When Bodies Become Markets: The Ethics of Organ Sales with Jeffrey Kahn and Mario Macis

Why should it be illegal to buy and sell human kidneys? As thousands of patients await life-saving transplants, some argue that financial incentives could increase organ donation, while others warn that organ markets could lead to exploitation and inequity. Join Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics faculty to examine the values, assumptions, and ethical tensions underlying this debate. 

This event will take place in person and online at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor. The livestream will be available HERE and will remain there after the program.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To view the livestream | Whether you're attending in person or online, you must register with your email address. You will need a device with audio and/or video and an internet/cellular connection to view the livestream.

About the Series

Join Jeffrey Kahn and other prominent Johns Hopkins faculty for a special 7 Stories Up series about bioethics. These events bring audiences into engaging conversations at the intersection of medicine, technology, law, and ethics. Each session encourages you to think through real‑world dilemmas shaping the future of health and society—all in a space designed for learning, reflection, and community dialogue.

About the Speakers

Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH is the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Levi Professor of Bioethics and Public Policy. His work focuses on the ethics of research, ethics and public health including global health, and ethics and emerging biomedical technologies. He speaks widely in the US and abroad, has published five books and over 160 articles, and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. He is the Executive Producer (with Anna Mastroianni) of the award-winning playing god? podcast.

Mario Macis, PhD is a professor of Economics at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. He is also core faculty at the Hopkins Business of Health Initiative, affiliate faculty at the JHU Berman Institute of Bioethics, and Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Institute of Labor Economics, or IZA, in Bonn. Prior to joining Carey, he was a faculty member at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He received is PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago, Department of Economics. Professor Macis has been a consultant for the World Bank, the International Labor Organization, the National Marrow Donor Program, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Health Organization. He also served in a National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine committee.

Accessibility Notes

In-Person

• Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.


• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) are available upon request. Please submit your request via this form or contact SNFL at least two weeks in advance.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Livestream

• ASL interpretation and real-time captioning (CART) also available (see previous).


• Captions and a transcript will be provided.

Connect with Us

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

Sign up for our e-newsletters to stay up to date on upcoming events and Library offerings.

Please submit all press inquiries to Connor Goodwin at least 48 hours before the event: email [email protected]. 

SUPPORT THE LIBRARY

The New York Public Library's free services and resources are made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library. Join this group of Library lovers and take advantage of special membership benefits, like invitations to members-only virtual events, discounts at the Library Shop, and more. Join now.

All programs are subject to change or cancellation. All programs are subject to recording and photography.

Conversations in Bioethics: Life, Death, and Who Decides? is presented in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Dracopoulos-Bloomberg iDeas Lab. Learn more.

The 7 Stories Up Series at SNFL is made possible by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).