University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics

A global leader in bioethics

The JCB was formed in 1995, and since then we have been a global leader in bioethics. In 2002, we became the first World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Bioethics (WHO-CC). TheGlobal Network of WHO-CCs for Bioethicsnow includes 12 bioethics centres world-wide.

Improving health and health systems through excellence and innovation in bioethics research, education, and practice

We are dedicated to anticipating and addressing complex ethical issues of contemporary health systems through bioethics research, education and practice in partnership with other academic and health sector institutions. At the JCB, we put theory into practice for the public’s health.

Since 2015, we have been based in theDalla Lana School of Public Healthand report to our Dean Adelsteinn (Steini) Brown. In addition, we have strong academic ties with 12 collaborating graduate units across theUniversity of Toronto, and affiliated healthcare organizations. We have over 40 faculty and affiliates who teach in our academic programs, supervise our graduate students, and produce high-quality interdisciplinary research. We have trained over 450 students and fellows, many of whom are now leading bioethics research and education activities locally and globally. We are also the academic home of theClinical, Organizational and Research Ethics (CORE) Networkwhich is the largest Practicing Healthcare Ethicists community of practice in Canada.

Achieving our strategic aims

By 2023, we will achieve our vision of being a global leader in population health and health system ethics by pursuing an integrated knowledge-to-action approach in bioethics across four key strategic areas:

Fostering Innovation in BioethicsBy anticipating new and emerging ethical issues and developing methods and ways of thinking tounderstand and address them.

Applying Bioethics Knowledge in PracticeBy designing applied bioethics interventions to facilitatetranslation of ethics knowledgeinto health system policies and practices.

Building People Capacity for 21st Century BioethicsBy providing diverse health system actors with relevantknowledge, skills and competenciesto meet today’s ethical challenges.

Partnering for Excellence and ImpactBy bringing together the rightpartners and collaborators, resources, and processes to transform health through bioethics.

These aims will help the JCB to evolve into a centre for excellence in bioethics that will have the foundation to continue to be a world leader in its field, and an attractive and innovative partner. We are excited to be currently developing another facet of the JCB, theBioethics Design Lab.