CERA is led by a multi-disciplinary team with advanced expertise in genomics, bioethics, legal analysis, social science research, and related fields. The CERA leadership identifies priority areas in ELSI, ensures the integrity of our collection of ELSI resources and analysis, and guides the community building and engagement activities of the Center.
Staff
CERA staff have a productive and highly collaborative history of working together. They bring leadership experience and expertise in science communication, trainee engagement, resource curation, digital content production, and events management.
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Grace Morris, M.A.
Grace Morris is Program Director at Columbia University. She completed her master's degree in sociology at Northeastern University. Prior to her work at Columbia and CERA, Grace worked as Director of Research Training and Development at the Institute for Collaboration on Health Intervention and Policy at the University of Connecticut. Grace is a research development professional specializing in public health and the social sciences. She has expertise in program development and evaluation.
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Emily Van Poetsch, B.S.
Emily Van Poetsch, B.S. is the ELSI Research Program Manager of CERA at Stanford University. With a degree in biology and experience as a phlebotomist, her interest in public health and equality took off. She began working in higher education in 2015 and has since been managing interdisciplinary programs including the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at Stanford University, and now, the Center for ELSI Resources and Analysis.
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Rachel Lee, B.S.
Rachel Lee, B.S. is a Social Science Research Professional at Stanford University. Before joining CERA, Rachel worked on curriculum development and qualitative research about patient experiences and diversity, equity, and inclusion in health care. Her interests include the ethical and social implications of prenatal screening, reproductive technologies, and direct-to-consumer genetic testing.
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Faryn Fairweather, M.P.H.
Faryn Fairweather, a public health professional with experience in the nonprofit sector and city government, holds an M.P.H. in Sociomedical Sciences and Infectious Disease Epidemiology from Columbia University, and a B.S. in Community Health with a minor in Psychology from George Mason University. As a recent alumna of the Mailman School of Public Health, Faryn actively contributed to equity initiatives, serving as a research assistant for Mentoring of Students and Igniting Community (MOSAIC) and a graduate mentor for the Resilience, Inclusivity, Solidarity, and Empowerment (RISE) Peer Mentor Program. Her interests lie in health disparities, educational equity, and social justice.
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Ashlin Amano, MBE
Ashlin Amano, completed her BS in Biology with a minor in Social Work as an Honors Scholar from Mount Saint Mary’s University in 2022. She researched Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease in a wet lab, and coupled this with research of socioeconomic factors that could minimize the risks of both diseases in marginalized populations. Drawn to the intersection of her major and minor, she then received a Master of Bioethics (MBE) from Harvard Medical School. Ashlin is interested in increasing transparency and diversity within the clinical practice and biomedical research landscapes.
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Tehmi den Braven, M.S.
Tehmi den Braven, M.S. is a Social Science Research Professional at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. Prior to her tenure at Stanford, she gained clinical ethics experience through the Markkula Healthcare Ethics Internship at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. For her senior capstone project, Tehmi collaborated with a non-profit organization in Jaipur to create an affordable, electric prosthetic hand. As part of this project, she explored the ethical dimensions of frugal innovation and the role of ethical decision-making in engineering. Coming from a background in bioengineering, her research interests center on the ethical implications of emerging technologies with a focus on AI risks, as well as the convergence of medical and environmental ethics.
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Nancy Berlinger, PhD
Nancy Berlinger, PhD, is a senior research scholar at The Hastings Center. Her interdisciplinary bioethics and health humanities research focuses on ethical and social challenges arising from population aging. She has longstanding interests in immigrant and community health and has been a co-investigator on NIH-funded research on access to follow-up precision medicine for All of Us study participants from Federal Qualified Health Centers. She founded and co-directs The Hastings Center's Sadler Scholars, a community of next-generation researchers and practitioners in bioethics that partners with CERA to create opportunities for Sadler Scholars building ELSI careers.
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Danielle Pacia, MBE
Danielle M. Pacia focuses on bioethics topics related to individualized therapies, community health, and the ever-changing landscape of reproductive health care in the United States. She is interested in high-level questions related to reciprocity, relationality, and solidarity, and how these concepts impact health policy in the U.S. and inform pathways for improved health care access.
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Roselle Ponsaran, MA
Roselle Ponsaran, MA, is a Senior Research Associate and Assistant Research Director in the Department of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She also serves as Assistant Director for the CWRU Bioethics Center for Community Health and Genomic Equity (CHANGE). Ms. Ponsaran holds a Master of Arts in Medical Anthropology from Case Western Reserve University. With several years of experience on interdisciplinary ELSI projects, her work uses qualitative research methods to consider community perspectives, health equity, and public understanding of science.