The Willowbrook Study

The Willowbrook Study was a controversial research project conducted in the 1950s-70s at Willowbrook State School in New York. Researchers intentionally infected children with hepatitis to understand the disease better, aiming to develop vaccines. Many participants were children with intellectual disabilities who were aware and without parental consent. Ethical concerns arose because the study involved risks without clear benefit to the children and raised questions about informed consent and vulnerable populations' treatment. The study highlighted the need for stronger protections for research subjects and contributed to the development of stricter ethical standards in human research.