We are pleased to announce an international hybrid conference on ethical uncertainty and epistemic injustice in the care of patients with disorders of consciousness, featuring keynote speakers Joseph J. Fins (Weill Cornell Medicine), Ralf J. Jox (University of Lausanne), Havi Carel (University of Bristol), Keith Harris (University of Vienna), and Michael J. Young (Harvard Medical School).
The conference will explore the intersection of neuroethics, epistemology, and clinical practice in the context of disorders of consciousness, addressing topics including epistemic injustice in doctor-family communication, the moral value of uncertainty, power dynamics in clinical decision-making, intellectual virtues and vices in medical contexts, and inference under uncertainty in disorders of consciousness.
Date: September 8, 2026
Location: Palazzo del Capitanio, Padova, Italy - and online
PROGRAM
Morning Session
10:00–10:30 | Greetings and Introduction - Federico Zilio (University of Padova) and Ralf J. Jox (University of Lausanne)
10:30–11:30 | Joseph J. Fins, Weill Cornell Medicine (online): "DOC, Communication, and Epistemic Injustice: Towards a Theory of Power Dynamics"
11:30–12:30 | Ralf J. Jox, University of Lausanne: "Disorders of Consciousness and the Moral Value of Uncertainty"
12:30–14:00 | Lunch Break
Afternoon Session
14:00–15:00 | Havi Carel, University of Bristol (online): "What Does It Mean to 'Be Heard'?"
15:00–16:00 | Keith Harris, University of Vienna: "Evocative Intellectual Virtue and Vice"
16:00–16:45 | Coffee Break
16:45–17:45 | Michael J. Young, Harvard Medical School (online): "Inference Under Uncertainty in Disorders of Consciousness"
18:00 | Free guided tour of Palazzo Bo (limited to 30 people)
The Zoom link for online participation is available via QR code on the conference poster (scan it or click on it to join). The direct link is also available here:
https://unipd.zoom.us/j/88984932173?pwd=yEsQFCrPNPWyX5wn0qRFuWafa8ICvd.1
Conference poster:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m1riFAi1DAwJV-TJN5RyPEJcwwdEaHSK/view?usp=sharing
This event is part of the seed grant project Ethical Uncertainty and Epistemic Injustice in Disorders of Consciousness, funded by the University of Padova and the University of Lausanne.
Organizing Committee: B. Bogaert, R.J. Jox, E. Stefanello, K. Würth, A. Zanin, F. Zilio
Contact: federico.zilio@unipd.it