Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons^™

The Ethical Imperative Of Public Health Institutions To Protect The Reproductive Autonomy Of Vulnerable Populations, Kennethea Wilson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation establishes the ethical responsibility of public health institutions to safeguard reproductive autonomy, especially among vulnerable populations. While reproductive decision-making is traditionally framed within individual clinical encounters, this work contends that reproductive autonomy is fundamentally a matter of public health ethics. Socioecological determinants, including social, legal, environmental, and structural factors, often constrain individuals’ ability to make meaningful reproductive choices, leading to preventable harm.

Reproductive autonomy is defined as the capacity to make informed decisions about whether and when to conceive, as well as how to parent. The dissertation critiques the sufficiency of clinical ethics frameworks, such as informed consent …

Reframing Inclusion Through Scholarship & Equity (Rise) Equity Project 2026, Tonya Bailey, Brandon Harris, Abhinav Krishnan, Trini Mathew, Amita Pai, Julie Zaituna, Tracey Taylor

Posters

The OUWB RISE program is a faculty development educational initiative, and this poster disseminates both clinical and foundation faculty scholars’ year-long, project-based learning focused on advancing inclusive and equitable medical education.

Involuntary Medication Administration Review: A Historical Look At New Jersey Psychiatric Law And Its Significance, Casey Burke, Joon Min Chun D.O., Ramya Kommidi D.O., Salvatore Montana Messina D.O.

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The legal and ethical evolution of involuntary psychiatric medication in New Jersey has been shaped through the landmark legal cases Rennie v. Klein and Brandt v. Monte. To this effect, this poster explores how each case shaped state hospital policy and the balance between patient autonomy and clinical judgment. Rennie v. Klein (1978) established a constitutional right for involuntarily committed patients to refuse psychotropic medication, except in emergencies or with due process safeguards. Decades later, Brandt v. Monte (2006) exposed flaws in New Jersey’s administrative procedures—particularly Administrative Bulletin 78-3—which permitted coercive practices under the guise of emergency treatment and lacked …

“This Wasn’T You”: Mania, Agency, And Moral Responsibility In Psychiatric Practice​, Phillip Mastoridis, Justin Scarano, Timothy Wong

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

A manic episode is a state of abnormally elevated or irritable mood with increased energy, impaired judgment, and risky or uncharacteristic behavior. This poster examines a case in which a woman, during a manic episode, placed doxylamine succinate, an over‑the‑counter sedating antihistamine, into her husband’s drink. After stabilization, she expressed shame and confusion about the act. In the clinical encounter, the treating psychiatrist responded, “It wasn’t you,” intending to reduce self‑blame and facilitate engagement in treatment. This reassurance was therapeutically effective but raises a deeper philosophical question: in what sense, if any, is it true?

Informed Consent For Porcine Islet Xenotransplantation To Treat Type 1 Diabetes: A Scoping Review, Jennifer Kovalcik, Sheetal Mohanty, Mairead Clare Higgins, Daniel J. Hurst

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Purpose: The objective of this review is to systematically map and synthesize the existing literature regarding informed consent for porcine islet xenotransplantation for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes.

Methods: The search was conducted in May 2025 through the following databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Broad search strings were used to combine the text words “islet” AND “xenotransplantation” AND “consent” or similar permutations and combinations. Peer-reviewed articles were included if they were published between January 1990 and May 2025 and written in English. The final search results were manually exported to a reference manager system (Zotero), and the PRISMA-ScR …

Anticipating Animal Ethics Concerns In Islet Xenotransplantation, Sheetal Mohanty, Daniel J. Hurst, Amy Glasofer

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) necessitates life-sustaining insulin therapy or, in select cases, islet allotransplantation, which is limited by donor scarcity. Islet xenotransplantation (XTx; genetically modified pig-to-human transplant) is one potential alternative. Patient perceptions about islet XTx are largely unexplored. This study examined patient support for XTx when T1D patients learned that 25-50 pigs may be needed to treat one adult. Patient viewpoints toward islet XTx suggest animal ethics concerns may extend to the magnitude of animals required to treat a single patient. As clinical trials advance, addressing these values and risk tolerances is essential for developing informed consent frameworks …

Characterizing Core Outcomes Of Responsible Stewardship For Human Genomic Data In The Cloud, Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, Bronwyn Walsh, Heidi L Rehm, Mildred Cho, Amy L Mcguire

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

We present findings from a scoping review of the genomic data sharing literature used to inform a core outcomes set for responsible data stewardship in the cloud. Genomic and related health data stemming from government funded research have undergone mass migration to the cloud where they can be more securely stored, accessed, and analyzed within shared computing environments. While this migration reflects a shift in privacy and security infrastructure for cloud-based repositories as oversight becomes more globalized, it also necessitates new data stewardship responsibilities to align authorized data access with ethical data use. Responsible data stewardship refers to the ethical …

Ce Spotlight:, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This source highlights on-demand continuing education courses provided by the MDA to help dental professionals meet state relicensure requirements. Featured topics include diagnosing trigeminal neuropathy, identifying human trafficking warning signs, ethics and dental jurisprudence, and 2026 updates for infection control. The courses are designed to be convenient and are counted toward specific Michigan Board of Dentistry requirements, such as pain management and delegation of duties.

Preserving Life In An Age Of Autonomy: A Critique Of Physician-Assisted Suicide, Adeline Holcombe

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis critiques physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as a reflection of Western thought’s shift from a biblical sanctity-of-life ethic toward autonomy and relativism. Through analysis of biblical and historical foundations, major cases, and state PAS laws, it argues that legalization weakens the state’s interest in preserving life, normalizes suicide, and exposes vulnerable populations to coercion, inadequate safeguards, and legal expansion. The thesis concludes that PAS laws should be repealed and that palliative care, hospice, and mental health treatment provide more compassionate and ethically sound alternatives.

Mitigation Of Race-Based Antihypertensive Prescribing, Victoria Scaccia Msn Rn Cnl Dnp, Bridget O'Brien Dnp, Stephanie Crane Md, Amanda Bradke Md

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Six Steps To Squats: A Training Protocol To Guide Functional Rehabilitation Following Isolated Lower Extremity Fractures, Batoul Baydoun, Abdurrahman Ehsan, Manar Chebli, Zarrar Chauhdri, Ahmed Memon, Ahmad Almaat Bs, Omar Abdalla Bs, Haytham Alqasmi Bs, Ameen Suhrawardy Md, Rahul Vaidya Md

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Reconsidering The Use Of Race & Ethnicity In Clinical Decision-Making: The Path Towards Liberation Medicine, Donna Ahmadian Ms, Mph

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Sleeve Gastrectomy Vs. Glp-1 Agonists (Semaglutide): A Cost-Effectiveness Perspective On Long-Term Obesity Management, Naushad Khan, Luv Agarwal, Ritesh Sheth Md

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Contemplating Race In Clinical Algorithms: Educating The Physicians Of Tomorrow, Adam Gaetz

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Black Maternal Health Narratives: Embracing A Vitality Framework For Joy, Liberation, And Healing, Ijeoma Nnodim Opara, Yasmine M. Elmi

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Voices From The Field: Provider Perspectives On The Implementation And Impact Of Race-Neutral Pfts, Kumbie Madondo Phd, Zoelene Hill Phd, Kimberly Murdaugh Md Ms, Natoushka Trenard Md

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Gender Disparities In Medical Student Clinical Experiences During Obstetrics And Gynecology Rotations In The Usa, Naushad Khan, Luv Agarwal, Ritesh Sheth Md, Rehana Sheikh

North American Conference to End Race-Based Medicine

No abstract provided.

Governing Addiction: An Anthropological Comparison Of Care In The United States And The Netherlands, Kiren K. Bagga

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This article examines addiction care as a form of moral governance through a comparative anthropological analysis of the United States and the Netherlands. Drawing on a Foucauldian theory of biopolitics alongside this study argues that approaches to addiction treatment reveal how states differentially value life, citizenship, and vulnerability. Joan Tronto's relational definition of ethical care is used to move beyond a solely moral context, towards an ethical understanding of both caretakers and those who require care. In the United States, addiction policy has historically functioned as a punitive and moralizing project, shaped by racialized drug criminalization, neoliberal ideals of individual …

A Treatise On Tool Development: The Arthroscope’S Cultural, Technological, And Metascientific Translation, Montgomery F. Waterer

Honors Theses

The arthroscope was a revolutionary development in the fields of medicine, engineering, and ethics. There are many valuable lessons to be learned from the story of its development and translation that are relevant to the future of medicine and society. Beginning with a brief description of the tool’s design, this paper will examine a period within the history of the arthroscope. This window contains multiple innovators and ends with the life and work of Dr. Robert Jackson. In examining the relevant historical facts of its development, this paper will then briefly address the importance of sports medicine in the development …

Keratopigmentation: A Comparative Review Of Safety, Indications, And Clinical Outcomes, Emmy L. Colon Alamo

Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Throughout the years, there has been an upsurge in the quantity of cosmetic procedures aimed at changing eye color or appearance. This trend raises significant concerns about patient safety and visual health, as although many methods are promoted worldwide, their efficacy and, most importantly, safety varies greatly. This review looks at the safety of procedures that alter eye color or appearance, focusing mainly on cosmetic keratopigmentation, which is currently the only legally accepted method for changing eye color in the U.S.

A review of clinical studies was conducted to evaluate the outcomes and complications related to keratopigmentation. Then, these findings …

Statistical Inference Is Not Moral Reasoning: The Case Against Ai On Hospital Ethics Boards, Elan J. Haronian

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

As generative AI becomes more integrated in healthcare, it seems inevitable that AI will eventually be used on hospital ethics committees. However, before implementation, their roles need careful consideration. Although AI promises to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and reduce human workloads, there are important ways in which it is limited, especially when human emotion and connection are crucial, as in clinical ethics boards.

In this paper, I highlight several problems preventing AI from being useful on hospital ethics boards. These include issues of opaque reasoning (the “black box” problem), liability, transparency, privacy, and consent. While there are proposed frameworks for …

Re-Purposing Pre-Existing Tilapia Aquaculture Open-Design System For Zebrafish Biomedical Research Purposes, Luke Cantu, David Sierra, Skyleigh Curtis, Maya Avila

ATU Scholars Symposium

Title: Re-purposing pre-existing tilapia open-design aquaculture systems for zebrafish biomedical research purposes.

Background: Zebrafish (Danio rerio) models are gaining popularity in biomedical research; however, the high infrastructure cost, at approximately $20,000 per unit, is a significant hurdle for primary undergraduate institutions (PUIs) establishing zebrafish facilities. This study assesses if repurposing existing tilapia open-design aquaculture systems could be a cost-effective method for zebrafish facility establishment.

Methods: Between November-2025 to February-2026, the study used a pre-existing tilapia aquaculture open-design system with personnel modified outlet filters. The water quality of this system was monitored and recorded. The study compared the stabilization phase or …

Navigating The Ethical Landscape Of Ai Created Responsibility Gaps In Healthcare, Kelsey Dwyer '26

Honor Scholar Theses

This work is a philosophical analysis of the ethical dilemma of AI-created responsibility gaps, or the idea that it is challenging to find someone to hold responsible for outcomes produced by an autonomous system. In particular, my focus is specifically on addressing responsibility gaps created by AI used in healthcare. This complex issue of responsibility gaps becomes more intense in the setting of critical areas of life like healthcare, where moral responsibility is a foundational component of upholding medical ethics. My paper will take a deep dive into exploring the intricacies of this complex problem by applying a pre-existing conceptual …

Justice, Autonomy, Beneficence, And Non-Maleficence: The Global Failure To Heed Ethical Mandates In Birth Spaces, Julia Dees

Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics

Respectful and safe care in all birthing spaces has long been an ideal that global communities fail to meet. Birthing people are disrespected, physically or emotionally harmed, or left to completely fend for themselves during a period of extreme emotional and medical vulnerability. Historically, autonomy especially has been ignored in birthing spaces with medical trends like the twilight sleep, where women were drugged into a state of unconsciousness during birth (Taylor, 2023), demonstrating the desire of western medicine, in particular, to reduce birthing people to bystanders in their own birth. While birth trends and medical treatments have changed throughout time, …

Knowledgable Births: Advancing Informed Consent In Maternal Healthcare, Ella A. Forrester

Senior Theses

Background:

Informed consent is both a legal requirement and an ethical cornerstone of healthcare, ensuring that patients understand and voluntarily agree to medical treatments. However, evidence suggests that the informed consent process is often inadequately implemented in maternal healthcare settings, particularly during childbirth. While giving birth, women retain full decision-making capacity but are not consistently provided with sufficient information or support to exercise this right. Contributing factors include ineffective patient–provider communication, limited health literacy, and insufficient access to culturally responsive educational resources.

Methods:

This study aimed to address gaps in accessible prenatal education by developing an online resource platform, Know …

Ethical Controversies In Organ Procurement: A National Survey On Public Perceptions Of Thoracoabdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion, Trevor M Bibler, Jill Oliver Robinson, Adam Omelianchuk, Tariq Nisar, Savitri Fedson, Ariel N Levchenko, Amy L Mcguire

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) would likely expand the quantity and quality of organs procured after controlled circulatory death donation in the United States, yet its ethical permissibility remains contested. We surveyed a representative sample of US adults (n = 975) with the goal of assessing their perspectives on the ethical permissibility of TA-NRP. After reading a neutral description of TA-NRP, participants judged its permissibility, reviewed 5 critic and 5 supporter arguments (in random order), and chose which argument they found most convincing. Multivariable logistic regression examined predictors of agreeing with critics. Before exposure to the arguments, 51.5% stated that …

A Randomized Study Of Digital Versus Genetic Counselor Return Of Actionable Genetic Research Results To Biobank Participants (Respect3 Study), Anuja Rajendra Godbole, Elisabeth Wood, Brian Egleston, Lily Hoffman-Andrews, Sarah Brown, Sarah Howe, Sanjana Shastri, Rajia Mim, Justin Feng, Anjali Owens, Susan Domchek, Reed Pyeritz, Bryson Katona, Staci Kallish, Giorgio Sirugo, Joellen Weaver, Linda Fleisher, Kuang-Yi Wen, Elena Elkin, Katherine Nathanson, Daniel Rader, Angela Bradbury

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: There is consensus that research participants should be informed about plans for return of genetic research results. However, best practices for return of results in large biobank and cohort studies do not exist currently, and how best to communicate actionable genetic research results remains unclear. While having genetic counselors disclose these results may be ideal to ensure understanding, minimize distress, and optimize medical follow-up, genetic counselor (GC) workforce shortages and costs are barriers. The RESPECT3 study evaluates whether digital delivery alternatives for pre-disclosure education and return of actionable genetic research results is non-inferior to remote telehealth disclosure by a …

Participation In Ethics Consultation And Moral Resilience In Icu Nursing: Findings From An Exploratory Secondary Analysis, Sarah Sumner

Providence Nursing Research Conference 2023 – Present

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Clinical Imaging, Neurophysiological, Neuropathology And Neuroethics Studies On Disorders Of Consciousness, Coma Mechanisms, And Theories Of Consciousness: A Unifying Attempt, Diego Iacono, Manuel Trachsel, Thanh Phan, Charlène Aubinet

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Conditions Affecting The Gi Tract: The Dental Professional’S Role, Sherri M. Lukes, Rdh, Ms, Faadh

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article explores the critical role dental professionals play in identifying gastrointestinal (GI) conditions through their oral manifestations. It provides an overview of various pathologies, including HPV-induced oropharyngeal cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. The author describes specific oral signs, such as dental erosion and aphthous ulcerations, that can serve as early indicators of systemic disease. The piece advocates for an interdisciplinary approach to patient care, emphasizing that dental practitioners are often on the front lines of diagnosing serious systemic health issues.