Penn Medical Ethics and Health Policy | Alumni Colloquium Series 2022-23

Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom)

Hybrid-Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "Talking Placebos: New Concerns About Placebo Effects in Psychiatry" - Kevin P. Kennedy, MD

Learn More 2025-10-28 12:00:00 2025-10-28 13:00:00 America/New_York Hybrid-Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "Talking Placebos: New Concerns About Placebo Effects in Psychiatry" - Kevin P. Kennedy, MD Talking Placebos: New Concerns About Placebo Effects in Psychiatry Kevin Kennedy, MD Psychiatrist, Mental Health Clinic Chrome Team Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia Research on placebo effects in psychiatry has focused on the drug-placebo difference for antidepressants in depression. There has been little discussion of the many widely-used psychiatric treatments that do not outperform placebo in clinical trials or meta-analyses. In clinical practice, benefit from these treatments can only be attributable to a placebo response. This talk examines the clinical and ethical implication of major placebo-level treatments in psychiatry. We will then apply this perspective to novel psychiatric treatments like psychedelics and brain stimulation. Dr. Kennedy is interested in evaluating the quality of evidence supporting the pharmacological treatment of depression, with a particular interest in patients with medical and psychiatric comorbidities, the use of psychiatric polypharmacy, and augmentation strategies. Registration required; please feel free to bring lunch Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: 1402 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics

November

11

Hybrid: RCH B102AB, Richards Bldg., 3700 Hamilton Walk (and virtual via Zoom)

Hybrid-Research Ethics and Policy Series (REPS): Ethical Dimensions of Implanted Brain-Computer Interface (iBCI) Research - Anna Wexler, PhD

Learn More 2025-11-11 12:00:00 2025-11-11 13:00:00 America/New_York Hybrid-Research Ethics and Policy Series (REPS): Ethical Dimensions of Implanted Brain-Computer Interface (iBCI) Research - Anna Wexler, PhD Ethical Dimensions of Implanted Brain-Computer Interface (iBCI) Research Anna Wexler, PhD Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy perelman school of medicine | University of Pennsylvania Recent years have seen significant progress in brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs), which are systems that record neural signals from the brain and translate them into output. Once the domain of science fiction, iBCIs have enabled individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal cord injuries to interact with computers, produce speech, and control robotic limbs—just by using their thoughts. Yet the emergence of iBCIs as a novel class of therapeutics raises a distinct set of ethical challenges. This talk will provide an overview of recent advances in iBCI research and highlight key ethical issues, such as device abandonment and post-trial responsibilities, privacy of neural data, and the increasingly blurred lines between medical and non-medical applications. Registration Required. Lunch provided. Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: RCH B102AB, Richards Bldg., 3700 Hamilton Walk (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics

November

13

1104 Blockley Hall (Note: Virtual attendees can join by accessing this link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/95740259034.)

Health Policy Research Seminar: Lisa Harnack, DrPH, RD, MPH, Mayo Professor and Division Head of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota

Learn More 2025-11-13 10:00:00 2025-11-13 11:00:00 America/New_York Health Policy Research Seminar: Lisa Harnack, DrPH, RD, MPH, Mayo Professor and Division Head of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota This event is co-sponsored with the The Center for Food and Nutrition Policy. Topic: "Turning Data into Decisions: Nutrition Regulatory Science Research." About the Talk: Research that informs food and nutrition policies and regulations is critical yet challenging to carry out. Dr. Harnack will share her experience identifying research questions and designing studies important to nutrition policy and regulatory decision making. She will also discuss approaches to disseminating research findings so they reach decision makers and share strategies for overcoming common barriers researchers face in carrying out nutrition regulatory science work. Lisa Harnack is a public health nutrition expert whose research strengthens the scientific evidence underpinning nutrition policies, programs, and practices. She led the first experimental trial evaluating whether placing calorie information on restaurant menus influences meal choices and consumption. Findings from this study have been cited in more than 30 domestic and international policy-related documents and reports, including the FDA’s code of regulation for calorie labeling on restaurant menus. More recently, Dr. Harnack conducted the first experimental trials assessing food purchase restrictions on sugary foods as a strategy to improve family nutrition within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Her findings continue to inform ongoing policy discussions on potential program changes. She also authored a CDC-commissioned study identifying sources of sodium in the American diet, which revealed that 71% of sodium intake comes from salt and other sodium compounds added during commercial food processing. This research carries regulatory implications, as the FDA has indicated it may reconsider the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status of salt if voluntary sodium reduction efforts prove insufficient. In addition to her research, Dr. Harnack directs the University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC). The NCC developed, maintains, and supports two widely used dietary assessment tools: the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) and the NCC Food and Nutrient Database. NDSR is used in research at over 100 institutions—including most major research universities as well as government agencies such as the NIH and NASA. The NCC Food and Nutrient Database is also licensed to support food frequency questionnaires, such as the NIH Diet History Questionnaire, and consumer diet-tracking applications. 1104 Blockley Hall (Note: Virtual attendees can join by accessing this link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/95740259034.) Penn Medical Ethics

November

25

Virtual, via Zoom

Virtual-Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "The Ethics of Using Coercion to Achieve Public Health Aims" - Maxwell J. Smith, PhD

Learn More 2025-11-25 12:00:00 2025-11-25 13:00:00 America/New_York Virtual-Penn Bioethics Seminar Series (PBS): "The Ethics of Using Coercion to Achieve Public Health Aims" - Maxwell J. Smith, PhD The Ethics of Using Coercion to Achieve Public Health Aims Maxwell J. Smith, PhD Associate Professor CIHR Applied Public Health Chair in Ethics and Health Emergencies Western University - Canada Measures used in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, like lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and isolation and quarantine, were commonly characterized as 'coercive'. For some, this was akin to calling such measures bad or wrong. For others, it meant such measures warranted greater ethical scrutiny and stronger ethical justification. Finally, some simply disagreed that such measures were coercive. So, what does it mean for a public health measure to count as coercive, and when, if ever, is coercion ethically justified to achieve public health aims? This presentation helps to answer these questions by examining prominent philosophical accounts of coercion and bringing them to bear on public health activities, as well as by reporting results from a scoping review of how coercion is defined in the public health literature. It concludes by identifying key ways in which public health activities complicate conventional thinking about coercion, suggesting profitable areas for future research. Virtual, via Zoom Virtual, via Zoom Penn Medical Ethics

December

9

Hybrid: RCH B102AB, Richards Bldg., 3700 Hamilton Walk (and virtual via Zoom)

Hybrid-Research Ethics and Policy Series (REPS): "What Makes Clinical Research Ethical": A Twenty-Five Year Journey and Look to the Future - Christine Grady, MSN, PhD

Learn More 2025-12-09 12:00:00 2025-12-09 13:00:00 America/New_York Hybrid-Research Ethics and Policy Series (REPS): "What Makes Clinical Research Ethical": A Twenty-Five Year Journey and Look to the Future - Christine Grady, MSN, PhD "What Makes Clinical Research Ethical": A Twenty-Five Year Journey and Look to the Future Christine Grady, MSN, PhD Former Chair, Department of Bioethics, NIH Clinical Center Recognizing some uncertainty about the ethics of clinical research and differences in interpretation and implementation of existing guidance, 25 years ago we developed a framework to help investigators, reviewers, and interested others design, implement, and evaluate ethical clinical research. Our framework, consisting initially of 7 and later 8 principles, resonated with many around the globe. Since then, the framework has been used, debated, and cited in academic publications, national guidelines, presentations, and discussions across a wide spectrum of clinical research. In this presentation, Dr. Grady will discuss the origins of the framework, its contents and elements, how it has been used, some challenges and where more work could be useful. Dr. Grady has published widely in the biomedical and bioethics literature and authored or edited several books, including The Oxford Textbook of Clinical Research Ethics. Her work is known internationally, and she has lectured widely on ethical issues in clinical research and clinical care, HIV disease, and nursing. Registration Required. Lunch provided. Streaming available via Zoom. Hybrid: RCH B102AB, Richards Bldg., 3700 Hamilton Walk (and virtual via Zoom) Penn Medical Ethics

December

11

1104 Blockley Hall (Note: Virtual attendees can join by accessing this link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/95740259034.)

Health Policy Research Seminar: Lauren Nicholas PhD, MPP, Professor of Medicine-Geriatrics, University of Colorado Denver

Learn More 2025-12-11 10:00:00 2025-12-11 11:00:00 America/New_York Health Policy Research Seminar: Lauren Nicholas PhD, MPP, Professor of Medicine-Geriatrics, University of Colorado Denver Topic: "Reliance on Informal Care in Medicare Advantage versus Traditional Medicare." About the Talk: Recent studies have found lower use of post-acute care among Medicare Advantage enrollees versus Traditional Medicare. In this paper, we test whether informal caregiving accounts for this difference and estimate potential social costs or savings. About the Speaker: Lauren Hersch Nicholas is a health economist and professor in the division of geriatric medicine. Her research focuses on the role of public policy in improving health and healthcare quality for the elderly. Her current research combines survey, administrative, and clinical data to study the interaction between healthcare utilization and economic outcomes. Dr. Nicholas's work uses clinical and econometric approaches to answer questions in medical and health economics, particularly for dementia, surgery and end-of-life care. She is a leading expert on the financial symptoms and consequences of dementia, work that has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and other major media outlets. 1104 Blockley Hall (Note: Virtual attendees can join by accessing this link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/95740259034.) Penn Medical Ethics

January

8

1104 Blockley Hall (Note: Virtual attendees can join by accessing this link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/95740259034.)

Health Policy Research Seminar: LJ Ristovskam, PhD, Assistant Professor of Public Affairs, University of Texas-Austin

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January

29

Colonial Penn Center Auditorium

HP X LDI Research Seminar: Riley League, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Learn More 2026-01-29 12:00:00 2026-01-29 13:00:00 America/New_York HP X LDI Research Seminar: Riley League, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Finance, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Riley League is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Gies College of Business. His research interests lie in health economics and industrial organization, with a focus on how administrative burdens shape the delivery, cost, and outcomes of health care in the United States. He also conducts research on the dialysis industry, where he and his coauthors examine the significant influence of financial, regulatory, and legal incentives. He holds a courtesy appointment in the University of Illinois Department of Economics and is a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Prior to joining the faculty, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Health and Aging Research at the NBER, following the completion of his PhD in Economics at Duke University in May 2023. Colonial Penn Center Auditorium Penn Medical Ethics

February

3

Colonial Penn Center Auditorium

HP X CHIBE X LDI Research Seminar: Liz Fowler, JD, PhD, Former Director of the CMMI, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Learn More 2026-02-03 12:00:00 2026-02-03 13:00:00 America/New_York HP X CHIBE X LDI Research Seminar: Liz Fowler, JD, PhD, Former Director of the CMMI, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dr. Liz Fowler is a nationally recognized expert in federal health policy and a visionary leader with a proven record of success in both public and private sector executive roles. Most recently, Dr. Fowler was Deputy Administrator and Director of the Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In that role, she was responsible for advancing innovative payment and care delivery models in Medicare and Medicaid to promote value-based care on a national scale. Under her leadership, the CMS Innovation Center launched a new strategy focused on accountable care and designed, announced, and administered 37 payment and care delivery reform models impacting nearly 200,000 hospitals, physicians and 57 million patients between 2022 to 2024. These value-based payment models have provided an important testing ground and scaling opportunity for innovative start-ups and health care disrupters. Prior to leading the Innovation Center, she was Executive Vice President of programs at The Commonwealth Fund and Vice President for Global Health Policy at Johnson & Johnson. In 2011-2012, she served as special assistant to President Obama on health care and economic policy at the National Economic Council to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As Chief Health Counsel at the Senate Finance Committee, she played a major role in the drafting and passage of the ACA in 2010, and she also played a key role drafting the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA). Dr. Fowler has over 25 years of experience in health policy and health services research. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, a PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a law degree (JD) from the University of Minnesota. She is admitted to the bar in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Fowler is a Fellow of the inaugural class of the Aspen Health Innovators Fellowship and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2022. Colonial Penn Center Auditorium Penn Medical Ethics

March

12

1104 Blockley Hall (Note: Virtual attendees can join by accessing this link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/95740259034.)

Health Policy Research Seminar: Jamie Daw, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University

Learn More 2026-03-12 12:00:00 2026-03-12 13:00:00 America/New_York Health Policy Research Seminar: Jamie Daw, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University Dr. Daw is a quantitative health services and policy researcher with expertise in quasi-experimental methods and the analysis of large surveys and administrative datasets. She studies how policies affect the barriers faced by reproductive-aged women and pregnant people in accessing health services, from gaining health insurance to connecting with providers and ultimately, receiving high-quality care. Her current research agenda focuses on how Medicaid policy changes and new health care delivery models can promote improved health care access, quality, and health equity in the year after childbirth. Dr. Daw leads the Postpartum Assessment of Health Survey (PAHS), a first-of-its-kind multi-state follow-up survey on maternal health in the year after birth. She is currently a principal investigator on three federal R01 grants and has received prior support from the Commonwealth Fund and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Her research has been cited in policy documents and published in leading medical, health services, and policy journals including JAMA, CMAJ, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Health Affairs, and the Journal of Health Policy, Politics and Law. Dr. Daw teaches Empirical Analysis for Health Policy to the full cohort of HPM MPH students each spring. 1104 Blockley Hall (Note: Virtual attendees can join by accessing this link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/95740259034.) Penn Medical Ethics