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Medical professional leaning against a wall looking defeated

Heroes, Villains, or Something Else? How narrative thinking can help us make sense of tragedies like the death of Scott Quiner

Sometimes the best way to share an idea with another person is by telling a story. In stories, we can see how characters develop and we witness the effects of their choices. Was a character a hero or a villain, or something in between?…
A single lit birthday candle

Why You Should Celebrate Your Next Birthday Talking about Your Death

Unintentional injuries are the third highest cause of death in the US according to the CDC, killing more than 170,000 Americans every year. Sadly, preliminary data from the National Safety Council revealed a dramatic 8% increase in motor…
Young people holding signs protest climate change inaction

My Thoughts on Doing Bioethics in the Great Acceleration: Balancing Human Good with Environmental Costs

For the last several years, my focus in bioethics has been to work on the ethics of health care in clinical settings. I have been asking: “What implications does climate change have for clinical ethics?”. I see a pressing need for US…
Open palm of hand covered in marbled paint of various colors

“Who am I?”: The ethics of sperm and egg donation

Picture your parents in your mind. Maybe that’s easy for you to do. But maybe it’s not. Maybe the people that raised you are not the people you’re genetically related to. Maybe you think about two kinds of parents: your social parents and…
Ambulance rushing with blurred lights

Pandemic Ethics: How we think about the Rule of Rescue

As a public health researcher, I am deeply invested in promoting and protecting equity. In disaster response, operationalizing those commitments is highly complex. 
Empty college classroom

Returning to Campus in the COVID Era: Me or We?

I am a professor who has pre-existing medical conditions (some from birth) that put me at increased risk for complications should I contract SARS-CoV-2 -- the coronavirus or COVID-19. I am also a pharmacist who continues to spend a great…