PolicyWise (Our Weekly Blog)
Check out the center's blog that spans the spectrum of health and science policy from public health to emerging biotechnologies. View the PolicyWise Blog.
Podcasts
Amy McGuire, J.D., Ph.D.
- Spit it Out (Part 1): The Reality of At-Home Genetic Testing
- Spit it Out (Part 2): Privacy and Prejudice
- Are psychedelics breaking scie - Unexplainable - Apple Podcasts
Trevor Bibler, Ph.D.
Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, Ph.D.
- Let's Get Ethical
- GeriPal's "Ambivalence in Decision-Making" Podcast
- GeriPal’s "AI for surrogate decision making?!?"
J. Wesley “Wes” Boyd, M.D., Ph.D.
Holland Kaplan, M.D.
Faculty News Features
Center faculty and their work are frequently quoted and featured in national, local and trade media.
U.S. News & World Report – June 17, 2025
DNA Testing Kits: Are They Worth It?
Bill of Health Blog – May 7, 2025
The 23andMe Bankruptcy: Privacy Considerations and a Call to Action (Part 2)
Bill of Health Blog – April 28, 2025
The 23andMe Bankruptcy: Uncertainty, Caution, and a Call to Action (Part 1)
Relias Media – April 1, 2025
Ethicists Can Explore Rationale if Physician Refuses to Continue Life-Prolonging Interventions
Nature – March 31, 2025
23andMe plans to sell its huge genetic database: could science benefit?
Rice News – March 18, 2025
Medscape – Jan. 23, 2025
Obesity Medications: Who Needs Priority Access
Medscape – Jan. 20, 2025
Why Some Doctors Over-Trust AI and Don’t Even Realize It
Medical Ethics Advisor – Nov. 1, 2024
Requirements, Standards Vary for Clinical Ethics Fellowship Programs
Medical Ethics Advisor – Oct. 1, 2024
Ethical Debate Over Normothermic Regional Perfusion
Houston Chronicle - Sept. 2, 2024
Houston dual organ donor supports bill to give tax breaks to donors
Medical Ethics Advisor - Sept. 1, 2024
Mental Health Issues Are Coming Up During Ethics… | Relias Media
The Atlantic, Aug. 11, 2024
Psychedelic Medicine Has a Therapy Problem
MIT Tech Review, Aug. 1, 2024
End-of-life decisions are difficult and distressing. Could AI help?
NPR - Aug. 1, 2024
Can MDMA still win FDA approval? Supporters rally as time runs out
Medical Ethics Advisor - Aug. 1, 2024
References Used to Support Ethics Recommendations Depend on the Ethicist
Medical Ethics Advisor - May 1, 2024
Strategies to Get Medical Students and Trainees in the Ethics ‘Pipeline’
The New York Times - Mar. 21 , 2024
Salon - Feb. 21, 2024
Space is becoming more commercialized. Can regulations keep up?
Medonet (Polish) - Feb. 5 , 2024
A Polish woman is an ethicist in an American hospital. "The patient woke up paralyzed. He was not informed of the risks"
Aerospace America - February 2024
The ‘Wild West’ of space research
Mother Jones - Jan. 26, 2024
California Lawmakers Want to Invest Billions in Housing—by Diverting Mental Health Funds
Physics Word - Nov. 23, 2023
Biomedical ethicist calls for rules governing human research in commercial spaceflight
Hastings Center Blog - Nov. 22, 2023
Newly Released Documents from Untreated Syphilis Study: Ethical, Just, and Respectful Use of Archival Materials
InvestigateTV - Nov. 6, 2023
Season 1; Episode 41 Black women in the United States face high rates of maternal mortality
Hastings Center Blog - Nov. 3, 2023
Should Your Wedding Plans Include Plasma Donation?
Medical Ethics Advisor - Nov. 1, 2023
Ethics Committees Need Successful Recruitment Tactics
Bottom Line Inc - Oct. 22, 2023
When You Should - and Shouldn't - Do CPR
Psychology Today - Sept. 29, 2023
U.S. Med Students Need Better Access to Mental Healthcare
The Naked Scientists (BBC Podcast) - Sept. 29, 2023
The ethics of space exploration
Yahoo News - Sept. 28, 2023
Commercial spaceflight research needs a code of ethics, scientists say
STAT News - Sept. 25 2023
How medical schools are failing students who need mental health care
Medscape - Sept. 18, 2023
Direct-to-Consumer Lab Tests Raise Ethical Questions, Researchers Say
Medscape - Sept. 12, 2023
Med Students Also Plagued by High Insurance Costs for Mental Health
Hastings Center - Aug. 23 2023
The Retrievals: Women’s Vulnerability to Injury, Violence, and Pain in Health Care
The Atlantic - Aug. 21, 2023
The Right to Not Have Your Mind Read
Hastings Center - Aug. 21, 2023
Involuntary Withdrawal: A Bridge Too Far?
Houston Matters (NPR) - Aug. 2, 2023
Should psychedelic drugs be used to treat PTSD and depression in veterans?
The Skimm - Aug. 2, 2023
AI In Medicine: Can AI Help You Get Better Healthcare?
KevinMD - July 9, 2023
Accessing needed pediatric mental health care was difficult before the pandemic and is now at crisis levels
Medical Ethics Advisor - July 1, 2023
Ethicists Debate Withdrawing ECMO Over Patient’s Objections
Medical Ethics Advisor - June 1, 2023
Is Death Imminent? Conflicts Occur if Clinicians Do Not Make It Clear
NPR - May 29, 2023
For many, a 'natural death' may be preferable to enduring CPR
The Microdose – May 1, 2023
“When the policy gets ahead of the science, it's challenging”: 5 Questions for bioethicist Amy McGuire
Wired - April 6, 2023
The Therapy Part of Psychedelic Therapy Is a Mess
Texas Observer – March 23, 2023
Abortion laws stand between pregnant Texans and the care they need
ACP Hospitalist – March 22, 2023
Learning on the late shift
Houston Chronicle - March 4, 2023
Using genealogy sites to solve crimes could come into focus in legislative session
Medical Ethics Advisor – March 1, 2023
Should Ethicists Hide Consult Notes from Patients?
Houston Chronicle - Feb. 23, 2023
An Air Force veteran became the first heart transplant patient at the Houston VA
Hastings Center News - Feb. 15, 2023
12 Outstanding Scholars Recognized for Work in Ethics of Disability, Transplantation, Mental Health Care, and Other Areas
NPR’s On Point - Jan 6, 2022
Psychedelics and who should be able to use them
Hastings Center - Dec. 16, 2022
Advancing Maternal Health Equity with Data Transparency: The Case of Texas
Hastings Center - Nov. 29 2022
Should He Have Brain Surgery?
Medical Ethics Advisor (Relias Media) - Nov. 1, 2022
Shared Decision-Making Is Ethical Balancing Act for Clinicians
Medscape - Oct. 25, 2022
Ethical Quandaries With Pig-Heart Transplants at the Crossroads
KCRW.com - Sept. 30, 2022
In search of a (good) therapist: Insurance, fit, and stigma
Hastings Center - Aug 30, 2022
Dusting Off Double Effect for the Post-Dobbs Era
Insider - Aug. 29 2022
7 tell-tale red flags of medical gaslighting and how it can lead to a horrifying misdiagnosis
Salon - July, 23 2022
A stranger, twisted and bleeding on the sidewalk. What would you have done?
NEJM Journal Watch - July 20, 2022
Why are young internists flocking to the hospitalist practice style? Clinical Conversations hosts a roundtable to tackle this question
KevinMD.com - July 1, 2022
What doctors need to know about physician health programs [Podcast]
Hastings Center - June 21, 2022
Veterinarians Often Provide Futile Care. Doing So Comes at a Cost
Boston Globe - June 18, 2022
It’s painfully difficult to access psychiatric care
KevinMD.com - June 8, 2022
The extortion of physicians: If doctors don’t pay up they don’t work
Relias Media - May 1, 2022
More Patients Are Refusing Discharge
Medpage - April 25, 2022
What Happens When NFT Enthusiast Docs Try to Sell a New Form of Healthcare?
Slate - April 13, 2022
Ambulance Raises an Important Point About Ambulances
Genetic Literary Project - April 13
Where should society draw ethical lines for experimental CRISPR gene therapies that appear able to cure diseases?
WalletHub - April 4, 2022
2022's Healthiest & Unhealthiest Cities in America
STAT - March 22, 2022
The case for decriminalizing the street sale of buprenorphine
American Society of Human Genetics blog - March 3, 2022
Inside AJHG: A Chat with Christi Guerrini
UPI - March 1, 2022
Consumer genetic testing kits often reveal unknown relatives
Jerusalem Post - Feb. 5, 2022
Could NFTs be used for personal health information exchange? - study
Fast Company - Feb. 4, 2022
It’s not just art: NFTs could revolutionize healthcare, bioethicists say
KRPC Houston Newsmakers - Jan. 30, 2022
Houston Newsmakers: Baylor College of Medicine prepares to host TEDx Talk
STAT - Jan. 27, 2022
Patchwork system for rationing a Covid drug sends immunocompromised patients on a ‘Hunger Games hunt’
Medscape - Jan. 4, 2022
Medical Miracles, Doctors Disagree
USA Today - Jan. 2, 2022
I tested positive for COVID. Do I have to tell people? How do I tell them?
AAMC - Dec. 2, 2021
The future of CRISPR is now
AAMC - Oct. 26, 2021
The cost of being unvaccinated is rising — will people be willing to pay the price?
Medscape - Sept. 24, 2021
Top Questions Answered About COVID Boosters for Your Patients
The Atlantic - Sept. 13, 2021
Booster Shots Is it Ethical to Get an Illicit One Now
Authority Magazine - Sept. 13, 2021
Dr. Faith Fletcher Of The Baylor College Of Medicine: In Light Of The Pandemic, Here Are The 5 Things We Need To Do To Improve The US Healthcare System
STAT - Aug. 23, 2021
Can parents handle finding out their newborn is at higher risk of certain diseases? A small study suggests they can
Huff Post - Aug. 18, 2021
3 Myths About COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates That Need To Go Away
The Regulatory Review: Aug. 18, 2021
The HIPAA Right of Access and Data Sharing
Science - Aug. 2, 2021
Controversy flares over informing research subjects about ‘incidental’ genetic findings
Hastings Center - July 16, 2021
Covid Doesn’t Justify Cutting Corners on Medical Interpretation
STAT - June 1, 2021
Researchers raise concerns about using genetic risk scores to pick ‘healthier’ embryos
Well + Good - May 26, 2021
I’m an Epidemiologist, and This Is Who Should Be Required To Get Vaccinated’
Los Angeles Times - May 26, 2021
A startup says it helps parents pick healthier embryos. Experts say it’s not that simple
Clinical Research News - May 12, 2021
Pragmatic Clinical Trials Need Their Own Set Of Rules
AFAR - April 27, 2021
The Ethics of Vaccinated Travel
Severance Mag - April 23, 2021
The Emotional Life of Donor Conceived People
MIT Technology Review - April 21, 2021
This spit test promises to tell couples their risk of passing on common diseases
NPR - April 18, 2021
OPINION: Doctors Should Be More Candid With Their Patients
National Geographic - April 16, 2021
Why annual COVID-19 boosters may become the norm
LA Times - April 13, 2021
Column: Why spend billions for Ancestry’s DNA data if you don’t plan to use it?
Huff Post - April 7, 2021
Why Everyone Should Get Paid Time Off For The COVID-19 Vaccine
The Wall Street Journal - April 6, 2021
Texas Bans Vaccine Passports
NPR - March 25, 2021
OPINION: 5 Ways To Make The Vaccine Rollout More Equitable
Houston Chronicle - March 19, 2021
They Are Like Gold: The Hunt For Houston's Extra Covid Vaccines Involves Strategy, Ethics And Luck
Wired - March 9, 2021
The Pandemic Can't End While Wealthy Nations Hoard Shots
The Verge - March 9, 2021
Meet Dr. B, the startup promising a better way to distribute leftover vaccines
The Daily Tar Heel - March 8, 2021
A shot in the dark': N.C. vaccine rollout poses questions about ethics and priorities
Huff Post - March 4, 2021
Is it Ethical to Travel Internationally Before The World Is Vaccinated?
VOA - March 3, 2021
Conversando con la VOA - Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz
NPR – Feb. 24, 2021
High-End Medical Provider Let Ineligible People Skip COVID-19 Vaccine Line
Houston Chronicle – Feb 24, 2021
Want a vaccine at NRG Park's super site? Show up with wheels
Spectrum Local News – Feb. 24, 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Tourism is On the Rise. But Should You Try It?
Business Insider – Feb. 23, 2021
Don't deny yourself a vaccine because of guilt or shame around a high BMI. If you're eligible, go for it
NPR - Feb. 6, 2021
Is it Ever OK to Jump Ahead in the Vaccine Line?
Houston Chronicle - Feb. 6, 2021
The key to Boosting COVID Vaccine Trust? Vaccinating Health Care Workers. But only 58 percent are Willing.
Technology Review - Feb. 2, 2021
Is It Sometimes Ok to Jump the Vaccine Queue?
WIRED - Jan. 27, 2021
Ethics of Vaccinating Teachers - and Keeping Schools Closed
STAT News - Jan. 26, 2021
The Biden Harris FDA Should Make Friends with Independent Researchers
The Stem Cell Podcast - Dec. 3, 2020
Stem Cells and Society featuring Dr. Christopher Scott
Houston Chronicle - Sept. 1, 2020
Baylor launches initiative to overcome health disparities for minorities
TMC News - Aug. 28, 2020
Texas Ethics Consortium created amid COVID-19 pandemic by TMC experts
Journal of Medical Ethics (Blog) - Aug. 10, 2020
We should sit this one out: Why ethicists should not help discuss treatment allocation decisions
Proving our worth: why clinical ethicists should help discuss treatment allocation decisions
Medical Ethics Advisor - Aug. 1, 2020
More Than 300 Clinical Ethicists Have Earned HEC-C Credential
Nature Medicine - July 21, 2020
Like taking away a part of myself” ― life after a neural implant trial
NPR - July 9, 2020
Planning For End-Of-Life Care Is More Crucial Than Ever. Here's How
TMC - July 2, 2020
Gilead sets price for COVID-19 drug remdesivir
Houston Chronicle - June, 20 2020
Some Houston restaurants won’t say if their employees have COVID-19. And they don’t have to.
The New Yorker - May 18, 2020
The Rogue Experimenters
Bill of Health - May 4, 2020
COVID-19 is a Perfect Storm of Hardship for US Immigrant Communities
Houston Public Media – April 28, 2020
Experts in business and medical ethics answer your questions about the COVID-19 outbreak
Jewish Herald-Voice - April 16, 2020
Making tough ethical medical decisions in a time of shortages
Houston Chronicle - April 10, 2020
Treatment of COVID-19 patients at Texas City nursing home draws ethical questions
Tampa Bay Times - April 1, 2020
Coronavirus has warped our sense of time
Wired - March 30, 2020
In Crowded Hospitals, Who Will Get Life-Saving Equipment?
Bill of Health - Mar. 12, 2020
Responsibility, culpability, and parental views on genomic testing for seriously ill children
NBC News - Feb. 22 2020
'They lied to us': Mom says police deceived her to get her DNA and charge her son with murder
WYPR 88.1 Baltimore - Jan. 14, 2020
When DNA Testing Delivers A Surprise
