Oregon Bioethics and Humanities Colloquium
The Oregon Bioethics and Humanities Colloquium (OBHC) is an academic lecture series for the state of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. The goal of OBHC is to foster substantive inquiry, discussion, and education in bioethics and medical humanism by bringing together scholars, professionals, and students from diverse disciplines, including:
- medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and social work.
- philosophy.
- literature.
- sociology.
- religion.
- public health.
- law.
- and policy.
OBHC aims to create an interdisciplinary and inclusive environment where critical examination of the human experience is the norm. We want to provoke thought, deepen moral imagination, and help generate new insights into our health care experiences that both challenge and edify all who attend.
Please join us for the 2026-2027 lecture series!
2026-2027 OBHC Lecture Series
OBHC Keynote Speaker: David Magnus, Ph.D.
David Magnus, PhD is Thomas A. Raffin Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Ethics and Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and by Courtesy of Bioengineering at Stanford University and an Associate Dean for Research. He is Director Emeritus of the Laurie J. Girand Center for Biomedical Ethics. He is currently the Co-Chair of the IRB for the NIH Precision Medicine Initiative ("All of Us"). He is the former President of the Association of Bioethics Program Directors, and is the Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Bioethics. He has published articles on a wide range of topics in bioethics, including research ethics, AI ethics, genetics, stem cell research, organ transplantation, end of life, and patient communication. He was a member of the Secretary of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Biotechnology in the 21st Century and currently serves on the California Human Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee. He is the principal editor of a collection of essays entitled "Who Owns Life?" (2002) and his publications have appeared in New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Science, Nature Biotechnology, and the British Medical Journal. He has appeared on many radio and television shows including 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, FOX news Sunday, and ABC World News and NPR. In addition to his scholarly work, he has published Opinion pieces in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Chicago Tribune, the San Jose Mercury News, and the New Jersey Star Ledger.
*Note that this lecture is in person only
Meeting Link: HERE
Password: C6NnPJaGX82
*All talks are from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PT
OBHC Survey: HERE
Accreditation: The School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit: Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Series Schedule
Monday, October 5th, 2026 | OHSU Auditorium In Person
"Bioethical Challenges of AI"
David Magnus, Ph.D.
Thomas A. Raffin Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Ethics
Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine
Associate Dean for Research
Stanford University
Friday, November 13th, 2026 | WebEx
"Enthusiasm Over the Night"
Samuel Reis-Dennis, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy
Associate Professor, Medical Humanities Program
Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Philosophy
Friday, December 11th, 2026 | WebEx
"Environmental Injustice: The Clinical and Ethical Implications of Our Unhealthy Environments"
Keisha Ray, PhD
John P McGovern MD Professor of Oslerian Medicine
Associate Professor with Tenure
Director, Medical Humanities Scholarly Concentration
Director, Longitudinal Themes
McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics
McGovern Medical School
UTHealth Houston
Friday, January 15th, 2027 | WebEx
"First of All Our Own Hearts: William James and the Healing of the Healer’s Soul"
Mark Lazenby, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean and Professor of Nursing and Philosophy
University of California, Irvine
Friday, February 12th, 2027 | WebEx
"Narrative Ethics and Narrative Medicine"
Danielle Spencer, Ph.D.
Columbia University Narrative Medicine Program
Friday, April 16th, 2027 | WebEx
"First of All Our Own Hearts: William James and the Healing of the Healer’s Soul"
Mark Kuczewski, PhD
The Fr. Michael I. English, SJ, Professor of Medical Ethics
Director, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics
Stritch School of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago
Friday, June 18th, 2027 | WebEx
"Art, Imagination, and Healthcare"
Gretchen A. Case, PhD, MA
Director, Center for Health Ethics, Arts, and Humanities
Associate Professor, Department of Theatre, College of Fine Arts
Associate Professor (Adjunct), Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine
Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, The University of Utah
Past OBHC Series Presentations
2025-2026
-
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | View Recording
"Organizational Health Literacy: The Foundation for Achieving Health and Well-Being"
Mary Ann Abrams, M.D., MPH
Clinical Assistant Professor, Ohio State University College of Medicine
GME Quality Improvement Medical Director, Nationwide Children’s Hospital -
Friday, November 7, 2025 | View Recording
“Confronting Bias, Power, and Oppression in Pediatric Ethics: Sharing A Novel Tool for Pediatric Ethics Consultation”
Sarah Porter, MSW
Social Work Manager
Legacy Health -
Friday, December 12, 2025 | View Recording | Flyer
“Medical Mistrust: Conceptual Insights and Empirical Challenges”
Alyssa Newman, PhD
Senior Research Scholar
Kennedy Institute of Ethics
Georgetown University -
Friday, January 9, 2026 | View Recording
"Building Resiliency in our Staff: A Debriefing Model for Addressing Moral Injury"
Drew Grabham, LCSW
Director of Outreach Clinical and Strategy
Central City Concern -
Friday, February 6, 2026 | View Recording
"Transparency Mandates and Ethical Obligations: Biopsy Result Disclosure in the Era of the CURES Act"
Clara Bosco, MD
General Surgery Resident
Northwestern University -
Friday, May 22, 2026 | View Recording
“Think in Systems, Act in Relationships: Building Relational Systems with Health Care and Communities.”
Brian Park, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
OHSU School of Medicine -
Friday, June 12, 2026 | View Recording
“A Life Worth Sustaining? Bestowed Worth and the Meaningfulness of Continuing Life-Sustaining Treatments in Pediatric Care.”
Daniel Kim, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Ethics Education
Madeline Brill Nelson Chair
OHSU Center for Ethics in Health Care
2024-2025
-
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 | View the recording HERE
“Split Brains, Functional Disorders, and Postictal Violence: Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Complex Brain Interventions”
Paul Ford, PhD
Program Director
Cleveland Clinic NeuroEthics -
November 8, 2024 | View Recording
“Fostering Collaborative Relationships between Patients, Families, and Care Teams”
Chris Feudtner, MD, PhD, MPH
Director of Research, Palliative Care
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia -
December 6, 2024 | View Recording
“Homelessness and Inclusion Health”
Josephine Ensign, DrPH, MPH, FNP
Professor, University of Washington School of Nursing
Department of Psychosocial and Community Health -
January 10, 2025 | View Recording
“OMG, What R They Thinking? Adolescent Brain Development and Implications for Decision-making, Injury Prevention, and Criminal Justice”
Doug Diekema, MD, MPH
Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care
Seattle Children’s Hospital -
May 16, 2025 | View Recording (password: AbhTmCt7)
“Malaria Eradication Attempts in Africa: Historical Lessons on Good Intentions, Unintended Consequences, and Unresolved Ethical Questions”
Melissa Graboyes, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, University of Oregon
Department of History & Global Health Program -
JUNE 6, 2025 | View Recording (password: GfNQeEE4)
"Designing for Wellness: State of our Health"
Barbara Sestak, FAIA
Professor, School of Architecture
Portland State University
2023-2024
-
Thursday, October 5, 2023
in partnership with the OHSU Department of Pediatrics Grand Rounds
Lainie Friedman Ross, MD, PhD, University of Rochester -
Friday, November 10, 2023 | View the recording HERE.
"The History of Medical Uncertainty"
Vera Keller, PhD, University of Oregon -
Friday, December 8, 2023 | View the recording HERE.
"Structures of Justice and Fairness in Complex Disposition"
Georgina Campelia, PhD, HEC-C, University of Washington -
Friday, January 12, 2024 | View the recording HERE.
"Taking Carework Seriously in Bioethics: The Case of US Nurses During the Pandemic"
LaTonya Trotter, MPH, PhD, University of Washington -
Friday, February 9, 2024 | View the recording HERE.
"Dementia Through a Lens of Relational Agency"
Eran Klein, MD, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University -
Friday, May 10, 2023
"Justice Rising: A Moral Imagination for a More Trustworthy Bioethics"
Kevin Dirksen, MDiv, MSc, Providence Center for Health Care Ethics -
Friday, June 14, 2024
"Outliers and Outlaws: Supporting LGBTQ Elders"
Judith Raiskin, PhD, University of Oregon