The IHEM

Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine

Today's Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine (IGEM) was founded in 1972 as the "Institute for the History of Medicine and Medical Sociology" within the Faculty of Medicine at the Technical University of Munich.

At the Institute of History and Ethics in Medicine, we advance ethical practice and theory in medicine, biomedical technology, and public health, driven by the belief that embedding ethics is essential for shaping the future of healthcare, science, technology, society, and the environment. Our mission encompasses both theoretical and empirical methods to foster ethical, transparent, and interdisciplinary research, education and policy.

The employees The Institute's research and teaching focuses on the ethical, theoretical and historical dimensions of medicine, such as:

  • Is artificial intelligence suitable as a decision-making aid for doctors?
  • Can robots be used in nursing care?
  • What forms of solidarity can modern medicine build on?
  • How can bio-databases be used for diagnostics?
  • What traces did National Socialism leave behind in medicine?

These questions are only a small part of the diverse range of topics covered by the Institute for the History and Ethics in Medicine at the Technical University of Munich.

Embedded Ethics

The Munich Embedded Ethics and Social Science Hub (MESH) is a cross-institutional research group of our Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine and the Department of Science, Technology, and Society. We work together to promote the integration of ethical and social aspects into the entire development process of health technologies in an integrated, collaborative, and interdisciplinary way.

The MESH brings together projects that address the critical ethical, social and political issues that arise with the application of new technologies. It emphasizes work that aims to improve care and equity and reach underserved populations in healthcare.

The approach we develop is called Embedded Ethics and Social Science (EESS). It combines participatory research practices with empirical bioethical and social scientific analysis.

Medical Ethics

In medical ethics, the focus is primarily on questions of responsible development and the introduction of new biomedical technologies. Here, the Institute stands for an embedded ethics approach, in which ethical aspects are part of the technical development from the very beginning.

Other areas of focus include new concepts of solidarity in medicine as well as neuroethics, research ethics, and public health ethics.

History of Medicine

The history of medicine is primarily concerned with questions relating to the historical perspective of culturally and socially relevant issues in medicine.

In the field of medical history, the Institute focuses on research questions concerning the preconditions, the dynamics and the aftermath of medical crimes under National Socialism and is actively involved in shaping a culture of remembrance in this regard.

Contact

The Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine welcomes your contact.

T  +49 89 4140 4041
M  office.ethics@mh.tum.de

Mon-Thu: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Fri: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (core hours)
Ismaninger street 22
81675 Munich
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