Is CHI Research Ethically Unique?

Abstract This chapter dives into a key philosophical question that has not received the treatment it deserves: Is controlled human infection (CHI) research ethically unique? Although some ethicists have argued it is no different from other types of research, a close reading of the ethics literature reveals long-standing concern that CHI research is ethically problematic. The aim of this chapter is to isolate whether there are unique ethical issues that arise in CHI research but not in other types of research, or whether misfiring intuitions and subjective judgments make CHI research feel ethically distinct. The author ultimately argues that CHI research is somewhat unique because it raises a cluster of unresolved ethical issues and that the challenges are generally compounded when a CHI model of how to infect humans for the first time is being developed. Accordingly, ethical frameworks should be designed to address the unusual and/or unsettled ethical issues that can arise in CHI research, particularly when CHI models are being developed.