Silke Schicktanz

Prof. Dr. Silke Schicktanz is Professor for Culture and Ethics of Biomedicine and Head of the Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine at the University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August-University. She has held this position since April 1, 2010, following her Junior Professorship for the History, Theory, and Ethics of Medicine (2006-2010). She has also held adjunct positions at San Francisco State University and conducted research at UC Berkeley with a Feodor Lynen Fellowship.

Dr. Schicktanz earned her doctorate in "Ethics in the Life Sciences" from the University of Tübingen in 2002, focusing on medical and animal ethical aspects of xenotransplantation. Her academic journey includes research positions at the University of Tübingen, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Research Center Jülich, and the University of Münster. She led Germany's first nationwide citizens' conference on genetic diagnostics at the German Hygiene Museum Foundation in Dresden.

Her research focuses on the intersection of bioethics, digital health technologies, and dementia care. She explores cultural differences in bioethics, the relationship between ethics and empiricism, and public engagement in healthcare decision-making. Her work particularly examines how co-intelligent monitoring and assistance systems impact privacy, empowerment, and quality of care for people with dementia. She investigates how cultural contexts shape ethical perspectives on technology in healthcare, with comparative studies between Germany and Israel.

Her recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on the ethical implications of AI and digital technologies in dementia care. She examines cross-cultural perspectives, value-sensitive design approaches, and the integration of ethical considerations into technology development. Her work consistently addresses the tension between technological innovation and fundamental ethical values like privacy, autonomy, and human dignity in healthcare contexts.

• Feodor Lynen Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
• President of the Academy for Ethics in Medicine (elected 2022)
• Appointed Member of European Research Council Grant Evaluation Panels (2009-2017)
• Member of Committee on Freedom and Research in Science of ICSU (2012-2019)
• Member of IAG Gene Technology Report (since 2019)
• Appointed Member of Central Ethics Committee for Stem Cell Research (2020-2023)

As Principal Investigator, Schicktanz leads multiple significant research projects including EIDEC (Ethical and social aspects of co-intelligent monitoring and assistance systems in dementia care), PANDORA (Patient-Oriented Digitalization), and "Our Healthcare of Tomorrow." She has supervised numerous doctoral students and researchers, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between ethicists, technologists, and healthcare professionals. Her team approach emphasizes stakeholder engagement, bringing together patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers in the research process. She directs the Schicktanz Working Group which focuses on Digitalization & AI in healthcare ethics, conducting both theoretical and empirical research on emerging technologies.