Founded in 1969 The Hastings Center is the longest-serving independent, nonpartisan bioethics research institute in the world. Hastings’ mission is to address fundamental ethical issues in health, health care, life sciences research and the environment that affect individuals, communities, and societies.

The Hastings Center has identified five broad areas where the nation and global community face serious challenges and where bioethics can help. They create the blueprint for the Center’s work over the coming years. Several ethics through-lines cut across these areas, including genetics, neuroethics, research ethics, public health, and professional ethics.

1. Health and Health Care
2. Children and Families
3. Aging, Chronic Conditions, and Care Near the End of Life
4. Emerging Science and Conceptions of Self
5. Human Impact on the Natural World