Applying social science research methods and neuroethics analyses to understand patient perspectives toward informed consent for invasive neurosurgical interventions.
Project Description: Many patients participate in invasive neurosurgical research for which they will experience minimal to no clinical benefit. Their perspectives on research participation, as well as on informed consent processes, have received limited attention. The goals of this project are to i) evaluate the quality and comprehension of the informed consent process using standardized assessment tools at six-months post-discharge; ii) determine participant attitudes toward neuroethics themes such as big brain data privacy and open access releases; iii) explore participants attitudes and motivations for participating in invasive neurosurgical research on human cognition and its diseases for which they will
experience no direct clinical benefit.
The Neuron to Brain Lab is recruiting a Master’s student to contribute to a neuroethics project as part of our NIH-funded project on Neuronal Mechanisms of Human Episodic Memory. This project will be co-supervised by Dr. Taufik Valiante and Dr. Daniel Buchman. The project will focus on applying both qualitive and quantitative research methods to answer the study objectives. This project will utilize the lab’s access to research participants who are part of a research ethics board (REB) approved neurosurgical studies, as well as a wealth of collaborations between the lab and other neuroscientists at the Krembil Brain Institute, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
For more information:
http://www.neurontobrainlaboratory.ca/sites/default/files/Neuroethics%20of%20human%20intracranial%20recordings_Masters_N2BLab_0.pdf