About the GFBR

The Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR) exists to provide a global platform for the exchange and sharing of experience and expertise on research ethics among researchers, policy makers and ethicists, among others. Its core aims are to give voice to low- and middle- income country (LMIC) perspectives in debates about global health research ethics and to promote collaboration.

The purpose, history and future functioning of the GFBR is described in the 2014 article ‘The Global Forum for Bioethics in Research – Past, present and future‘.

The essential values of the GFBR include:

  • the promotion of ethically conducted research;
  • respect for the differences between many stakeholders in research – both geographical, cultural, and scientific;
  • the importance of bringing these together for mutual learning;
  • the urgency of capacity building in health research ethics review in many LMICs;
  • the need for partnership between north and south in capacity building in ethics and ethical review in the south.

Who sits on the Steering Committee?

Katherine Littler, World Health Organization, Switzerland; Michael Parker, Oxford University, UK; Anna Chiumento, Edinburgh University, UK; Phaik Yeong Cheah, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Thailand; Sharon Kaur, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia; Anant Bhan, Yenepoya University, India;  Jantina De Vries, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Caesar Atuire, University of Ghana, Ghana and Oxford University, UK; Ross Upshur, University of Toronto, Canada; Carla Saenz, Pan American Health Organisation, USA; Paul Ndebele, George Washington University, USA; Ana Palmero, National Ministry of Health, Argentina.

Funder member representatives: Barbara Sina, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, USA, Carleigh Krubiner, Wellcome, UK and Mongezi Mdhluli, South African MRC.

What are the aims of GFBR meetings?

  • To maintain and strengthen the protection of human participants in health research.
  • To provide a forum for low- and middle-income country perspectives on ethical issues in research.
  • To explore opportunities to enhance capacity for ethical review of research.
  • To create a context for research involving human participants in which scientists, ethicists, community representatives, policy-makers, industry, and other relevant stakeholders can address ethical issues in ways that allow expeditious long-term joint management of research protocols.

These aims are kept under review and refined at the Steering Committee of Partners meeting held during each meeting.

How are the GFBR meetings planned?

A Planning Committee is convened to support the annual GFBR meeting, including members with expertise and experience in relation to the meeting theme. The Committee reviews the applications to attend and present at the meeting and advises on the development of the meeting agenda.

The 2026 topic is ‘Digital footprints and real-time data in the context of health research: ethical issues‘. Members of the 2026 Planning Committee are:

  • Pamela Andanda, Professor of Law, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
  • Mohammed Ghaly, Professor of Islam and Biomedical Ethics, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar
  • Anita Ho, Associate Professor, Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, USA
  • Calvin Ho, Associate Professor, Monash Law School, Monash University, Australia & Research Fellow, Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, The University of Hong Kong
  • Sharon Kaur, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia (GFBR Steering Committee member)
  • Phong Hong Khai, Senior Social Scientist, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Vietnam
  • Graeme Laurie, Professorial Fellow, School of Law, University of Edinburgh, UK (based in Sri Lanka)
  • Katherine Littler, Senior Ethics Specialist, WHO (GFBR lead and Steering Committee member)
  • Sandra Milena Agudelo Londoño, Associate Professor, Institute of Public Health, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
  • Federica Lucivero, Associate Professor in Ethics of Technology, Ethox Centre, Oxford University, UK
  • Gautam Menon, Professor of Physics and Biology, Ashoka University, India
  • Marisha Nanayakkara-Bruce, Bioethics Specialist, Wellcome, UK (funder representative)
  • Tollulah Oni, Clinical Professor of Global Public Health and Sustainable Development, Cambridge University, UK
  • Ana Palmero, Independent ethics and legal advisor and consultant for WHO, Argentina (GFBR Steering Committee member)

Who supports the GFBR?

Funding is provided by The Wellcome Trust, the National Institutes of Health, the UK Medical Research Council and the South African Medical Research Council.

The Secretariat for the GFBR is provided by the World Health Organization.

Prior to 2009 the Secretariat was hosted by COHRED, supported by a grant from the Science and Society programme of the EU’s 6th Framework Programme on science and technology.

Who are the GFBR’s past and current partners?

Aga Khan University (AKU)
Canadian Institutes of Health Research / Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada (CIHR – IRSC)
Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED)
European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP)
Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO)
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)
Medical Research Council-United Kingdom (MRC UK)
National Institutes of Health-Fogarty International Center (NIH-FIC)
Vilnius University
Wellcome Trust
World Health Organisation (WHO)
Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)