Additional Resources

Visit this site to view a comprehensive list of active and inactive Centers of Excellence in ELSI Research (CEER) funded by the NHGRI. CEERs convene multi-disciplinary investigators to address new or persistent ELSI issues and support the next generation of ELSI researchers.

Gail Geller and Jeffrey Kahn were Co-Principal Investigators of the Center for Bridging Infectious Disease, Genomics, and Society (BRIDGES) at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. BRIDGES focused on the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic advances in the context of infectious diseases prevention and control. The center operated from 2016 - 2022.

Ellen W. Clayton and Bradley Malin are Co-Directors of the Center for Genetic Privacy and Identity in Community Settings (GetPreCiSe), an NIH Center of Excellence in Ethics Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The GetPreCiSe Center integrates a diverse community of interdisciplinary scholars to enhance understanding on the debate about genetic privacy and identity and further inform policy. The center operated from 2016 - 2025.

Paul Appelbaum was Principal Investigator of the ELSI Center for Psychiatric, Neurologic & Behavioral Genetics at Columbia University Medical Center. The center investigated the ELSI challenges that come with using genetic information in the context of psychiatric, neurologic, and behavioral (PNB) disorders which are often highly stigmatized. The center operated from 2013 - 2023.

Paul Spicer is Principal Investigator of the Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomic Research (CEIGR). CEIGR examines how genomic information used in medical care may impact American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The center additionally hosts tools to create culturally appropriate research and education programs regarding genomics and indigenous communities. CEIGR operated from 2016 - 2025.

Gail Henderson was Principal Investigator of the Center for Genomics and Society at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. This center conducted an integrated set of research, policy, and education activities focused on new or heightened ELSI issues resulting from large-scale gene discovery and disclosure projects, and developed policy-relevant recommendations to address translation to practice. The center operated from 2007 - 2019.

Patricia Marshall, Richard Sharp, & Eric Juengst were Principal Investigators of the Case Western Reserve University Center for Genetic Research Ethics and Law (CGREAL). This center studied the ethical issues in the design and conduct of human genetic research, including issues regarding the protection of human subjects in research. The center operated from 2004 - 2016.

Erin Rothwell, James Tabery, and Jeff Botkin were Principal Investigators of the Utah Center of Excellence in Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Research (UCEER) at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. UCEER supported research and teaching of issues relevant to population screening for genetic conditions in the healthcare of women and children. UCEER operated from 2016 - 2024.

Reed Pyeritz was Principal Investigator of the University of Pennsylvania Center for the Integration of Genetic Healthcare Technology (Penn CIGHT). This center was focused on the implications of the communication and use of potentially uncertain genetic information and developed tools to help consumers, professionals, policy makers and insurers understand and cope with the certainty or uncertainty of results from genetic technologies. The center operated from 2007 - 2014.

Mildred Cho was Principal Investigator of the Stanford University School of Medicine Center for Integration of Research on Genetics and Ethics (CIRGE). The goals of this center were to 1) to enhance the incorporation of ethical and societal considerations into the practice of genomic research on behavior through identifying the issues raised by such research; 2) to conduct scholarly studies that inform the ethical practice of research; and 3) to develop mechanisms that enhance the incorporation of ELSI considerations into research. The center operated from 2004 - 2016.