Belmont Report commemorated at Belmont Manor as officials, descendants and ethicists reflect on research protections

Nick Mooneyhan, Howard County Director of Recreation and Parks, opened the July commemoration at Belmont Manor, thanking federal partners including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office for Human Research Protections for helping organize the event as part of Howard County’s HoCo250 celebration.

Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy and Director of National Health Communications in the Office of the Surgeon General (HHS), highlighted the Belmont Report’s three guiding principles and said they continue to shape protections for research participants. “Who ought to receive the benefits of research and bear its burdens? Those words come directly from the Belmont Report,” she said, urging the audience to apply respect, beneficence and justice across modern research.

Keynote speaker Dr. Jay Bhattacharya described Belmont as foundational to scientific and ethical excellence, saying the report ensures that public trust underpins scientific progress. Panelists from government, academia and nonprofit organizations then explored how Belmont applies today—from institutional review board (IRB) composition and informed consent to data science, AI and emergency exceptions to consent.

Organizers closed the program by encouraging attendees to visit the Belmont exhibits and praising efforts to preserve and amplify the history of research protections. The event included personal testimony from descendants of men in the Tuskegee study and remarks from people who have participated in clinical research, underscoring the report’s continued relevance.