Talk by Aníbal Monasterio Astobiza: “The Morality of Head Transplant”.Ponencia de Aníbal Monasterio Astobiza: “La moralidad del trasplante de cabeza”.Talk by Aníbal Monasterio Astobiza: “The Morality of Head Transplant”.

Date and Time: September 28th, Monday, 11.30 am.

Location: Carlos Santamaría Building, Room B14

Speaker: Aníbal Monasterio Astobiza (independent researcher)

Title: The Morality of Head Transplant

Abstract:

In 1970 Robert J. White tried to transplant the head of a monkey to the body of another monkey. He was inspired by the work of another scientist, a truly pioneer in organ transplantation: Vladimir Demikhov (1916-1998). Both White and Demikhov were ahead of their time. They devised to transplant heads, firstly in dogs (Demikhov´s milestone), then in monkeys (White´s achievement). In 2013 Sergio Canavero of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group (TANG) in Italy, spoke of his plans to carry out the first human head transplantation (Canavero 2015). Thirty years after the first attempts to transplant heads in non-human animals, scientists contemplate now the first human head transplant. Spinal linkage offers now the possibility of transplanting the head and, by doing so, circunventing  many of the somatic diseases afflicting human beings. In this talk we explore the feasibility of human head transplants and highlight the ethical problems associated to.

Día y hora: 28 de septiembre, lunes, 11.30 am.

Lugar: Centro Carlos Santamaría, Sala B14

Ponente: Aníbal Monasterio Astobiza (investigador independiente)

Título: La moralidad del trasplante de cabeza

Resumen:

En 1970 Robert White intentó traspantar la cabeza de un mono al cuerpo de otro mono. Se inspiró en el trabajo de otro científico, un verdadero pionero en trasplante de órganos: Vladimir Demikhov (1916-1998). Ambos, White y Demikhov fueron adelantados a su tiempo. Ellos idearon trasplantar cabezas, en primer lugar en perros (hito de Demikhov), y luego en monos (logro de White). En 2013 Sergio Canavero del Turing Advanced Neuromodulation Group (TANG) en Italia, habló de sus planes de llevar a cabo el primer trasplante de cabeza humano (Canavero 2015). Treinta años despues de los primeros intentos de trasplante de cabeza en animales no-humanos, los científicos contemplan ahora el trasplante de cabeza en seres humanos. La fusión de la médula espinal ofrece ahora la posibilidad de trasplantar la cabeza y de este modo, superar muchas de las enfermedades somáticas que afligen a miles de personas en todo el mundo. En esta charla exploramos la viabilidad del trasplante de cabeza en seres humanos y subrayamos los problemas éticos que se derivan.

Date and Time: September 28th, Monday, 11.30 am.

Location: Carlos Santamaría Building, Room B14

Speaker: Aníbal Monasterio Astobiza (independent researcher)

Title: The Morality of Head Transplant

Abstract:

In 1970 Robert J. White tried to transplant the head of a monkey to the body of another monkey. He was inspired by the work of another scientist, a truly pioneer in organ transplantation: Vladimir Demikhov (1916-1998). Both White and Demikhov were ahead of their time. They devised to transplant heads, firstly in dogs (Demikhov´s milestone), then in monkeys (White´s achievement). In 2013 Sergio Canavero of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group (TANG) in Italy, spoke of his plans to carry out the first human head transplantation (Canavero 2015). Thirty years after the first attempts to transplant heads in non-human animals, scientists contemplate now the first human head transplant. Spinal linkage offers now the possibility of transplanting the head and, by doing so, circunventing  many of the somatic diseases afflicting human beings. In this talk we explore the feasibility of human head transplants and highlight the ethical problems associated to.