Author Archives: Brandy Elsenrath

On December 1, join us for Tar Heel Tuesday, UNC-Chapel Hill’s annual day of giving. Support the UNC Center for Bioethics and help advance ethics education, research, clinical ethics consultation, and community engagement. Stay tuned for ways to participate and make an impact.

The recording of Child Participation in Decision-Making: From Adult-Centered to Child-Centered Approaches with Erica Salter is now available. In this thought-provoking presentation, Salter explores how healthcare professionals and caregivers can better support children’s voices and involvement in decisions that affect their lives. Watch the recording and learn more about advancing...

The recording of Managing Emotions and Misinformation in Clinical Encounters featuring Heidi Larson is now available. In this engaging lecture, Larson explores the role emotions play in shaping health decisions, the spread of misinformation, and strategies clinicians can use to build trust and navigate challenging conversations with patients.

The recording of the VolRethics Meet the Authors webinar with Dr. Jill A. Fisher, Women in Phase I Trials, is now available. If you missed the live event or would like to revisit the discussion, you can watch it here: https://bioethics.unc.edu/talk/volrethics-meet-the-authors-webinar-with-jill-a-fisher-women-in-phase-i-trials/

Virginia Eubanks, professor and investigative journalist, recently sat down with Jill Fisher, Professor of Social Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill, to discuss how unexpected lessons from outdoor survival training informed her understanding of caregiving, trauma, and resilience. Drawing from her personal experiences, Eubanks shares the insights that inspired her latest book,...

If you were unable to join us for our recent talk, Drowning for Love: Lessons on Care from Outdoor Survival, the recording is now available to watch online. We invite you to watch the recording and engage with the ideas shared during this timely and insightful event.

Asha N. Talati, MD, MSCR, assistant professor in Maternal–Fetal Medicine, Clinical Genetics & Genomics, and medical director of the Obstetric Imaging Program, has been selected as a Simmons Scholar for 2026. Reflecting on this milestone, Talati shared her appreciation for the mentorship and institutional support that made this achievement possible, noting that the opportunity...

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...

The Center for Bioethics, in collaboration with the Clinical Ethics Service in UNC Hospitals, offers an array of experiences related to a resident’s interest in clinical ethics and in the ethical issues that arise in the development and implementation of related scientific research. This fall we welcome our 3rd cohort...

From June 22-24, 2026, the UNC Center for the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Biotechnology (ELSI@UNC) hosted the 7th ELSI Congress, bringing together researchers, trainees, clinicians, policymakers, patient advocates, and community partners from across the United States and beyond to examine the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of...