Dr. Lisa S Parker, PhD

Dr. Parker, a philosopher-bioethicist, collaborates with investigators across the University, as well as national and international colleagues, on both empirical studies and theoretical and policy analyses of bioethical issues. Her research focuses on ethical issues in genetic/genomic research, genetic counseling, and pharmacogenomics, with particular attention to return of results, management of incidental findings, and informed consent. She has a long-standing interest in the effect of new technologies and policies on health disparities and on those situated with less power in social hierarchies.

For the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Parker has served on ad hoc review panels, the ELSI Study Section, and the Societal and Ethical Issues in Research Study Section. She served on two Working Groups—Managing Incidental Findings in Human Subjects Research and Managing Incidental Findings and Research Results in Genomic Biobanks & Archives—and has consulted on projects of the NIMH, NIDA, and NICHD. She served as Chair of the NHGRI Genomics & Society Working Group 2015-2017 and rejoined the GSWG for a second term (2020-2024), and also serves on the National Advisory Council for the Genome Research Institute. She serves on the Expert Scientific Panel of the Electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network. For the University, she provides ethics expertise to the Institute for Precision Medicine and numerous research projects, and directs the Resaerch, Ethics, and Society Initiative of the Office of Research. F

Dr. Parker directs the University’s Center for Bioethics & Health Law, as well as the Master of Arts Program in Bioethics in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, and co-directs School of Medicine's Area of Concentration in Medical Humanities and Ethics. She teaches research ethics for the School of Public Health, in addition to courses in the Bioethics Program, the Genetic Counseling Program, and the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies Program.

1990 | University of Pittsburgh | PhD in Philosophy
 

Bioethics
Ethical Issues in Clinical and Public Health Genetics
Ethical Issues in Genomic Medicine & Research
Feminist Theory
Gender, Ethics, & the Body
Research Ethics & the Responsible Conduct of Research

Parker LS. The future of incidental findings: Should they be viewed as benefits? Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 2008; 36(2):341-351. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-720X.2008.00278.x/pdf.  PMID: 18547203

 

Shirts BH, Parker LS. Changing interpretations, stable genes: responsibilities of patients, professionals, and policymakers in the clinical interpretation of complex genetic information. Genetics in Medicine, 2008; 10(11):778–783.  doi: 10.1097/GIM.0b013e31818bb38f.  PMID: 18941419

 

 

Wolf SM et al.. Managing incidental findings and research results in genomic research involving biobanks and archived data sets. Genetics in Medicine, 2012; 14(4): 361-384.  doi: 10.1038/gim.2012.23.  PMID: 22436882

 

Parker LS. Returning individual research results: What role should people’s preferences play. Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology, 2012; 13(2): 449-484. http://mjlst.umn.edu/prod/groups/ahc/@pub/@ahc/@mjlst/documents/content/ahc_content_396769.pdf

 

Parker LS. In sport and social justice, is genetic enhancement a game changer? Health Care Analysis, 2012; 20(4):328-46  doi: 10.1007/s10728-012-0226-z.  PMID: 22983765

 

Parker LS, Satkoske VB. Ethical dimensions of disparities in depression research and treatment in the pharmacogenomic era. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, 2012; 40(4): 886–903.  doi: 10.1111/j.1748-720x.2012.00718.x.  PMID: 23289692

 

Parker LS, London AJ, Aronson JD. Incidental findings in the use of DNA to identify human remains: An ethical assessment. Forensic Science International: Genetics, 2013; 7:(2): 221-229. doi: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2012.10.002.  PMID: 23116722

 

London AJ, Parker LS, Aronson JD. DNA identification after conflict or disaster. Science, 2013; 348:1178-1179. doi: 10.1126/science.1238085.  PMID: 24031004

 

Cohen DA, Shirts BH, Jackson BR, Parker LS. Laboratory informatics based evaluation of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase C677T genetic test overutilization. Journal of Pathology Informatics, 2013; 4:33. doi: 10.4103/2153-3539.122389.  PMID: 24392247

 

Dal-Ré R, Katsanis N, Katsanis S, Parker LS, Ayuso C. Managing incidental genomic findings in clinical trials: Fulfillment of the principle of justice. PLOS Medicine, 2014; 11(1):  e1001584. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001584. PMID: 24453945

 

Grubs RE, Parker LS, Hamilton RJ. Subtle psychosocial sequelae of genetic test results. Current Genetic Medicine Reports, 2014; 2:242-249. doi: 10.1007/s40142-014-0053-7

 

Parker LS, Grubs RE. Ethical considerations regarding classroom use of personal genomic information. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 2014; 15(2):191-196. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v15i2.856  PMID: 25574277

 

Seaman JB, Terhorst L, Gentry A, Hunsaker A, Parker LS, Lingler JH. Psychometric properties of a decisional capacity screening tool for individuals contemplating participation in Alzheimer's Disease research. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2015; 46(1):1-9. doi: 10.3233/JAD-142559. PMID: 25765917.

Ferrari R, Parker LS, Grubs RE. Sickle cell trait screening of collegiate athletes: ethical reasons for program reform. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 2015; 24(6):873-7. doi: 10.1007/s10897-015-9849-1. PMID: 26040250.

Kalynchuk EJ, Althouse A, Parker LS, Rajkovic A. Prenatal whole exome sequencing: parental attitudes. Prenatal Diagnosis, 2015; 35(10):1030-6. doi: 10.1002/pd.4635 PMID: 26151551.

Adams SM, Anderson KL, Coons JC, Smith RB, Meyer SM, Parker LS, Empey PE. Advancing pharmacogenomics education in the core PharmD curriculum through student personal genomic testing. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2016; 80(1).

 

Sankar PL, Parker LS. The Precision Medicine Initiative’s All of Us Research Program: an agenda for research on its ethical, legal, and social issues. Genetics in Medicine, 2017; 19(7):743-750. doi:10.1038/gim.2016.183

 

Pradhu A, Parker LS, DeVita M. Caring for Patients or Organs: New Therapies Raise New Dilemmas in the Emergency Department. American Journal of Bioethics (AJOB),  2017; 17(5): 6-16; doi: 10.1080/15265161.2017.1299239

 

Parker LS, Sankar PL, Boyer J, McEwan J, Kaufman D. Normative and Conceptual ELSI Research: What it is, and why it’s importat. Genetics in Medicine, 4 July 2018; PMID:29970926 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-018-0065-x

 

Herrington ER, Parker LS. Narrative methods for assessing “quality of life” in hand transplantation: five case studies with bioethical commentary. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy,  2019; 22: 407–425;  DOI: 10.1007/s11019-018-09881-4