Julia Mirkin

Trust in biomedical research – a philosophical analysis

In my PhD project I want to focus on concepts of trust in science, professional agents and cases of distrust. The impact of trust in science either being given or lacking can be pivotal. One recent example has been the array of attempts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, with the success of the implementation and the outcome often being substantially influenced by the public’s trust in researchers and their recommendations. Accordingly, the potential of rejection and denial of scientific knowledge to cause relevant damages has also become apparent in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyhow, even beyond this specific example, trust in science can be considered a common good. In my PhD project I want to explore how trust in science can be conceptualized, based on the various aspects that arguably make it crucial, such as its role in research ethics, policy making and public discussions. The two central questions I want to address are (i) what makes a professional agent worthy of our trust, and (ii) how can cases of distrust in science be explained.

• Mirkin, Julia. "Zur Rolle des Vertrauens in der Leugnung wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnis". Wissenschaftsleugnung: Fallstudien, philosophische Analysen und Vorschläge zur Wissenschaftskommunikation, edited by Alexander Christian and Ina Gawel, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2024, pp. 67-92. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110788341-004

The Ethical Limits of Biomedical Research (special issue). Zeitschrift für Ethik und Moralphilosophie (ZEMO) / Journal for Ethics and Moral Philosophy. In preperation, expected publication 2025. With Dr. Alexander Christian.

• 10.09.2021: Moral and Scientific Expertise. Workshop as part of  SOPhiA 2021. Organized with Dr. Alexander Christian.