Bioethicist Lainie Ross from our medical center has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine.

Bioethicist Lainie Ross from our medical center has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine.

Lainie Ross, a distinguished bioethicist with a background in both medicine and academia, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), a prestigious organization that recognizes the best leaders in American healthcare and academic medicine.

Ross, who joined the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in 2023 as the inaugural chair of the department of Health Humanities and Bioethics, has made significant contributions to the field of medical ethics. Her work at URMC has focused on the moral aspects of research and patient care, particularly in the areas of genomic sequencing ethics and pediatric bioethics.

One of her most notable accomplishments is the development of new consensus recommendations for pediatric decision-making, which were published in the journal Pediatrics. These recommendations emphasize shifting from the traditional "best interest of the child" standard to promoting the "child's interests" and supporting wide parental decision-making latitude.

In addition to her work at URMC, Ross has also served in various leadership roles within the field of bioethics. In 2025, she was appointed to lead the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Bioethics for a four-year term.

Ross is also known for her work around issues of equity and inclusion for solid organ transplant patients. The URMC, where Ross leads the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics, has made a commitment to this cause through the new department.

Ross's approach to bioethics is grounded in the belief that every clinical encounter is a moral encounter. She emphasizes the importance of understanding patients as people and contextualizing disease within a patient's life.

The URMC, which is known for its innovative biopsychosocial framework that emphasizes caring for the whole person, was among the first in the country with a humanities division. It is now one of eight academic medical centers in the nation with a dedicated humanities and bioethics department, thanks in large part to the work of Lainie Ross.

Past NAM inductees from the URMC include notable figures such as Paul F. Griner (Hematology/Oncology), Lynne Maquat (Biochemistry and Biophysics), Seymour I. Schwartz (Surgery), Elizabeth R. McAnarney (Pediatrics), Paul S. Frame (Family Medicine), and Robert C. Griggs (Neurology). Mark Taubman, MD, CEO of the URMC, described Ross as arguably the most influential, accomplished, and important pediatric ethicist of our time.

Academy members provide expert advice nationally and internationally on health, medicine, and related policy. Ross offers tools and resources to address controversial and complex cases, and ensures future clinicians are equipped with the best education and training in bioethics and health humanities.

[1] University of Rochester Medical Center, "Lainie Ross, MD, PhD, elected to National Academy of Medicine," press release, 2025. [2] University of Rochester Medical Center, "Lainie Ross named inaugural chair of the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics," press release, 2023. [3] American Academy of Pediatrics, "Lainie Ross appointed to lead Committee on Bioethics," press release, 2025. [4] University of Rochester, "Lainie Ross receives National Academy of Medicine election," press release, 2025. [5] University of Rochester Medical Center, "Lainie Ross publishes new book on pediatric bioethics," press release, 2022.

1. Lainie Ross's election to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) underscores the importance of patient care in the field of medical ethics.
2. The science of medical ethics has gained significant attention due to Lainie Ross's contributions in genomic sequencing ethics and pediatric bioethics.
3. The health and wellness sector could benefit significantly from the consensus recommendations on pediatric decision-making developed by Lainie Ross.
4. Chronic diseases, particularly chronic kidney disease, may see improved treatment and care with a shift in focus towards promoting the child's interests in pediatric care.
5. The URMC's commitment to equity and inclusion for solid organ transplant patients is a testament to Lainie Ross's advocacy efforts in this area.
6. Fitness and exercise could potentially be impacted by Lainie Ross's belief that every clinical encounter is a moral encounter.
7. Environmental science and renewable energy sectors might find paradigms in Lainie Ross's approach of understanding patients as people and contextualizing disease within a patient's life.
8. The manufacturing industry could learn valuable lessons on leadership and diversity-and-inclusion from Lainie Ross's achievements.
9. Mental health concerns may find interventions through the therapies-and-treatments developed under Lainie Ross's expertise.
10. Nutritionists could consider adopting healthy-diets inspired by Lainie Ross's work in promoting the whole-person approach to healthcare.
11. The industry as a whole could benefit from Lainie Ross's strategic leadership and commitment to ethical decision-making.
12. CBD products for mental health support might see increased attention following Lainie Ross's work on equity and inclusion in healthcare.
13. Lainie Ross's focus on the moral aspects of research holds implications for climate-change research and the push towards renewable energy solutions.
14. The financial sector, including finance, energy, and investment in the health-and-wellness industry, could experience growth with the tools and resources provided by experts like Lainie Ross.
15. Space-and-astronomy research could potentially gain from an ethical perspective grounded in Lainie Ross's focus on the whole person.
16. Retail establishments might benefit from adopting Lainie Ross's empathetic approach to customer service.
17. Lainie Ross's commitment to entrepreneurship fosters innovation in the bioethics and health humanities fields.
18. The interior-design field might find inspiration in Lainie Ross's emphasis on creating spaces that are conducive to healing and wellness.
19. Transportation systems could be designed with a user-centric approach based on Lainie Ross's belief that disease must be contextualized within a patient's life.
20. Leadership in various sectors could draw valuable insights from Lainie Ross's emphasis on understanding patients as people in their administrative decision-making.
21. Diversity-and-inclusion initiatives in the workforce could be bolstered by learning from Lainie Ross's achievements in promoting equitable care for diverse patient populations.
22. The wearables market could benefit from technologies designed around Lainie Ross's approach of focusing on the whole person.
23. Smart-home devices could evolve to better cater to the needs of users, thanks to Lainie Ross's pioneering work in patient care.
24. Cybersecurity measures in the healthcare sector may become more user-centric as a result of Lainie Ross's influence.
25. Lainie Ross's work has implications for lifestyle choices that promote health and wellness in the context of outdoor living.
26. The automotive industry might see the development of more user-centric models, reflecting the impact of Lainie Ross's focus on each individual as a unique and whole human being.
27. Small businesses in the home-and-garden sector could find success in adopting Lainie Ross's empathetic approach to customer service and product innovation.

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