The purpose of the University of Virginia is “to enrich the mind by stimulating and sustaining a spirit of free inquiry.” Our purpose—as an interprofessional center within the School of Medicine for the study and promotion of biomedical ethics and the medical humanities—is to clarify and deepen understandings of health and the experiences of illness and dying while also considering the moral complexities of health care and health-related research.

• We create opportunities to hear diverse points of view on health-related questions that go beyond biomedical science.
• We teach and undertake research in medical humanities, communication, and biomedical ethics.
• We provide and support ethics advisory services for clinical, educational, and research enterprises.
• We sponsor undergraduate, graduate, professional, postgraduate, and public forums where learners at all levels can consider the ways in which humanism animates professionalism and practice.