close up of torso of medical professional with crossed arms holding a stethoscope

Law’s Sharona Hoffman discussed ethical questions regarding the donation of biosamples

Uncertainties on future use of study participants’ data 

Professor Sharona Hoffman

Medical Ethics Advisor: Sharona Hoffman, the Edgar A. Hahn Professor of Law and co-director of the Law-Medicine Center, said that patients may agree to donate a biosample—including blood, urine and saliva— for their physician’s clinical study, but potential future uses of that sample raises ethical concerns. “One problem is a lot of study participants may provide broad consent but not understand what that really means, and they won’t think to ask probing questions about it,” she said.