Animal Ethics Study Group
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The Animal Ethics study group at the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics meets several times a semester over a vegan lunch (or via Zoom) for a presentation and lively discussion about a current issue in animal ethics. Our presenters come from diverse fields including law, conservation biology, anthropology, history, veterinary medicine, agricultural research, psychology, philosophy, and genomic/genetic research science. Often, the presenters bring works in progress or new publications to share with us. Participants are equally as diverse and come from both the Yale community and beyond, with many coming from other professional fields.
We share a common interest in learning about the factual underpinnings of contemporary animal issues directly from scholars in the fields. The group’s diversity adds to the richness of the discussions and captures divergent points of view in civil, but enthusiastic debates. The study group sponsors two events: a lunch time seminar and a public lecture series around related animal ethics issues. If you are interested in more in-depth studies of animal ethics, the Summer Institute in Bioethics often offers a 3-week intensive seminar on Animal Ethics & One Health as part of our summer program.
Chair
Lisa Moses, VMD, DACVIM, Faculty, Center for Bioethics, Harvard Medical School
Contact Us
For more information or to be placed on the email list for upcoming study group meetings, email lisa.moses@yale.edu.
Seeking more structured programming within animal ethics?
Learn more about our virtual animal ethics programs.
2026-2027 Lecture Series
Please join us for these Zoom-based lectures, open to the public. Email lisa.moses@yale.edu to register.
Friday, November 20, 12 noon - 1 pm ET on Zoom: A Zoological Biobank Alliance: Advancing discoverability, coordination, and shared practice across zoo biobanks
Presented by Rachel Johnson PhD, Danica Wolfe, and Eric Baitchman DVM
Zoos and aquariums collectively steward more than one million frozen and preserved biological specimens, representing an extraordinary resource for advancing population management, the health of our living collections, and scientific discovery. Yet, because these collections are hidden across hundreds of siloed institutional systems and are rarely represented in shared, searchable portals, most specimens and their associated data remain effectively invisible to researchers, conservationists, and zoological practitioners. We will discuss the barriers and practical solutions being developed through the Biobank Alliance Working Group to improve discoverability, coordination, standardized practices, and mutually beneficial research.