In recent years the Center has been involved in several studies examining ethical issues surrounding medical research at academic health centers. These studies may be divided into two main clusters. First, we have devoted considerable time to studies concerned with the ethical treatment of patients as research subjects. Issues surrounding the recruitment of study volunteers, the incentives offered to them, and the clarity of the informed consent forms they are asked to sign, have all been examined in detail in research studies associated with specific diseases. Studies on Alzheimer's disease, AIDs/HIV, and genetic research on blood and tissue samples have been at the forefront of our activities in this area. The second cluster of medical ethics studies focus on the ways academic health centers discover and manage conflicts of interest in their conduct of medical research. We have examined the research contracting process, the IRB approval process, and secrecy in the sharing of scientific discoveries, for the potential conflicts they may pose for institutions and researchers. The personal relationships of study PIs with the private industries who fund research have been at the core of our conflicts of interest questions. These studies were funded by NIH.