Bioethics and Medical Law Society: Bioethics Discussion Group Chair

My name is Sonia Paoli, and I'm a second-year Biomedical Sciences student who's deeply passionate about the ethical implications of synthetic biology and its potential to significantly change the course of our future.

I nominating as your Discussion Group Chair, drawing on my experiences as a student representative, my internship at UCL, and my attendance at various seminars held throughout London, which have enabled me to establish connections with many professors and scientists, not just those at UCL.

With my network, I believe I can offer you stimulating discussions and debates on how science is evolving, and I hope I can broaden your horizons to new questions and perspectives.

How science should approach the ethical dilemmas posed by emerging technologies like AI and gene editing? Should there be a limit to research? How can we ensure that scientific advances benefit all members of society and the world? How to decolonize research?

Most importantly, I hope I can give you a safe, inclusive environment where all questions are good questions, and all ideas are shared and welcomed. A space where professors and scientists are invited to give their view on their work and the ethical dilemmas they face.

Whenever I am asked about my career choice, I am conflicted between two very diverse ones: medicine and law. I have hardly been able to explain to people why I am interested in the very intersection of the two while I study one of the disciplines. The Bioethics and Medical Law Society provides an avenue to combine my disparate interests and lead stimulating discussions around them.  

As medical technology grows, hidden avenues for potential ethical misconducts will continue to come to light. There are many that have been established and others which would surface only with time.  

I have had experience of chairing multiple conferences around topics like human rights, war cabinets, health and economic crisis's and I have enjoyed them thoroughly.

I am friendly, can multitask, and am innovative which makes me confident in my ability to enhance the discussion groups for both beginners and experienced individuals.  

I think I can contribute in the following ways: 

1. Presenting a complex case to the members to look at and then dissect the ethical issues with it instead of directly giving an ethical issue to discuss 

2. Tailoring the discussions to include solutions, discuss their feasibility, and connect with ethical committees to suggest and evaluate their real-time implementation  

3. Simulating ethical misconduct cases in real-time and conducting a medical law trial event.