Affinity Groups
These special interest groups are a great way to connect with other ASBH members who share your academic or clinical focus or practice in a similar setting.
ASBH affinity groups plan presentations and educational programs; develop position papers, guidelines, and practice standards; monitor and recommend responses to regulatory legislation and ethical issues; and review and recommend research priorities.
If you wish to participate in an Affinity Group, join ASBH now and then follow these steps to join as many affinity groups as you like.
- Log into "My Profile" with your ASBH username and password.
- Click "Account" towards the top-left of the page, then "Personal Info." Scroll to the bottom of the page to the "Affinity Groups" section.
- Opt into any group(s) that interest you by checking the boxes to the left of each listing.
- Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the page.
Affinity Groups and Their Leaders
Animal Bioethics
Martin Fitzgerald
The Animal Bioethics Affinity Group serves to connect scholars and professionals who share an interest in the investigation of animal ethics and its relation to bioethics.
Artificial Intelligence and Bioethics
Emily Grime BS, MS, DPS, HEC-C; Kellie Owens
This group provides a forum for developing and exchanging ideas related to the ethical development and deployment of health-related AI systems in both clinical and nonclinical settings, and a platform for collaboration and resource-sharing to advance the ethical development and use of AI.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Astro-Ethics
Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, PhD
The Astro-Ethics Affinity Group promotes innovative scholarship on the clinical, ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) unique to human space exploration; draws on diverse philosophical traditions, policy development approaches and ways of knowing to provide a diverse and inclusive platform for discourse on space ethics.
Bioethics and Christian Theology
Travis Pickell, MDiv PhD; Jaime Konerman-Sease, PhD HEC-C
The Bioethics and Christian Theology Affinity Group provides opportunities for deeper engagement on bioethics issues from within the Christian tradition through lectures, discussion, and networking.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Cancer Ethics
Emily Hahn, MD; Jamie Riches, DO
The Cancer Ethics affinity group aims to promote collaboration across the multitude of disciplines that care for people with cancer and their loved ones, and to provide a forum for scholarship, education and inter-disciplinary professional development.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Clinical Ethics Consultation
Joyeeta Dastidar, MD HEC-C; Stowe Teti, MA HEC-C
The Clinical Ethics Consultation affinity group aims to serve as a meeting space for ethics consultants to discuss salient and/or challenging topics. It also serves as a means to network, build working groups on topics of interest, and run mentorship programs and quarterly virtual meetings.
Clinical Research Ethics Consultation
Jake Earl, PHD HEC-C; Liza Dawson, PhD MA
CRECAG serves ASBH members interested in addressing ethical issues that arise in clinical research by organizing annual discussions of current ethical issues or other developments in the field and by facilitating professional development of research ethics consultants.
Current and Former Clinical Ethics Fellows
Lexi White, HEC-C
This group is intended for current, former, and prospective clinical ethics fellows to discuss issues in clinical ethics fellowships.
Disability Ethics
Kevin Timpe, PhD; Kevin Mintz, PhD; Ally Peabody Smith, PhD
The DEAG examines ethical issues in disability like healthcare disparities, stigma, legal capacity, and gene editing. It promotes research and public engagement to advance disability rights, challenge ableism, and develop ethical frameworks valuing disability as human diversity.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
ELSI (Ethical, Legal and Social Implications)
Daphne Oluwaseun Martschenko; Kate Saylor, PhD
The ELSI Affinity Group brings together scholars interested in ethical, legal, and social implications of developments in genomics.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Environmental Bioethics
Kyle Ferguson, PhD
The Environmental Bioethics Affinity Group works to advance understanding of the ethical implications of ecology, climate change, and the environment with individual and public health.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Ethics and Humanities Educators in the Health Professions and Residency Training
Allison Lyle, MD; Sheria Wilson, MD; Peter D. Murray, MD
The Ethics and Humanities Educators in the Health Professions and Residency Training Affinity Group is intended for those interested or actively engaged in ethics education for residency-level learners.
Feminist Approaches to Bioethics
Lindsey Grubbs; Devora Shapiro, PhD
The FAB Affinity Group is guided by feminist commitments to identify and work against oppression, to connect theory and practice, to recognize embodiment, and to understand feminism and oppression as intersectional. We meet annually at the ASBH conference and host periodic online activities.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Health and Science Policy
Virginia Brown, PhD MA; Jorge Riveria Agoston
The Health and Science Policy Affinity Group brings together people who share an interest in moving theory into practice. This affinity group will focus on understanding how ethics commitment to the fair and just distribution of resources can be centered in our individual and collective work.
Health Humanities
Erin Lamb, PhD; Katherine Burke, MFA; Gretchen Case, PhD
The Health Humanities Affinity Group serves to foster collaboration among all who are interested in the health humanities, seeking to promote new ideas in scholarship, research, teaching, activism, and more, and to create opportunities for growth for health humanities within ASBH.
History of Medical Ethics
Robert Baker, PhD
The History of Medical Ethics Affinity Group organizes and presents topics on the history of biomedical ethics. It also serves as a meeting point for ASBH members interested in or doing research on the history of biomedical ethics.
Holocaust Genocide Contemporary Bioethics
Jay Malone, MD, PhD; Rebecca Feinberg, JD; Yelena Zatulovsky, MA
Exploring the legacy of health professional involvement in Nazism and the Holocaust for contemporary bioethics.
Hospice & Palliative Care
Sirisha Perugu, MD HEC-C; Gina Piscitello, MD
The Hospice & Palliative Care Affinity Group supports ethical practice, teaching, and interprofessional education in hospice and palliative care while supporting an inclusive community through shared professional experiences.
Immigration
Lynette Martins, JD, MBe; Katherine Peeler, MA, MD
This group discusses some of the normative issues that arise as a result of movement of individuals across borders.
Islamic Ethics
Basel Tarab, MD MBe
The Islamic Bioethics Affinity Group fosters connection, scholarship, and professional development among those engaged in Islamic bioethics. It provides a platform to advance discourse, and address emerging ethical challenges at the intersection of Islam and healthcare.
Jewish Bioethics
Diane Lowenstein Mulvey; Anna Fasman, BA
We provide a space to discuss Jewish approaches to bioethics on various subjects and to provide support for members experiencing anti-Semitism.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
LatinX Bioethics
Nicole Martinez-Martin, JD PhD
The purpose of this affinity group is to cultivate discussion regarding bioethics issues that are relevant to Latinx communities, as well as promote connection and visibility for voices in the Latinx bioethics community.
Law & Bioethics
Leah Eisenberg, JD
A place to discuss the intersections of law and bioethics, particularly clinical ethics.
LGBTQIA+ Bioethics
Elizabeth Dietz, PhD
This group brings together scholars with expertise and interest in the health and well-being of sexual and gender minorities.
Medical Decision Making
Kimberly E. Sawyer, HEC-C
Creates a community within ASBH of people interested in and/or pursuing work related to medical decision making, including things like shared decision making tools.
Neuroethics
Peter Zuk, PhD
The Neuroethics Affinity Group supports high-quality research and teaching on ethical, social, legal, and philosophical implications of emerging neurotechnologies.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Nursing
Brenda Barnum, MA; Emily Leuthold
The Nursing Affinity Group is designed to be the nursing connection to ASBH by fostering a supportive community for nurses who are interested in ethics, collaboratively planning the yearly meeting at ASBH, and supporting informal networking both in person and online.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Oral Health Ethics
Chelsey Patten, DBE HEC-C; Alma Clark, MSHCE DDS HEC-C
Provide a space for consideration of unique ethical dilemmas associated with dental healthcare delivery.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Organizational Ethics
Emily H. Grime, MS BS HEC-C; David Meyers, MD MBE FACEP
OEAG is a dynamic community that unites leaders from diverse backgrounds and institutions that serves as a collaborative hub where professionals come together to share, discuss, and advance the best practices, policies, procedures, and innovative ideas in the realm of organizational ethics.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Pediatric Ethics
Alyssa Burgart, MD; Elliott Weiss
The Pediatric Ethics Affinity Group is community that is dedicated to understanding and addressing ethical issues that affect children and families. We meet virtually once a month to check in, share resources, and discuss cases and policies related to children's health and wellbeing.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
PharmEthics
Linda Uchal, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
The group is a resource to members interested in ethics in pharmacy practice, pharmaceutical research, medication development, policy, access, patient care, and education and to assist individuals in the response to ethical issues in the use of medications.
Philosophy
Karola Kreitmair, PhD, MSc, HEC-C
The Philosophy Affinity Group serves as a forum for those interested in philosophically informed biomedical ethics. We host a session at the annual ASBH conference, as well as additional online sessions, and welcome work from any philosophical perspective, tradition, or methodology.
Philosophy of Medicine
Bryan Pilkington, PhD
The Philosophy of Medicine Affinity Group aims to foster discussion at the intersection of multiple areas of philosophy (especially bioethics) on and about medicine.
Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Daniel Moseley, PhD; Jonathan Bolton, MD
The Psychiatry and Psychotherapy affinity group aims to promote scholarship and scholarly discussion related to ethical issues in psychiatry, psychotherapy and across the allied mental/behavioral health professions.
Public Health
Jennifer Tillman, PhD; Andrea Kalfoglou, PhD
Public health is what we do collectively to assure conditions for people to be healthy. Public health ethics concerns the obligations, values, & commitments that flow from this public service imperative. Join us to discuss & enact our shared interest in improving understanding & advancing practice.
Race & Culture/Ethnicity
Donald E. Carter, DBe, MDiv; Calvin Bradley, MS, MDiv
This group engages in honest discourse about issues related to socially assigned race, and culture and ethnicity in the context of bioethics and determinants that drive ongoing inequities in education and health status.
Reproduction
Shameka Poetry Thomas; Julia Kolak, PhD
This affinity group brings together individuals interested in advancing scholarship, dialogue, and collaboration on ethical issues in reproduction, including emerging and enduring questions in clinical care, research, law, and public policy.
Rural Bioethics
Stephanie Larson, PhD MA HEC-C
The ASBH Rural Bioethics Affinity Group is dedicated to facilitating the exchange of ideas, promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration, and generation of knowledge around a wide array of bioethical topics that are relevant to rural spaces, places, cultures, and communities.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Social Work
Karyn Spear, MSW
SWAG is an interactive, supportive group that meets virtually every month. Rooted in the profession’s long tradition of advocacy, relational ethics, and social justice, this group provides a forum for exploring emerging bioethical issues and supporting members in navigating complex ethical dilemmas.
Student Interest
Samantha Chipman, MA
The Student Interest Affinity Group serves as a resource for students and trainees to learn how to get involved in ASBH, to hear about upcoming bioethics and health humanities opportunities, and to provide a network of support.
Surgical Ethics
Sean Wightman, MD HEC-C; Baddr Shakhsheer, MD HEC-C
The Surgical Ethics Affinity Group provides a forum to address ethical challenges in surgical practice, focusing on patient-centered care, decision-making, and emerging technologies. Activities include educational sessions, resource sharing, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
ASBH members may request to join this group's listserv here. Once a member of the group, messages may be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Undergraduate Teaching
Jason Eberl, PhD; Bharat Ranganathan, PhD HEC-C
The Undergraduate Teaching Affinity Group’s focus is excellence in undergraduate teaching. We provide a forum to share and learn from others with similar teaching responsibilities in bioethics and the humanities.
ListServes
Many affinity groups offer participation in ListServes in specialized areas. ASBH members may also participate in the ASBH ListServe in which members share announcements of scholarly meetings and events of general interest to the field of bioethics and humanities. Refer to the benefits of ASBH membership for more information.
Leaders can connect with ASBH Operations Coordinator McKenzie Graunke at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions. Those interested in starting a new affinity group can reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to request an application form and more information about the approval process.