IME 2025 Conference
Booking is open! The IME 2025 Conference will take place at Austin Court, Birmingham on 10th and 11th July.
The friendliest conference that you will ever attend is a two-day event taking place in July in the heart of Birmingham.
We are returning to Austin Court following the overwhelming positive feedback about the venue from previous delegates. With a compact footprint, a comfortable state of the art theatre, fantastic catering and great staff the venue is perfect for the IME Conference. There are a plethora of hotels, restaurants and bars within a 10 minute walk so you will be wanting for nothing.
You can attend for the full event or choose just one of the days.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Dr David McKelvey
Ex-Salford GP and protester. Dr. McKelvey is a retired Salford GP who blocked a central London bridge during a climate change protest but was acquitted in court. He was one of seven doctors and nurses charged for their part in a blockade of Lambeth Bridge in April 2022.
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi is a dynamic global health professional, pharmacist, epidemiologist, and health systems researcher committed to advancing public health through research, innovation, and advocacy. He earned his pharmacy degree from the University of Ibadan and furthered his education with an MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology from the University of Oxford as a Commonwealth Shared Scholar. Currently, Yusuff is pursuing a PhD at the University of Glasgow, focusing on epidemiology and health inequalities, with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.
Prof Richard Huxtable
Richard Huxtable is the Director and Professor in Medical Ethics and Law at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, at the University of Bristol. He is known principally for his work on legal and ethical issues in end-of-life decision-making and euthanasia, surgery and paediatrics and is the author of a number of books on these themes.
Thursday 10th July
| Time | Activity | Speaker |
| 9.15-10am | Registration & Coffee | |
| 10-10.15am | Conference opens | ‘Looking Back; Looking Forward: How can IME influence future doctors and society’
A conversation with …. Prof Raanan Gillon, Prof Margaret Lloyd and Prof Alastair Campbell |
| 10.15-11.15am | IME Panel | Greatest achievements/successes/influence for the future
Q&A |
| 11.15-11.45 am | Coffee
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| 11.45-12.45pm | 3x parallel streams
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| 12.45-1.45pm | LUNCH
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| 1.45-2.45pm | 3x parallel streams
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| 2.45-3.15pm | Coffee
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| 3.15-4.15pm | Climate | Rediscovering our ethical compass through grief and hope in the climate crisis
David McKelvey and colleagues |
| 4.15-5.15pm | Debate: the relationship between law and ethics
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| 6.30pm | Evening social
Theatrix, Colmore Row, Birmingham |
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Friday 11th July
| Time | Activity | Speaker |
| 9-9.30am | Coffee | |
| 9.30-10.30am | AMR Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi |
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| 10.30-11.30am | Medical Student Panel
‘Doctors of the Future’ |
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| 11.30-12pm | Coffee | |
| 12-1pm | 3x parallel streams
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| 1-2pm | LUNCH | |
| 2-3pm | PG Panel | Disruptive Bioethics: Radical Futures Through Inclusive Interdisciplinarity
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| 3-4pm | Assisted Dying Bill: Richard Huxtable |
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| 4-4.15pm | Ted Shotter Award | |
| 4.15-4.30pm | Close |
SPEAKERS
Dr David McKelvey
Ex-Salford GP and protester. Dr. McKelvey is a retired Salford GP who blocked a central London bridge during a climate change protest but was acquitted in court. He was one of seven doctors and nurses charged for their part in a blockade of Lambeth Bridge in April 2022.
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi is a dynamic global health professional, pharmacist, epidemiologist, and health systems researcher committed to advancing public health through research, innovation, and advocacy. He earned his pharmacy degree from the University of Ibadan and furthered his education with an MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology from the University of Oxford as a Commonwealth Shared Scholar. Currently, Yusuff is pursuing a PhD at the University of Glasgow, focusing on epidemiology and health inequalities, with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.
Prof Richard Huxtable
Richard Huxtable is the Director and Professor in Medical Ethics and Law at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, at the University of Bristol. He is known principally for his work on legal and ethical issues in end-of-life decision-making and euthanasia, surgery and paediatrics and is the author of a number of books on these themes.
Session 1A – Thursday 10th 11.45-12.45pm
Elderly, Age of Consent, and the Harm of Sex – Joona Räsänen (Senior Research Fellow, University of Turku)
Ethical issues in mental health – is there a place for palliative care? – Minna Chang (Doctor, St George’s, Epsom & St Helier University and Hospital Trust)
Cut Off from Support? Body Integrity Dysphoria and Welfare Access – Richard B. Gibson (Lecturer in Law, Aston University)
Session 1B – Thursday 10th 11.45-12.45pm
Workbook-Based Ethics Learning: Experience of using an innovative approach for ethics education in diverse contexts – Muhammad Shahid Shamim (Professor, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan); Co-author(s) – Nadeem Zubairi (Assistant Professor, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
A Literature Review of Discourse Relating to the Learning and Teaching of Medical Ethics in Sub-Saharan Africa – Godino Kalungi (Student, Franklin University)
International Collaboration for Training Bioethics Educators: Experience from Kenya and Pakistan – Muhammad Shahid Shamim (Professor, Aga Khan University); Co-author(s) – Bushra Shirazi (Professor, Centre of Biomedical Ethics & Culture, SIUT), Aamir Jafarey (Professor, Centre of Biomedical Ethics & Culture, SIUT), Sualeha Shekhani (Assistant Professor, Centre of Biomedical Ethics & Culture)
Session 1C – Thursday 10th 11.45-12.45pm
Not so childish disagreements – Angela Jesudason (Consultant in Paediatric Oncology, NHS Lothian); Co-author(s) Edwin Jesudason (Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, NHS Lothian)
Proposed Legislation on Physician Assisted Dying in the UK Compared to the International Standards – Aidan Kennedy (Medical Student, University of Glasgow)
The Legitimacy of Voluntary Euthanasia: From Law to Culture – Xiaotian ZHU (PhD in Law(full time), Birmingham Law School)
Session 2A – Thursday 10th 1.45-2.45pm
Inclusive Family Care – Daniel Wyzynski (PhD Student / Lecturer / Hospital Ethicist, Western University)
A hope for the next 50 years- can we make personhood more inclusive? – Clare Jacobs (Senior Lecturer in Medical Ethics and Law, Anglia Ruskin University)
Beyond Efficiency: How community-driven healthcare sustains human dignity – Gianna Chibesa (Medical Student, University of Central Lancashire)
Session 2B – Thursday 10th 1.45-2.45pm
Inhuman prediction: a warning – Edwin Jesudason (Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, NHS Lothian)
Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and the Impact – Dita Wickins-Drazilova (Associate Professor in Biomedical Ethics & Law, Birmingham Medical School); Co-author(s) Emily Bracegirdle-Morais (Student, Birmingham Medical School), Zainab Janjua (Student, University of Birmingham), Sia Pandey (Student, University of Birmingham), Whitney Paxi (Student, University of Birmingham)
Should climate activist doctors be suspended for breaking the law? – Rammina Yassaie (Medical Doctor and Senior Lecturer in Leadership in Health and Social Care, Sheffield Hallam University)
Session 2C – Thursday 10th 1.45-2.45pm
Infectious Disease Control in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance: Ethical Perspectives on the Prospect of Forced Treatment – Kayla Gauthier (Graduate Student, The University of Western Ontario); Co-author(s) Maxwell J. Smith (Associate Professor, The University of Western Ontario), Jacob J. Shelley (Associate Professor, The University of Western Ontario), Amardeep Thind (Professor, The University of Western Ontario)
Newborn Screening in the Era of Precision Medicine: Ethical Dilemmas and Policy Challenges – Monika Nogel (Associate Professor, Széchenyi István University)
Should bioethicists be concerned with research impact efforts? A case study on seeing things through – Jordan A. Parsons (Assistant Professor in Medical Ethics and Law, University of Birmingham)
Session 3A – Friday 11th 12.00-1.00pm
Increasing awareness of conscientious objection in Newcastle MBBS: including training to assist those that hold such objections to express these sensitively, within the law and professional guidance – Helen Cooke (Clinical Ethics Lead, School of Medicine, Newcastle University); Co-author(s) – Sohail Ahmed (Stage 3 MBBS, School of Medicine, Newcastle University), Hisham Wafai (Stage 3 MBBS, School of Medicine, Newcastle University)
Assessment of undergraduate medical ethics education: minority report? – Mairi Finlay (Lecturer in Medical Ethics and Law, University of Dundee)
On-Demand Medical Ethics Education: Exploring the value of digital resources to support healthcare ethics and law education for medical students – Adam Parkes (Medical Student, University of Birmingham); Co-author(s) – Jordan Parsons (Assistant Professor in Medical Ethics and Law, University of Birmingham), Heather McNeilly (Lecturer in Medical Ethics and Education, University of Birmingham), John Appleby (Lecturer in Medical Ethics, Lancaster University)
Session 3B – Friday 11th 12.00-1.00pm
Conscientious Objection and Late(r) Term Abortion in Permissive Jurisdictions – Nathan Emmerich (SL, ANU)
Moral Asymmetry and Conscientious Objections: Revisiting Negative and Positive Rights in Healthcare – Tzofit Ofengenden (Assistant Professor, Tulane University)
The future of conscientious objection to abortion in English and Welsh law – Emily Ottley (Lecturer in Law, University of Winchester)
Session 3C – Friday 11th 12.00-1.00pm
Can Significant Brain Injury Change Personal Identity And What Does This Mean For The Consideration Of Previous Wishes In Medical Decisions For Incapacitated Adults? – Thea Capener (Healthcare Ethics and Law Student, University of Bristol)
The limits of autonomy: rethinking the test of a doctor’s duty to inform in Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine – Emma Temple (Consultant in Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)
Is charging for missed appointments in the NHS ethically permissible? – Daniel Kim (Student, University of Bristol)
Alongside our usual conference activities, we are excited to be celebrating the FIFTIETH birthday of the Journal of Medical Ethics. To further our celebrations, we are approaching our presentations in a slightly different way this year and matching them to the theme of the conference ‘Looking Backwards: Looking Forwards’. We invite you to share your proudest, best and/or most favourite piece of work ever, something brilliant that you are thinking about at the moment or a more conceptual piece that considers where medical ethics might take us in the coming fifty years.
We very much look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to our celebratory conference.
The abstract submission process has now closed.
Location and travel
The conference will take place at:
IET Austin Court
80 Cambridge St
Birmingham
B1 2NP
What 3 words location ///float.roof.orbit
The venue is a 15 minute walk from Birmingham New Street Railway Station or a 3-4 minute walk from the International Convention Centre tram stop.
Car Parking
Parking on site is limited with 17 spaces available on a first come first served basis.
Alternatively there is a car park at the Utlita Arena which is only a few hundred metres away.
Directions to the venue
By train
New St Station
Leave the platform at the North (Wolverhampton or Bristol) end and take the stairs to the “Way out to Victoria Square”. When outside, cross the road (Navigation St) and continue directly ahead up Pinfold Street. At the top of the hill, the Council House with its clock tower (“Big Brum”) can be seen.
As you enter Victoria Square, on your left is the Town Hall (modelled on a Grecian Temple). Follow the signposts for Paradise Forum, Convention Centre and National Indoor Arena. Continue straight on and the Town Hall is ahead on the opposite side of Chamberlain Square and the Council House.
Follow the ramp around the edge of the arena and just to the right-hand side of the Town Hall, a signpost to Convention Centre and National Indoor Arena points to the entrance to Paradise Forum.
Walk through the Mall and exit over the footbridge into Centenary Square, passing the Hall of Memory on your left and the Birmingham Library on your right.
Continue towards the ICC and Birmingham Repertory Theatre, turn right in front of the International Convention Centre to meet Cambridge St. Turn left, follow the road until you reach IET Birmingham: Austin Court on your left. Allow 15 – 20 minutes to walk this route.
Snow Hill Station
(Chiltern Railways, some Centro services from Hereford, and Metro service from Wolverhampton). Ascend into Colmore Row and turn right. At the end of Colmore Row, across Victoria Square, is the Town Hall (modelled on a Grecian Temple).
Turn right at the Council House; follow the ramp around the edge of the arena, a signpost to Convention Centre and National Indoor Arena points to the entrance to Paradise Forum.
Walk through the Mall and exit over the footbridge into Centenary Square, passing the Hall of Memory on your left and the Birmingham Library on your right.
Continue towards the ICC and Birmingham Repertory Theatre, turn right in front of the International Convention Centre to meet Cambridge St. Turn left, follow the road until you reach IET Birmingham: Austin Court on your left.
By road
- From the South-West (M5), leave the motorway at Junction 3, follow the A456 towards the city centre
- From the South (M40), South-East (M6) East (M69), or North-East (M42) follow the M6 to Junction 6, then the A38(M) towards the city centre
- From the North-West (M6) or West (M54) follow the M6 either to Junction 7, then the A34 towards Birmingham city centre or to Junction 6, then the A38(M) towards the city centre
By far the easiest, although not the most direct route, is to follow one of the main radial routes towards the city centre.
On reaching the Middle Ring Road (A4540), follow this to the junction with the A457 Dudley Road. Spring Hill Library, a Victorian Gothic Terracotta building, is on one corner. Turn towards the City Centre, also signed Convention Centre and National Indoor Arena.
Take the first available right (at traffic lights) into Summer Hill St, at the next roundabout carry straight on up the hill (King Edward’s Road).
The National Indoor Arena and its car parks are on your right. At the top of the hill, the rear wall of IET Birmingham: Austin Court should be visible on the right across the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.
Clean Air Zone
Birmingham is on a journey to cleaner air! The Clean Air Zone came into effect June 2021, in a bid to improve air quality. No vehicle is banned, but those which don’t have clean enough engines will have to pay a daily charge (£8) if they travel within the area. Paying only applies to non-compliant vehicles – diesels manufactured before 2015 and petrol cars made before 2006.
You can use this simple online vehicle checker to see if yours is affected by the change.
Parking
There is very limited parking at IET Birmingham: Austin Court. There is an EV charging point that can charge two electric cars.
Further charging points are available throughout Birmingham.
If the car park is full, the nearest parking is at the National Indoor Arena. It is Pay-and-Display.
There is limited street parking (meters) in side streets opposite the NIA, also on the south side of Broad St (A456).
Other car parks are just past the Birmingham Rep between Cambridge St and Broad Street, and at the end of Cambridge St at the junction of Summer Row (A457), the entrance is in Brindley Drive.
As well as being further away, these are generally more expensive than the NIA car park.
By Tram
The tram journey time is approximately five minutes from Grand Central station. The tram will depart from the Grand Central Midland metro stop, where you head towards the Library stop. You will need to get off at the International Convention Centre, Library Midland metro stop before walking around 5-minutes to IET Birmingham: Austin Court. For timings and maps, you can plan your journey directly through the West Midlands Metro site.
By bus
Leave the bus in the City Centre. Ask for directions to the “Town Hall”. A signpost to Convention Centre and National Indoor Arena points to the entrance to Paradise Forum.
Walk through the Mall and exit over the footbridge into Centenary Square, passing the Hall of Memory on your left. Continue towards the ICC and Birmingham Repertory Theatre, also passing the new Birmingham Library, turn right in front of the International Convention Centre to meet Cambridge St. Turn left, follow the road until you reach Austin Court on your left. Allow 15-20 minutes to walk this route.
(If your bus enters the City via Broad St, get off at “Symphony Hall”, then walk past the front entrance (leaving the Birmingham Repertory Theatre on your right), to meet Cambridge St. Turn left, follow the road until you reach IET Birmingham: Austin Court on your left.
Presenting delegates (oral and poster sessions):
Students – £30 for one day/£45 for 2 days
IME members – £55 for one day/£100 for 2 days
Non-members – £95 for one day/£170 for 2 days
Non-presenting delegates:
Students – £35 for one day/£55 for 2 days
IME members – £65 for one day/£110 for 2 days
Non-members – £105 for one day/£190 for 2 days