Dr. Bill Meadow Memorial Bioethics Debate

Welcome to the Dr. Bill Meadow memorial debate home page where you can stay up to date on all things regarding the debates.

History

Started in 2020, the annual Dr. Bill Meadow Memorial Bioethics Debate is our way of remembering Bill's fiery passion for ethical dilemmas, while also honoring his combative style. The memorial lecture series is generously hosted by the University of Chicago Department of Pediatrics and pits two esteemed members of the medical community against each other in a debate on a controversial ethical topic.

The next debate will be held at the University of Chicago at 12 pm central time on Wednesday March 19th, 2025
In person the debate will be in room L-168, enter via the Goldblatt Pavillion, 860 E 59th street. Vitually please use this Zoom link.

Topic: Too many toys in Medicine? Pros and Cons of the latest technology at the neonatal bedside.
Dr Terrie Inder from the Children's Hospital of Orange County. Dr. Terrie Inder is dual trained in neonatology and child neurology and provides comprehensive care for critically ill premature and full-term infants, particularly those with neurological conditions, at CHOC in Orange County, California.	vs.	Dr Keith J. Barrington is a neonatologist and clinical researcher at Sainte Justine University Health Center in Montréal. He is Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Montréal and was formerly chair of the Society of Neonatologists of Québec. His particular research interests are in cardiovascular support, in apnea and its treatment, in the ethics of decision making for high-risk newborns, and in anything in clinical care that might affect outcomes. His blog Neonatalresearch.org provides insightful (and often cutting) commentary on current research in Neonatology, and is a must-read for trainees and career Neonatologists alike.
Moderator: Dr Annie Janvier is a neonatologist, a clinical ethicist, and an author working at the University of Montreal, Canada and Hôpital Sainte-Justine. Dr. Janvier is a true acolyte of Bill Meadow, having completed her PhD in Bioethics in 2008 under his and John Lantos' mentorship. She carries on his memory in many ways, from writing articles with cheeky titles such as her classic "Nobody likes premies: the relative value of patients' lives," to her unending advocacy for incorporating parental values and preferences into all aspects of Neonatology, from behavior at the bedside to the very definitions of meaningful neonatal research outcomes. Dr Janvier is a pioneer in empirical research in clinical ethics and in parental engagement. She investigates parental perspectives regarding intensive care decisions, death, and disability, demonstrating contrasts between provider and parental perspectives and investigating how to optimize communication between clinicians and patients/families. She is an internationally sought speaker who has given more than 200 presentations, often with parents.

If you are interested in supporting future events and trainees in the section, please consider making a donation in memory of Dr. Meadow here: http://giving.uchicago.edu/bill-meadow.