Thursday, October 18, 2007 – 1:30 p.m. St. Catherine of Siena Church, 411 e. 68th St. New York, NY 10021 sponsored by the The Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry ~ Saint Catherine of Siena Church and Priory “Stem Cells in Healing The sick Ethical Dilemmas ~ Ethical Possibilities” William B. Hurlbut, M.D. See Video &

Throughout the 20th century, advances in biology were accomplished largely through the study of biochemical parts apart from their place within the human organism. This approach, which has culminated in the sequencing of the human genome, has now led us back to the study of human beings. When applied to human biology, this inquiry re-opens the most fundamental questions concerning the moral meaning of developing life. The current conflict over ES (embryonic stem) cell research is just the first in a series of difficult controversies that will require us to clearly and precisely define the boundaries of humanity that we seek to defend. Through a careful consideration of the ethical, moral, social, political and scientific foundations of our current debate, we may discern the terms of a possible resolution that can sustain social consensus while opening avenues for scientific advance. Solutions must be grounded in deep ethical reflection and cooperative dialog essential to frame the moral principles that can at once defend human dignity and promote the fullest prospects for scientific progress and its medical applications. The constructive engagement of science and moral philosophy is a crucial component of this dialog. The very preservation of our humanity may depend upon it” stated William B. Hurlbut, M.D. in a recent article which appeared in Pediatric Research, 59, 4, pp. 4R-12R.

Dr. Hurlbut, Professor of Neuroscience at the Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University Medical Center and Member of the President’s Council on Bioethics, will address the ethical dilemmas and ethical possibilities on the use of stem cells, specifically altered nuclear transfer (ANT), in healing the sick at the Second Annual Lecture in Catholic Health Care Ethics sponsored by the Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry . The lecture to be held on Thursday October 18th at 1:30 p.m. is free and open to the public and will be held in Church of St. Catherine of Siena, O.P. The Church is located at 411 East 68th St. in mid-town Manhattan between First and York Avenues. The Annual Mass for the Health Professions will take place at 12:00 Noon immediately prior to the lecture.

Deemed one of the primary frontier centers in the world by the Dominican Order, the mission of the health care ministry of the Dominican Friars of St. Catherine of Siena Church and Priory in New York is to promote the dignity of the human person and the healing ministry of Jesus Christ among parishioners, health care professionals, patients, and their families through pastoral care, education, research, and ethics consultations in the Hospital for Special Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Rockefeller University Hospital. The Mission is fulfilled through four critical and inter-related ministries or pillars, Church of St. Catherine of Siena; the Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus; pastoral care to health care professionals, support staff, patients and their families; and health care ethics programs and consultations.

The Dominican Friars have been serving at St. Catherine of Siena Church 1897. The health care facilities identified in the mission statement were established within the parish in the 1930’s. These health care facilities have evolved into some of the most highly-regarded centers for care, treatment, research and graduate medical education in the world today. As the largest non-profit medical center campus in the world, these hospitals serve more than a million patients each year and employ many thousands of clinicians and support staff. Throughout these decades the Dominican Friars of St. Catherine of Siena Church and Priory have been in the midst of it all ~ serving parishioners, patients, families, and clinicians through countless crisis situations ~ bringing the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to all those in search of healing and hope.

Dr. Hurlbut’s speaks in the following video (starting at 33mins and 44 secs to 43 mins; See also Q & A 115min.):