University of California at San Francisco apologizes for conducting medical experiments on prison inmates without consent
Dr Howard Maibach and Dr William Epstein, the faculty members at the institute’s dermatology department, conducted experiments on prisoners until 1977. They exposed the prisoners to herbicides and pesticides by injection and topical application.
Most of these prisoners were mentally ill and were either being assessed or treated for psychiatric illnesses. Besides, there are no medical records either to prove prisoners had provided their consent to these experiments.
Among the professors, who conducted these experiments, Epstein died in 2006 while Maibach is still alive and defended some of the findings of the report. He said some prisoners suffering from mental illnesses had consented to the experiments and it also benefited the prisoners in some ways. However, Maibach also regretted his involvement in unethical conduct.
Dan Lowenstein, the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of the institute, apologized for perpetuating unethical treatment of vulnerable and underserved populations and for its role in harming those inmates, their families and the community.
FAQs:
- What is the Program for Historical Reconciliation?
The Program for Historical Reconciliation was established by the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of UCSF, Dan Lowenstein in 2021 to investigate and report unethical conduct and practices that are against the UCSF community and ethical values. - Can scientific experiments be conducted on humans with consent?
Yes, scientific experiments can be conducted on humans with informed consent. According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) adopted by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR), no human can be subject to medical or scientific experimentation without his free consent.
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