Annual Lehman Lecture to Focus on Ethics of Face and Limb Transplants

Arthur Caplan, Ph.D.
Arthur Caplan, Ph.D.

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Feb. 3, 2011 – Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Bioethics, will present a free public lecture titled “Facing Ethics: The Ethics of Face and Limb Transplants” on Thursday, Feb. 17 at Allegheny College. The presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. in Quigley Hall auditorium and is part of the college’s Lehman Medical Ethics Lecture Series.

Caplan is the Emanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics and Philosophy and chair of the Department of Medical Ethics at Penn. In addition to transplantation ethics, his research interests include genetics, reproductive technologies and health policy.

A regular columnist for msnbc.com, Caplan provides commentary on bioethics issues for a variety of media outlets. He also is the author or editor of 29 books – including “Smart Mice, Not So Smart People: An Interesting and Amusing Guide to Bioethics” – and more than 500 articles in refereed journals.

Several organizations have honored Caplan for his professional achievements. He has received the McGovern Medal from the American Medical Writers Association and the Franklin Award from the city of Philadelphia. In addition, Caplan was named a “Person of the Year” by USA Today in 2001, one of the 10 most influential people in science by Discover magazine in 2008, and one of the 50 most influential people in American health care by Modern Health Care magazine.

The Lehman Medical Ethics Lecture Series is made possible by a gift from Allegheny College alumnus and retired orthopedic surgeon John W. Lehman, M.D., class of 1954, and his wife, Deborah. In addition, the Lehmans are helping to fund a four-credit class in medical ethics at Allegheny College.