Dr. Bill Meadow Memorial Bioethics Debate

Welcome to the Dr. Bill Meadow memorial debate home page where you can stay up to date on all things regarding the debates.

History

Started in 2020, the annual Dr. Bill Meadow Memorial Bioethics Debate is our way of remembering Bill's fiery passion for ethical dilemmas, while also honoring his combative style. The memorial lecture series is jointly hosted by the University of Chicago Department of Pediatrics and the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics and pits two esteemed members of the medical community against each other in a debate on a controversial ethical topic.

The next debate will be held at the University of Chicago at 12 pm central time on Wednesday April 8th, 2026
In person the debate will be in the Dora Dee Lee Lecture hall on U of C's campus in L-168. Enter via the Golfblatt Pavilion at 860 E 59th street. Vitually please use this Zoom link.

Topic: Viral or Vital: Social Media in Medicine
Dr. Jen Gunter is an OB/GYN, pain medicine physician, and accomplished author whose work includes contributions to the New York Times and several bestselling books. She maintains a substantial and influential presence on social media, and the mission on her website is to “build a better medical internet.”	vs.	Dr. Jon Fanaroff is a fellow neonatologist at Rainbow Babies and a Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University. In addition to his medical degree, he holds a law degree and completed a fellowship in Clinical Medical Ethics from the MacLean Center at the University of Chicago, where he was influenced by Bill. He is an important voice in the field of clinical medical ethics and his extensive list of publications includes a recent article on ethical considerations for pediatricians’ use of social media on behalf of the Committee on Bioethics and the Committee on Medical Liability and Risk Management.
Moderator: Dr. Marin Arnolds is a neonatologist and clinical ethicist at the University of Michigan. She completed her neonatology fellowship at the University of Chicago under Bill's mentorship, while also completing a fellowship in Clinical Medical Ethics from the MacLean Center at the University of Chicago. She studies parental perceptions of the NICU experience and has a particular interest in the role of social media in rare diseases.

If you are interested in supporting future events and trainees in the section, please consider making a donation in memory of Dr. Meadow here: http://giving.uchicago.edu/bill-meadow.