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The ACOM IRB is responsible for protecting the rights and welfare of individuals participating in research. It ensures that all human subjects research is conducted ethically, with a focus on safeguarding health, promoting wellbeing, and upholding human rights.

The ACOM IRB reviews all human subjects research projects conducted by ACOM faculty, staff, and students.

Additional Resources

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Human Research Protections

Code of Federal Regulations, Protection of Human Subjects (45 CFR 46)

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Protecting Human Research Participants course

Guidance on Reviewing and Reporting Unanticipated Problems Involving Risks to Subjects or Others and Adverse Events

Basic Ethical Principles

"Basic ethical principles" are general moral judgments that provide the foundation for specific ethical guidelines and the evaluation of human actions.

Three core principles—widely recognized within our cultural tradition—are particularly significant in the ethics of research involving human subjects: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. These are drawn from the Belmont Report.

1. Respect for Persons - This principle includes two key ethical convictions: first, individuals should be treated as autonomous agents; second, those with diminished autonomy are entitled to additional protections. It therefore entails two moral obligations: to acknowledge individual autonomy and to safeguard those with limited capacity for self-determination.

In research, this means participants must voluntarily consent with sufficient understanding of the study. Respecting autonomy involves honoring individuals' informed choices and avoiding interference unless their actions may harm others. For individuals who are immature or incapacitated, respect may require protective measures tailored to their developmental or situational needs.

The degree of protection should correspond to the level of risk and potential benefit, and judgments about a person's autonomy should be regularly reassessed based on context.

2. Beneficence - Ethical treatment of individuals involves not only respecting their decisions and shielding them from harm, but also actively working to enhance their well-being. This is the essence of beneficence.

Two key rules express this principle:

1. Do no harm.
2. Maximize possible benefits while minimizing potential harms.

In complex situations, these considerations may conflict, requiring careful ethical judgment and balance.

3. Justice - Justice addresses the question: Who should receive the benefits of research and who should bear its burdens?

Justice is fundamentally about fairness—ensuring individuals receive what they are due. An injustice occurs when benefits are denied without valid reason or when burdens are unfairly imposed. One way to express this principle is: treat equals equally.

 Read the full report 

Students must register their research and complete their CITI training before starting their research.

Accomplishments should be submitted to: Scholarly Activities/Research Publications

Shane Warren, PhD
Director of Research and Grant Development
Research - research@acom.edu

Frank Petrassi, PhD - IRB Chair
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences
IRB - irb@acom.edu 

Sebastian Alston, MD
Katie Ard, LICSW
Rahul Garg, PhD
Christina Kennedy, PhD
Michelle Miller, MLIS
Frank Petrassi, PhD
Samantha Wolf, DO

The ACOM IRB meets quarterly and will convene if there is a need.