Medicine in the Metaverse

The overarching objectives of my research are to advance our fundamental understanding of the normative ethics and practical implications of medicine in the metaverse. I propose to achieve my specific research objectives during a one-month Brocher residency by

(1)     Finalizing data analysis from an environmental scan of the literature and document review of existing healthcare applications developed for the metaverse

(2)     Preparing two academic research articles for publication (one conceptual and one empirical)

(3)     Outlining a prospectus for a book project on the future of medicine and clinical research in the metaverse through a bioethics lens

Too often, bioethics research is reactionary and sets out unrealistic goals to course correct emerging technologies after they have already been developed or implemented. My approach to computational bioethics research reimagines this relationship. The anticipatory work proposed in Medicine in the metaverse presents a rare opportunity to shape technology at the earliest possible moments in the development process. I expect through academic publication, I will help to center bioethical discourse as a critical input for the design, deployment, and future distribution of metaverse-enabled healthcare as this technology evolves moving forward.