We have an extended group of Faculty who contribute significantly to our vibrant community. Joint Faculty actively participate in the Center, engaging in teaching, social events, student mentorship, job talks, and works in progress. Our Affiliated Faculty also play a crucial role, serving as lecturers, small group leaders, research collaborators, student mentors, and blog contributors.
What truly makes us special is the sense of community and collegiality that permeates our Center. Our cohort of Faculty members are not just colleagues but collaborators and friends who support each other’s professional and personal growth. This supportive environment fosters innovation, encourages open dialogue, and creates a welcoming space for students, staff and faculty alike. Together, we build a dynamic and inclusive community where everyone’s contributions are valued and celebrated.
Joint Faculty
Mary Brandt, M.D., MDiv
Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Department of Surgery
Baylor College of Medicine; Attending Surgeon, Pediatric Surgery Service, Texas Children's Hospital
Research Interests: Identifying and correcting systemic issues in medicine and the importance of meaning to heal those who heal others
John H. Coverdale, M.D.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Research Interests: Medical education; ethics and professionalism; media depictions; human trafficking; the interface of obstetrics, gynecology, and psychiatry
Dcn. David Garvis, M.A., B.C.C., Ph.D.
Clinical Ethicist, Ethics Committee Co-Chair, Center for Medical Ethics & Health Policy
Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
Research Interests: End-of-life issues
Anne C. Gill, Dr.P.H., M.S., R.N.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Academic General
Research Interests: Interprofessional training; medical education; professionalism
Savitri Fedson, M.D., Ph.D.,
Professor of Medicine and Clinical Ethics at the Michael E. DeBakey Houston VA Medical Center; medical director of the advanced heart failure/transplant program and Co-Chair of the Ethics Committee at the DeBakey VA
Research Interests: Antibody mediated rejection, patient reported outcomes with decision making and the impact of frailty and physical conditioning in heart failure, ethics of scare resource allocation, the intersection of individual autonomy and public health, and patients’ decisions to discontinue device support.
Claire Marie Violaine Hoppenot, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Baylor College of Medicine; Attending Physician, Gynecologic Oncology, Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research Interests: Treatment of gynecologic cancers (uterine, ovarian, cervical, vulvar, vaginal), hereditary cancer risk reduction, complex gynecologic surgery, surgical and medical education, clinical medical ethics, and clinical trials.
Joseph Shimon Kass, M.D., J.D.
Professor, Department of Neurology
Research Interests: Behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry; neuro-HIV; neurohospitalism; vascular neurology; medical education; Alzheimer’s disease
Michelle Ann Lopez, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics - Hospital Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital
Research Interests: Inpatient resource utilization; patient communication; cultural competency; health disparities; social determinants of health
Frank Xavier Placencia, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Newborn
Research Interests: Parental decision-making at the end-of-life in the NICU; the Best Interests Standard
Susan Patricia Raine, M.D., J.D., L.L.M.
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Research Interests: Medical education; faculty development; global health; general obstetrics and gynecology; uterine leiomyomata; minimally invasive surgery, including robotics and in-office surgery
Eva Regel, DBE, MBE, M.S.
Bioethics Director – Houston Methodist Hospital
Research Interests: Humanitarian ethics; moral distress and moral injury in first responders; mental health peer-to-peer support for healthcare providers in disaster and war zones
Kim Sawyer, M.D., MA, HEC-C
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Palliative Care, Baylor College of Medicine
Research Interests: Medical education, clinical ethics, communication, shared decision-making
Peter Ubel, M.D.
Madge and Dennis T. McLawhorn University Professor of Business, Public Policy and Medicine at Duke
Research Interests: explores the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect our health, our happiness and the way our society functions.
Secondary Faculty
Rev. Stacy L. Auld, M.Div., BCC
Vice President, Spiritual Care and Values Integration, Houston Methodist
Research Interests: Chaplaincy leadership and education; spiritual care integration in healthcare systems; clergy formation and professional certification; interdisciplinary collaboration in clinical and organizational ethics; advancing unified spectrum within spiritual care practice
Stacey L. Berg, M.D.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Hematology & Oncology
Research Interests: Pharmacology; new drug development; hospice and palliative care; clinical trial design; biomedical ethics; the incorporation of palliative care principles into pediatric oncology practice
Ursula Braun, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine - Geriatrics
Research Interests: Improving quality of end-of-life care; surrogate decision-making; racial and ethnic disparities in end-of-life care; dementia
Robert James Carpenter Jr., M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Research Interests: Clinical management of diabetic and hypertensive patients; ongoing evaluation of prenatal diagnosis methods
Andrew Childress, Ph.D., M.A.
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Humanities Expression and Arts Lab (HEAL)
Office of the Senior Dean, Baylor College of Medicine
Research Interests: The integration and evaluation of the arts and humanities within medical education and clinical practice.
Ryan Coleman, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests: Pediatric ECMO; Severe pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure; Pediatric bioethics
Katherine Erdman, M.P.A.S., PA-C
Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Program
Research Interests: Ethics education; PA education; clinical care
Carl Emil Fasser, B.A., P.A.
Professor, Physician Assistant Program
Research Interests: Professionalism; shared decision making; professional identify formation
Joslyn W. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine - General Medicine, Ben Taub Hospital
Research Interests: Women's health; intimate partner violence and sexual assault; medical education
Joan A. Friedland, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine - General Medicine, V.A. Medicine Center
Research Interests: Education regarding professional behavior; medical error; burnout
Ellen M. Friedman, , M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P
Director, Office of the Provost, Center for Professionalism
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
Research Interests: Professionalism, Quality and Safety
Ernest D. Frugé, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Hematology & Oncology
Research Interests: Educational and organizational strategies; reflective practice; effective communication; cultural competence; teamwork
Joseph A. Garcia-Prats, M.D.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Newborn
Research Interests: Safety and quality improvement in the many clinical management processes in the neonatal ICU; fluid management of neonatal ECMO patients
Harvey L. Gordon, M.D.
Clinical Professor, Department of Urology
Research Interests: Jewish bioethics; end-of-life issues
Curtis Edward Kennedy, M.D., Ph.D
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Critical Care
Research Interests: Decision support; prediction modeling; healthcare analytics; quality improvement; patient safety
Larry E. Laufman, Ed.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine - General Medicine
Research Interests: Pulmonary medicine; intensive care; pulmonary complications of neuromuscular diseases
Laura L. Loftis, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Critical Care
Research Interests: Decision making, particularly within the critical care unit; ethics education
David Mann, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology
Research Interests: Fetal therapy; organ transplant; informed consent
Mona L. McPherson, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Critical Care
Research Interests: Technology dependent children; transport medicine; end of life decision making
Ricardo Ernesto Nuila, M.D., B.A.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine - General Medicine, Ben Taub Hospital
Research Interests: Health disparities; patient-physician communication; narrative medicine
Jean Leclerc Raphael, M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Academic General
Research Interests: Health disparities; minority health policy; patient-centered medical homes
James William Scheurich, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine - General Medicine, V.A. Medical Center
Research Interests: Ethics; resident physician education; quality of patient care/patient safety
Michael E. Speer, M.D.
Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Newborn
Research Interests: Infectious disease of the newborn; measurement of quality of care
C. Patrick Turley, Ph.D., J.D.
Associate General Counsel
Research Interests: Intellectual property