This project investigates the impact of the pandemic on the emotional system, health and quality of life of people with mental disability (multiple disability) who use residences in Catalonia, and of workers and relatives. The objective is to describe to the public authorities and the key decision-makers that occurred in residences from the start of the pandemic until completion of the vaccination programme (March 2021) and its consequences, to reflect on the most appropriate care model for these situations.

Research team formed by: Montserrat Puig, Antonio Rafael Moreno, Gemma Pérez, Montserrat Roca, Maria Teresa Lluch, Teresa Nicloás, Miguel Angel Hidalgo, Juan Francisco Roldán, Marta Prats, Zaida Palmira Agüera, Mª Aurelia Sanchez, Mª Carmen Moreno and Xavier Domènech

To gain a specific understanding of what is meant when we talk of structural violence in the context of colonization, health and bioethics, this project seeks to contextualize and define concepts such as "racism" and "colonization" with respect to the basic principles of bioethics and ethics as applied to medicine. It also seeks to offer a vision of health professionals in Africa, both expatriate staff and local, with respect to the racist ideology of colonialism.

Research team formed by: Rosauro Varo, Antonio Varo and Quique Bassat.

Gen-Ética Experimental consists in applying empirical and experimental methodologies to the study of the philosophical and psychological factors that influence people's moral evaluations of emerging genetic and genome technologies. Using controlled experiments, this project aims to generate empirical, philosophical and psychological knowledge about the what, the how and the why of legal and moral evaluations of these technologies.

The aim of this project is to ensure ensure the ethical use, governance and scrutiny of the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the health sector, in order to maximize the benefits of this technology and minimize the risks. Taking this as its starting point, the project seeks to develop an ethical framework to accompany the introduction of AI systems in public health campaigns, ensuring that AI is at the service of the common good and universal health coverage.

Numerous studies have identified the lack of international research into palliative pediatric care. This project seeks to determine the main clinical aspects of such care, drawing on the clinical narratives of health professionals: it compares the different ethical perspectives of professionals on the death of a patient; the moral characterization of patients and those around them (family and care staff); analysis of how decision-making is reported; and evaluation of the pedagogic impact of the goodbye message, a tool to inform health professionals involved in treating and caring for a patient of that person's death.

Research team formed by: Pau Miquel, Ignasi Clemente, Balma Soraya Hernández, Lucía Navarro, Lucía Peñarrubia and Daniel Toro.

This study analyzes the arguments and reasoning of groups who are hostile to vaccination with reference to a possible vaccine against COVID-19 for the general population and to the flu vaccination among health professionals. The aim is to engage in deeper analysis and discussion of ethics and public health with respect to non-vaccination, facilitating interaction between health professionals and experts via a discussion forum.

Joaquin, Maite and Javier are all members of ESPACyOS 

A lot of people have died alone and in isolation as a result of the COVID-19 health emergency. This project sets out to explore the experience of COVID-19 survivors faced with the prospect of dying in isolation, and analyzes the ethical dimension of their experiences.

This project sets out to deepen our knowledge of the different forms of vulnerability, violence and the loss of rights that pregnant women experience in the context of the pandemic. To this end, it aims to develop a training programme to promote better education for midwives and other health professionals to help them deliver respectful care for women in the current situation.

This project aims to identify the various bioethical implications of photographic representations of the pandemic in the media and to detect the photographic narratives specific to the pandemic, both those produced by professionals and by ordinary people, including images shared on the internet.

This study sets out to identify the ethical issues in care for critically ill patients during the COVID-19 crisis from the perspective of ICU professionals. To achieve this, the researchers propose exploring the ethical values and principles that are prioritized when taking decisions regarding the care of critically ill patients, with the aim of delivering improvements to reduce the risk of ethical conflicts in health crises or pandemics.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis, this project sets out to analyze observance of the ethical principles and recommendations set out by the Drug Research Ethics Committee (CEIm) in evaluations of protocols submitted in the context of the pandemic, with the aim of understanding the discourse and practice of researchers with respect to the ethical requirements of coronavirus research.

The appearance of ‘griefbots', enabling us to continue chatting with somebody who is no longer with us, or the chatbots used to help those receiving palliative care to face the prospect of death, raise numerous ethical questions about our relationship with technology. This project seeks to explore them, linking them with the latest trends in clinical psychology, which stress the importance of affirming the existence of continuing bonds with the dead person.

The main objective of this study is to open up a new line of bioethics research into the diversity of definitions and criteria when determining death. The study seeks to explore the theoretical justification for and ethical challenges raised by this diversity, and to evaluate its potential impact on society and on health professionals with respect to organ donation and transplants.