2014-2015 Bioethics Scholars

Lilah Connell is a sophomore in her fourth year at Kent Place. In The Bioethics Project, she has been researching the ethics of Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy with regards to the value and meaning of nature in today’s society. She chose to participate in the Bioethics Project because she loves science, especially biology, and is very interested in the medical field. Her favorite part of the project was studying ethics during the summer internship and presenting her work at a project meeting at the Hastings Center in December. Lilah has been so thankful to be a part of this amazing opportunity and for the support of her bioethics classmates, her mentor, Erik Parens, and teachers, Ms. Chaffee-Cohen, Dr. Rezach, and Dr. Lazar throughout her project.

Sarah Brigid Konefal is a junior in her seventh year at Kent Place School.  For The Bioethics Project: The Genetic Self”, she is studying the ethical values surrounding de-extinction, which is the process of bringing back extinct species through the use of genetic engineering. Sarah Brigid’s favorite part of The Bioethics Project was looking at moral situations through different lenses, which helped broaden her horizons and build her experiences and values as a person.  Sarah Brigid would like to thank her mentor, Gregory Kaebnick, and her teachers, Ms. Chaffee-Cohen, Dr. Rezach, and Dr. Lazar, and her fellow bioethics scholars for their help and support in constructing her project.

Regene Nolan is sophomore in her fifth year at Kent Place.  In the 2014-2015 Bioethics Project, she has been focusing on the principle of “Procreative Beneficence” proposed by bioethicist, Julian Savulescu.  Regene chose to participate in The Bioethics Project because she was interested in the field of medical ethics and how vast it actually is.  In addition to this, she has long been interested in the medical field itself and has future hopes of becoming a doctor.  She has enjoyed studying ethics during the summer internship and creating her own project as well as forming personal opinions based on what she learned.  Regene would like to thank her mentor Chelsea Jack as well as her teachers Ms. Chaffee-Cohen, Dr. Rezach, and Dr. Lazar.  She also wishes the best for past, current, and future bioethics scholars.

Sara Ramaswamy is a senior in her seventh year at Kent Place School. The Bioethics Project has given Sara’s love of science, policy, and writing the opportunity to intersect. Sara’s research examines the ethics of co-owning genetic information, looking specifically at whether children should have access to their parents’ genetic information. She looks forward to bringing her experience in ethics with Kent Place School and the Hastings Center to further research projects in college. Sara would like to thank her fellow research scholars, Mohini Banerjee, Ms. Chaffee-Cohen, Dr. Lazar, and Dr. Rezach, who introduced Sara to the field of ethics.

Kristen Rusas is a sophomore in her second year at Kent Place.  In The Bioethics Project, she focused on Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and the role of the doctor and how that contributes to society’s opinions and patient’s decisions.  She chose to participate in the Bioethics Project because she found it interesting to learn how many people can have strong opinions about the same issues and topics.  Kristen also loved that even though this was an independent project, all the teachers, mentors, and other bioethics students were willing to help her reach her final goal.  Kristen would like to thank her mentor Josephine Johnston, Ms. Chaffee-Cohen, Dr. Rezach, Dr. Lazar, and the other bioethics students for helping her enjoy her time during the Bioethics Project.

Natasha Sharma is a senior in her fifth year at Kent Place. For the Bioethics Project, Natasha is researching the ethical issues of gene patenting as well as the Myriad Genetics breast cancer lawsuit. Natasha’s research examines whether patenting genes commercializes the human body and concentrates power over research on a genetic mutation into the hands of one company. Her experience with the bioethics project has allowed Natasha to analyze people’s decisions from a moral and ethical standpoint. Natasha would like to thank her mentor, Michael Gusmano, and teachers, Ms. Chaffee-Cohen, Dr. Rezach, and Dr. Lazar for their tremendous help throughout The Bioethics Project.