Safety and Ethics

Research in humans opens up the possibility of exploitation. Elaborate rules and procedures have been established by both government and individual institutions, including Mayo Clinic, to ensure dignity, respect and the ability to choose whether or not to participate are preserved.

All proposed clinical research studies at Mayo Clinic are reviewed and approved by Mayo's Institutional Review Board (IRB), which seeks to ensure the protection of rights, privacy and general welfare of all human participants in Mayo Clinic research.

Researchers also obtain input from other colleagues and specialized committees when developing clinical research studies. One primary source of assistance is the Center for Translational Science Activities Research Ethics Resource, which provides advice and guidance to researchers concerning ethical, societal or policy questions.

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