Science at warp speed: Medical research during the COVID-19 pandemic – Melanie Gentgall

In this episode of JBI Dialogues we welcome one of the authors of an article in the journal’s new symposium on the social and ethical implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Melanie Gentgall is founding CEO of PRAXIS Australia, an independent not-for-profit that was created to promote excellence in research and research ethics review, design and conduct in Australia and internationally.

Together with Wendy Lipworth, Ian Kerridge, and Cameron Stewart, Melanie co-authored the article “Science at Warp Speed: Medical Research, Publication, and Translation During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Here she talks about that work and recent developments, including new announcements made about the promise of multiple experimental COVID-19 vaccines.
Article abstract: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rapid growth in research focused on developing vaccines and therapies. In this context, the need for speed is taken for granted, and the scientific process has adapted to accommodate this. On the surface, attempts to speed up the research enterprise appear to be a good thing. It is, however, important to consider what, if anything, might be lost when biomedical innovation is sped up. In this article we use the case of a study recently retracted from the Lancet to illustrate the potential risks and harms associated with speeding up science. We then argue that, with appropriate governance mechanisms in place (and adequately resourced), it should be quite possible to both speed up science and remain attentive to scientific quality and integrity.
Links / resources

• The complete collection of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry COVID-19 symposium articles - Part 1 and Part 2
• Direct link to the #Free2Read article discussed in the episode: Science at Warp Speed: Medical Research, Publication, and Translation During the COVID-19 Pandemic, by Wendy Lipworth, Melanie Gentgall, Ian Kerridge, and Cameron Stewart
• Therapeutic Goods Administration statement, 18 November 2020, COVID-19 vaccine provisional determinations

Image: Aldon Scott McLeod from FreeImages