Clinical Research and Ethics

Today lecture was on the introduction to clinical research and ethics. A speaker from Hospital Ampang, Dr. Sia Koon Ket, who is the Head of Clinical Research Centre has provided us with the definitions of different terms involving clinical research and ethics.

Biomedical research is an area of research which involves using human as experimental subjects. In order to test for the efficacies of drugs and medicines, there is a requirement for human experimentation. Hence there is a protocol which must be adhered to when conducting a clinical trial. We learned the four phases of clinical trials. Also, we learned about ethics of clinical research. This ethics issue is very vital in the case of biomedical research because it involves the potential exploitation or abuse of the human research subjects. Thus the issue of what is being ethical or unethical always persist in the research of drugs and medicines. A great example of human exploitation was the Nazi doctors, which exploited young children and prisoners. All these information were really useful for us in case we enter the biomedical research field.

Today's lecture gave an insight of the various issues of clinical research and ethics we are exposed to. An understanding of different points of view from all sides with the ability to make accurate judgement between morally right or wrong is hence vital to ensure clarity and transparency when conducting a trial in the present as well as in the future.