Father Juan Roger Rodríguez obtains a PhD in Applied Bioethics

His thesis proposes an ethical and personal approach to addressing mercury contamination in mining in Huepetuhe, Peru.

In a ceremony held on July 7, 2025, at the School of Bioethics of Anáhuac University Mexico North Campus, Father Juan Roger Rodríguez Ruiz, a Catholic priest and academic authority of Peruvian origin, obtained his doctorate in Applied Bioethics after successfully passing his degree exam.

His thesis entitled "Analysis of integral ecology from the principles of personalist bioethics on environmental contamination by mercury in Peru: the Huepetuhe case", proposes an ethical approach to the serious ecological problem derived from gold mining in this region of southeastern Peru.

During his defense, Fr. Rodríguez Ruiz presented a rigorous exposition of the concept of integral ecology, as defined by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si', emphasizing the close relationship between environmental care and respect for the dignity of the human person. Throughout his argument, he articulated the fundamental principles of personalist bioethics—the inalienable value of every human being, solidarity, and justice—with the urgent need to protect local communities from mining practices that jeopardize their health, their habitat, and their future.

The synodal jury that evaluated the dissertation was composed of Dr. José Honorio Cárdenas Vidaurri, Dr. Humberto Muñoz Grandé, Dr. Ricardo Marcelino Rivas García, Dr. Eduardo Urdiales Méndez, and Dr. Ana Bertha Liliana Castro Castillo. Academic authorities from the School of Bioethics were also present. It should be noted that the academic direction of the research was led by Dr. Agustín Ortega Cabrera, professor and researcher at the School, and co-directed by Dr. Maria Elizabeth De Los Ríos Uriarte.

With this academic contribution, Father Rodríguez Ruiz strengthens the commitment of the Catholic Church and the university community to the ethical approach to contemporary ecological challenges. His work offers solid foundations for the formulation of public policies that integrate environmental sustainability with the defense of human rights, consolidating itself as a significant contribution to the development of environmental bioethics from a Latin American and humanistic perspective.