dystopian story centred around a key concept of transhumanism: human immortality. It takes as its point of departure a gene therapy developed at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine and draws inspiration from fiction exploring genetic-related themes, such as Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” along with insights from interviews, courses, and other bibliographic sources.

 

The author examines the ethical limits of what is scientifically possible, and how literature can help us anticipate potential biotechnological applications and guide us in the preparation of suitable bioethical thinking for the future, whilst acknowledging that such dystopian scenarios are often be impracticable.

Anna Bellavista, Escola Pia de Granollers.

This work aims to highlight the importance of ethics in medical practice, given the multitude of situations that health professionals encounter on a daily basis. Despite being an undeniable reality, ethics holds a minimal presence in university degrees in Medicine, often accounting for only 3 or 4 credits out of the total 360 in the curriculum. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to highlight the need for enhanced ethics education within university medical programmes across Catalonia.

 

The study authors analyse the situation through interviews with national and international experts, comparing curricula from other countries with that of Catalonia, and presenting paradigmatic ethical cases within each branch of study to illustrate the cross-disciplinary nature of such conflicts. One of the final project results involves the creation of a magazine containing the ethical considerations involved in each case with the purpose of serving as an educational tool.
 

Laia Chillarón, Escola Maristes Anna Ravel, Barcelona

The aim of this study is to explore the primary bioethical concerns stemming from the use of gene-editing techniques, including Next Generation Sequencing, CRISPR-Cas9, and the use of stem cells in human reproduction.

 

By presenting dystopias driven by biotechnology, the authors of the study aim to demonstrate how the genetic selection and modification of human embryos is a concept not too distant from our own reality. However, their goal is to present arguments both for and against these techniques along with a discussion on related ethical issues. This comprehensive exploration will be compiled in an informative brochure.

2022

Lúa Abad of Escuela Pía Balmes School in Barcelona

This research project examines CRISPR technology from an observational and creative standpoint.  In the project’s observational portion, the author surveys the regulations governing this technology in Spain, Europe, and the world, comparing legal criteria in China, the United States, and Spain. In the second portion of the project, the author proposes a set of regulations to govern the use of CRISPR.

 

Some of the objectives established by this project are to understand how CRISPR works as a genetic editing tool, its present and potential applications, to analyze some of the main bioethical debates generated by this technique, and to interview experts to gain a deeper understanding of these issues.

Andrea García of Col·legi Diocesà Sagrada Família School of Tortosa

The aim of this work is to demonstrate how emerging technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in particular, becomes a very useful tool in the diagnoses of a variety of diseases such as cancer. Using a theoretical framework based on the definition of AI, the impact of this technology on human life is evaluated, as well as its applications in the medical field and the risks it entails.

 

The project also includes a practical portion that makes use of a machine learning algorithm. Its aim is to help predict breast cancer using collected data. This algorithm was able to detect breast cancer in patients with a reliability of 95%, demonstrating the importance of early detection of this disease.

Ovidi Mallafré of the Anna Gironella de Mundet

This project’s research work was conducted in three parts. The first consists of a literature review to establish a definition of euthanasia and the concepts referred to throughout the project itself.  It also surveys changes in this legislation and the history of euthanasia. The second portion consists of field work consisting of three interviews with figures directly connected to the euthanasia field, and a survey gathering the opinions of young people. Taken together, this information offers a snapshot of the diverse opinions on this topic. In the last portion of the project, a proposal for evaluation criteria is offered by the author drawing from the information gleaned from parts one and two.

2021

Bruna Coll Jordà, Institut Moianès, Moià

This project addresses the technological revolution that is taking place in the field of biology, and focuses on research into genetic information, privacy and the bioethical repercussions. It analyses a range of techniques for obtaining this information and considers the main social repercussions to explore the ethical limits of genetic information, with the aim of explaining to everyone what a DNA test entails.

Íngrid Jané Curtu, Escola Ginebró, Llinars del Vallès

The purpose of this project is to explain what surrogate pregnancy entails, who is involved in it, how much it costs and where it is permitted, in order to analyse the principal ethical and legal controversies associated with it. The project also argues that there is a link between this business and the patriarchal society in which we live.

Aitana Canto Clavijo, IES Gabriel Ferrater i Soler, Reus

This research project starts by defining the meaning and history of the term "bioethics", and then delineates the concept of "ethical conflict" as the basis for analysing the experiences of health staff working in ICUs during the Covid-19 pandemic, in the context of shortages of both staff and resources.

2020

Carlos Barata, student at La Salle, Girona

This project aims, in the first instance, to define the current technical capacities of genome editing, examining the headlines and rumours that circulate on the internet, to provide a realistic account of this science. And, secondly, to analyze the main ethical problems raised by this technology and its solutions, and to reflect on how we should develop it in the future to ensure it is used appropriately.

Noa Calvo, student at Intstitut Dertosa, Tortosa

Female genital mutilation continues to be a reality among the Masai people of Tanzania, and this project seeks to study why this practice persists, given how dangerous it is and the high probability of death as a result of the lack of resources that could reduce the risk of harm. It also aims to raise awareness of this practice in our society, to help women who suffer from it.

Bet Corominas, student at Escola Pia, Mataró

This project aims to identity the diseases of poverty, their characteristics, and the current situation, analyzing the issues with reference to politics and the pharmaceutical industry, and also the importance of drinking water for human life. The project also aims to create a website to share the research, and to provide information to anyone who is interested in these diseases.

2019

Anna Carbó Bel, Instituto Dertosa, Tortosa

This project considers the topic of dignified death in hospitals, exploring the attitudes of health staff towards patients with terminal conditions. Its aim is to identify how health professionals manage their patients' death, and how they accompany them on this journey, offering as much comfort as possible. This shows that medicine is limited not only by scientific progress but also by ethical principles.

 

Diana Gallardo Pérez and Mar Trinidad Fernández, Instituto Salvador Espriu, Barcelona

This project stresses the need for philosophical education as a tool to reflect on scientific progress, identifying which ethical questions are the most important and considering the potential implications from an interdisciplinary perspective. It does this by focusing on the paradigmatic example offered by genetic engineering techniques: eugenics.

 

Paula Cama i Pou, Instituto de Celrà

This project analyzes the ethical implications of our relationship with other animals when our actions may cause unnecessary suffering, stress or pain. The aim is to highlight certain practices that are deeply rooted in our culture and involve the mistreatment of animals, with the objective of raising social awareness.

 

2018

Marta Vecino Pérez
Marta Vecino, Institut Ribera Baixa, Prat del Llobregat
 
This research analyses five pieces of science fiction that address resuscitation, and compares these depictions with the most significant scientific and bioethical developments, and to observe how scientific progress has affected the bioethical issues that these works address.
 
Laia Pérez i Pucurull
Laia Pérez, IES Joan Boscà, Barcelona
 
This project considers the importance of the right of paediatric patients to be informed about and to understand the treatment they will undergo, and asks whether young patients can contribute to improving their own healthcare. 
 
Maria Bretones Vallejo
Maria Bretones, Col·legi Jesús Maria de Sant Andreu, Barcelona
 
This projects starts from the hypothesis that Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a technique that may be extremely important for human reproduction in the future, making it possible to prevent disease and even offering the possibility of artificial selection. The aim of this essay is to identify knowledge about the application, procedures, legislation, bioethical implications and future prospects of PGD.
 

2017

Joana Krause

This project seeks to identify the progress made by studies that investigate prolonging human life, and considers whether such achievements are really possible. It also looks at how fear of death and a desire for immortality are deeply rooted in human culture, as demonstrated by a study of three works of art. Finally, it makes a personal bioethical proposal, analyzing a range of different responses to scientific and technological progress.

Sara Clota

Her project seeks to confirm or disprove the following hypothesis: "Bioethics is seen as a complicated discipline, which is the reserve of those occupying senior professional positions, and generally ignores the existence of ethical problems in settings of direct care, and in particular in care homes. when it comes to resolving such problems, a series of values and principles are more important than medical diagnosis."

Wiam Koubiss

The main objective of this project is to identify whether it is really ethical and legal to have a ‘medicine baby' so that it can be a donor for its ill sibling. The fact that the baby is not conscious and cannot give its consent for the use of its cells requires us to ask to what degree this is an ethical method and at what point it ceases to be so. Secondary objectives are to identify public opinion on this issue, and to find out about the bone marrow transplant process.

2016

Berta Mateos Vivar
Berta Mateos Vivar
This study seeks to address the potential social, ethical and political implications of using neuro-improvement technologies. Specifically, what arguments would justify the restriction, regulation or prohibition of the freedom of the individual in choosing to enhance his or capacities?
 
Many of the techniques of neuro-improvement or the enhancement of cognitive capacities are already freely available on the open market. This raises an urgent need for social debate to address the questions surrounding the use of such techniques, their potential, but also the risks associated with them, and the need for them to be regulated, as they could threaten such fundamental social values as autonomy, personal merit, responsibility, freedom, justice and equality.
Elena Cortina Sugrañe

This study starts by considering the meaning of ethics and bioethics, and their application to medical care. It then goes on to analyze the concept of death, its causes and how children cope with it. Next, it discusses euthanasia, its application in different countries, and the role of living wills or advance directives documents (ADD). Finally, the study includes a practical section consisting of an activity on bioethics for secondary pupils and an activity for use in the discussing the topic of death with primary pupils.

Pere Valls Badia

The author of this study has designed and constructed a device that functions as a swinging seat and as a "crawler" for children aged four with multiple disabilities. The device enables the children and their teachers to have fun and to take a break from conventional chairs, and it facilitates the basic activity of crawling, something that children with multiple functional disabilities are often unable to do. The study also considers what multiple disability is, its causes and the health problems associated with it, the educational needs of children with multiple disability and, finally, the design and construction of the "Crawl & Roll" device.

2015

Marta Galisteo

In her analysis of eugenics, the author seeks to understand and evaluate, from a bioethical perspective, the opportunities currently provided by this practice, how it should best be applied, and how to assess the risk of discrimination. Methods used include a literature search to identify the historical background of eugenics, surveys to identify the opinions of civil society, and an interview with an expert in this area.

Mariona Asensio Pedrol and Júlia Marquès Espuga

This essay analyzes the situation of people who cannot be clearly assigned to either gender (male or female). The authors seek to define the concept of intersexuality, to analyze the resources that bioethics offers for tackling the dilemmas that arise in these situations, and to identify the perspectives of the various professionals involved (pediatricians, gynecologists, anthropologists, experts in bioethics, etc.).  

Mireia Jaimot Pallejà

This essay argues that the use of stem cells from umbilical cord blood is a business that is based on weighing the potential medical benefits for patients against the economic benefits for the company. The author interviewed all the Catalan hospitals with neonatal units, enabling them to analyze the differences between public and private institutions. The essay also provides a historical, scientific, legal and ethical perspective on the issue, enabling readers to form their own opinion in this regard.  

2014

Beatriz de Peray

This project analyzes the Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis from different perspectives, by offering ethical, legislative and technical (the procedure and the techniques used) viewpoints. The author has used a wide range of methods such as interviews, public surveys and various other documental sources, among others.
 

"A 180 degree turn" is written in the first person and relates the story of the author who has lived through the experience of cancer, more specifically Hodgkin's lymphoma, and the feelings that arise when suffering from this disease. The project is the story of survival, of learning not to give up and to keep on fighting.

"The future of the human nature" focuses on eugenics, or on the "improvement" of the human species.  This topic is progressively gathering importance, due to the progress made in science and technology and due to the serious moral dilemmas that are beginning to arise as a consequence.

2013

The project defines the ethical framework or guidelines used by doctors (or by officials or judges, who have to intervene as third parties when medical opinion or the criteria of the healthcare Ethical Committee is insufficient), in cases that involve blood transfusions.

This study is an example of the convergence of science and philosophy through the analysis of how ethics apply in palliative care and in the treatment of the terminally ill. The project also aims to provide evidence that the essence of medicine, and in general any activity, has to be based on ethics and on responsibility.

This project focuses on the subject of euthanasia, which is currently an important matter of debate in many countries and which has concerned individuals involved in health related professions for many centuries.  This study addresses the subject from three perspectives in relation to different disciplines: philosophy, medicine (or more generally, science) and from a legal standpoint.

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