For decades, the School of Medicine’s Merrimon Lectureship has served as a cornerstone of ethical reflection and professional formation for medical students, physicians, and the broader health sciences community. Grounded in a deep commitment to ethics, professional values, and justice considerations, the lecture series honors the belief that medicine is not only a technical practice, but a moral one—shaped by trust, social responsibility, and a duty to care for patients and communities, especially those most vulnerable.
Director of Immigrant Health
Professor in the Department of Medicine
University of Colorado Anschutz
We are honored to welcome Dr. Lilia Cervantes as the 48th Merrimon Lecturer. Dr. Cervantes is the Director of Immigrant Health and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. This year’s lecture, to be held on February 4, 2027, will focus on immigrant access to health care. Her expertise and outstanding work in expanding care for immigrant patients make her an especially timely and compelling speaker for this prestigious lectureship.
Previous lectures likewise reflect the series’ emphasis on contemporary issues and their impact on medical education and on research and clinical care:
- 2026 – Erosion of Trust in Science
Robert Califf, Can We Balance Professionalism with the Extreme Financial Focus of U.S. Healthcare?”
Explored whether and how health professionals can balance core ideals of professionalism with the extreme financial pressures that shape U.S. health care. - 2023 – AI and Social Media
I. Glenn Cohen, “Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Health Care: Ethical and Legal Challenges”
Explored how emerging technologies are reshaping clinical decision-making, responsibility, and fairness. - 2022 – COVID-19 and Civil Discourse
Heidi Larson, “Finding the ‘Greater Good’ in an Era of Polarization: What Vaccine Hesitancy Has Taught Us”
Examined trust, communication, and moral disagreement during a global public health crisis. - 2021 – Global Mental Health
Vikram Patel, “Thrown Under the Bus: Young People’s Mental Health in the Pandemic Era”
Centered the ethical urgency of addressing mental health inequities affecting young people worldwide. - 2019 – Depolarizing Ethical Debate in Medicine
Lisa Harris, “Conscience, Stigma, and the Tension of Opposites in Reproductive Healthcare”
Highlighted the challenge of sustaining professional respect amid profound moral disagreement.
Across these diverse topics, the Merrimon Lecture continues to invite medical students and trainees, and researchers and clinicians, to grapple with the ethical dimensions of their work; to reflect on professionalism in moments of uncertainty; and to recommit to considerations of respect and justice as central values in professional practice. In doing so, the series remains a vital space for thoughtful dialogue at the intersection of ethics, medicine, and society.