Sebastian Wäscher, M.A. studied communication science, sociology and philosophy at the University of Münster, finishing his studies with a thesis on the relevance of Ludwig Wittgenstein for communication science. From 2011 to 2015 Sebastian was a research assistant at the Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum and a member of the NRW-Junior Research Group ‘Medical Ethics at the End of Life: Norm and Empiricism’. He worked in projects on personalized medicine, end-of- life decision making and qualitative evaluation of clinical ethics support services.

Since November 2015 Sebastian is a PhD Student at the IBME. The main aim of his PhD project is to address the topic of responsibilities of scientific experts towards society by empirical methods. The project is part of a large National Competence Centre of Research in Molecular Systems Engineering (NCCR MSE), funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF). The IBME has the task to study the ethical, societal and policy aspects of Molecular Systems Engineering. In this context, Sebastian investigates the role and responsibilities of scientific experts in and towards society, with a particular focus on experts in the life sciences and biotechnologies. More specifically, the project aims at characterizing the qualifications and responsibilities that are attributed by scientists, non-scientific experts and (interested) laypersons to scientific expertise through expert interviews.

Scientific Responsiblity, empirical ethics, philosophy of science, science and technology studies, science policy, qualitative research methodology, end-of-life decision making, personalised medicine
 

The role and responsibilities of scientists in and towards society

Wäscher Sebastian (2018) Panel Discussion Genesis 2.0, sc|nat Film screening with panel discussion, 27. November 2018, Zurich, Switzerland

Wäscher Sebastian (2018) Panel Discussion Inter- and Transdisciplinarity, QualiZüri Networking Day, 22. November 2018, Zurich, Switzerland

Wäscher Sebastian, Deplazes Zemp Anna, Spinas Giatgen (2018) Ethische Implikationen des Zusammentreffens von Forschung und Behandlung, Zurich Harvard Intensive Bioethics Course, 9.-11. November 2018, Zurich, Switzerland

Wäscher Sebastian (2018) Panel Discussion Genesis 2.0, sc|nat Film screening with panel discussion, 8. November 2018, Bern, Switzerland

Wäscher Sebastian, Deplazes Zemp Anna, Biller-Andorno Nikola (2018) Research integrity as a part of scientific responsibility. Results from a qualitative interview study with natural scientists. PRINTEGER European Conference on Research Integrity, 5.-7. February 2018, Bonn, Germany

Wäscher Sebastian, Deplazes Zemp Anna, Biller-Andorno Nikola (2017) The role and responsibility of scientists in society. A qualitative interview study with natural scientists. Annual Conference of the European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics, 7.-9. September 2017, Barcelona, Spain

Wäscher Sebastian (2017) Panel Discussion: Missbrauchspotential in der biologischen Forschung: ein Grund zur Sorge? LS2 Annual Meeting, 2.-3. 2017 February, Zürich, Switzerland

Wäscher Sebastian, Salloch Sabine, Ritter Peter, Vollmann Jochen, Schildmann Jan (2015) Qualitative Evaluation einer Intervention zur wertebezogenen Kommunikation in der Onkologie. Ergebnisse aus dem ETHICO-Projekt. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Sozialmedizin und Prävention 23.-25. September 2015, Regensburg, Germany

Wäscher Sebastian, Schildmann Jan, Brall Caroline, Vollmann Jochen (2014) Technologien der „personalisierten Medizin“ und ärztliches Selbstverständnis. Ergebnisse einer empirisch-ethischen Untersuchung. Jahrestagung der Akademie für Ethik in der Medizin, 9.-11. October 2014, Ulm, Germany

Wäscher Sebastian, Salloch Sabine, Ritter Peter, Vollmann Jochen, Schildmann Jan (2014) Supporting ethical decision making in advanced cancer. Preliminary findings and methodological reflections from an empirical-ethical intervention study. Annual Conference of the European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics, 2.-4. October 2014, Lille, France

Wäscher Sebastian, Schildmann Jan, Brall Caroline, Vollmann Jochen (2014) Lebensqualität als patientenrelevanter Endpunkt in der frühen Nutzenbewertung. Eine kritisch-ethische Auseinandersetzung auf Grundlage qualitativer Interviews im Kontext „personalisierter Medizin“. Klausurwoche „Lebensqualität in der Medizin. Messung, Konzept, Konsequenzen“, 20.-26. July 2014, Tübingen, Germany

Wäscher Sebastian, Ritter Peter, Salloch Sabine, Vollmann Jochen, Schildmann Jan (2014) „Decision Making in Oncology: A Pathway to a Clinical Intervention on Value Based Communication. Insights into the ETHICO Project.” Minerva Summer Seminar 2014. End of Life: Between the Expected and the Unexpected, 23.-25. June 2014, Tzuba, Israel

Wäscher Sebastian, Salloch Sabine, Ritter Peter, Vollmann Jochen, Schildmann Jan (2014): Qualitative research on decision making in oncology: empirical results and methodological reflection.  Abschlusskonferenz "Ethics and evidence in end-of-life decision making Interdisciplinary Perspectives", der NRW-Nachwuchsforschergruppe "Medizinethik am Lebensende: Norm und Empirie", 3.-4. April 2014, Bochum, Germany

Wäscher Sebastian, Brall Caroline, Schildmann Jan, Vollmann Jochen (2013) Nutzenbewertung und „personalisierte Medizin“. Eine ethisch-empirische Analyse. 4. Klausurtagung „Medizinische Forschungsethik im Kontext Individualisierter Medizin.“, 12.-13. December 2013, Greifswald, Germany

Wäscher Sebastian, Ritter Peter, Salloch Sabine, Vollmann, Jochen, Schildmann Jan (2013) Entscheidungsfindung bei der Versorgung von Patienten mit fortgeschrittenen Krebserkrankungen. Methodentriangulation qualitativer Sozialforschung im Rahmen einer empirisch-ethischen Analyse. Jahrestagung der Akademie für Ethik in der Medizin, 10.-12. October 2013, München, Germany

Wäscher Sebastian, Brall Caroline, Schildmann Jan, Vollmann Jochen (2013) “Personalised medicine” in oncology. Physicians’ perspectives on contribution to and challenges for clinical practice. Annual Conference of the European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics, 19.-21. September 2013, Bochum, Germany

Wäscher Sebastian, Schildmann Jan, Vollmann Jochen (2012) Personalisierte Medizin in der Onkologie. Eine medizinethische Analyse. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Sozialmedizin und Prävention, 12.-14. September 2012, Essen, Germany

Review Activities

    BMC Medical Ethics
    Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics

Teaching

    Geschichte, Theorie und Ethik der Medizin (History, theory and ethics of medicine), Universität Duisburg / Essen
    Erstjahreskurs Medizinethik (First year ethics course), University of Zurich

Other Activities

    Strategic Member of QualiZüri