2024-2025 Bioethics Scholars

Julianna Abrantes is currently a junior and has been attending Kent Place since 9th grade. After entering the school, Julianna quickly began exploring ethics in a variety of capacities but was very interested specifically in Bioethics. Her research focused on the ethicality of Teratogenic medications with considerations to global regulations that are being implemented by countries worldwide. In this topic, Julianna looked at the responsibility of a mother when considering the health of her child. Julianna is grateful for everything that she has learned in the course and knows that the skills she has learned will carry her through any career she pursues. 

Kaitlin Andersen is currently a junior and has been attending Kent Place for six years. Planning to pursue an academic and professional career in public policy, she joined the Bioethics Project to deepen her understanding of how ethical principles inform policy development and decision-making. This year, Kaitlin explored her passion for public health through her research into the ethical implications of regulating prostitution, focusing on how governments navigate and balance their responsibilities to protect and empower citizens. She has especially valued the meaningful, thought-provoking discussions with her peers, which often challenged her to reflect and reconsider her own views. Kaitlin is grateful for the way this course and the opportunity to conduct independent research have sharpened her critical-thinking skills and reaffirmed her love for learning. 

Claire Cherill is currently a junior at Kent Place and has been a part of the community since kindergarten. She has wanted to be part of the bioethics project since she learned about it in eighth grade after listening to that year's cohort and learning about the route it offers to pursue the intersection of her favorite subjects of science and ethics. This year, she chose to explore the enrollment of patients with Alzheimer's disease in clinical trials due to her interest in psychology and neuroscience and curiosity about questions around the cost of societal advancement. She has enjoyed uncovering the complexities of this topic and getting to share her findings with the wider community. Claire is grateful for this opportunity to learn from so many experts in her fields of interest and looks forward to using the skills and knowledge she has learned from this course in college and beyond, where she hopes to continue contributing to the field of bioethics. 

Ella Culligan is currently a junior and has been attending Kent Place since 6th grade. Her fascination with topics related to philosophy, neuroscience, and healthcare fueled her interest in Bioethics. She hoped to expand on these interests in the course and learn topics that would eventually help her pursue a career in medicine. Her research explored women’s healthcare and public health, with its focus on pregnancy-related healthcare access for incarcerated women in the United States. Her project involved questions related to resource allocation and justice, as she evaluated shortcomings and possible improvements in correctional medicine. She was grateful for the opportunity to delve into her research with guidance from her teachers and mentors. Throughout the course, Ella especially enjoyed thought-provoking class discussions that explored various perspectives and considerations for contentious bioethical issues.

Brooke Dambrot is a junior at Kent Place School and a participant in the 13th Bioethics Project cohort. She is passionate about social justice and mental well-being and joined the Bioethics Project to learn about complex, often unanswerable questions. This year, Brooke focused her project on the ethicality of Medical Aid in Dying for individuals with Anorexia. In learning about the complexities of the topic, she expanded her knowledge on terminality, decision-making capacity, and the intricacies of physical and psychological suffering. Brooke is excited to take her knowledge and skills gained from the Bioethics Project into her life, as she continues to ask questions.

...

.

Mira is currently a sophomore and has been part of the Kent Place community for five years. She was passionate about joining the Bioethics Project as she plans to pursue an academic and professional future in healthcare and has a passion for ethics and analytical thinking. Mira chose to focus her research on genetic modification and its parallel to the historical eugenics movement. She explored modern genetic technologies like CRISPR and questioned the moral responsibilities of society to define what traits are “desirable.” Mira is very grateful for the opportunity that the Bioethics Project has given her to pursue scientific research and engage in thoughtful discussions with her classmates and teachers. 

Ainslie is currently a sophomore and is attending her eleventh year at Kent Place. Her passion and inspiration for joining the Bioethics Project developed during her eighth-grade social initiative project. This year, her research explores the ethical implications of stem cell use in cosmetics and examines the societal pressures that drive this industry. She has enjoyed the insightful discussions and ideas that emerged from this class and how it constantly challenges her perspectives. Ainslie is so grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of this class, which has helped her grow tremendously.

Priyana is currently a sophomore at Kent Place School and is attending her second year. She was introduced to the Bioethics Program on her very first tour of KPS, and from then on, she was inspired to become a future Bioethics Scholar - hoping to pursue this incredible outlet for her deep and long standing passion for medicine, ethics, and helping people. This year, her research delved into the ethical complexities of providing maternal and fetal healthcare for the homeless population. She weighed the responsibilities of multiple stakeholders, including the U.S. government and society, in ensuring that the homeless mothers and children have the opportunity to be healthy and receive a holistic sense of care. Priyana is grateful for this incredibly enriching program which has informed her ability to ethically analyze situations and opened her eyes to a plethora of perspectives on prevalent dilemmas which she will continue to explore in the medical field.

Madeline Mon is currently a junior at Kent Place and has attended the school for six years. She was inspired to join the Bioethics Project after attending the Academic Symposium, as she wanted to further explore the intersection of ethics in public policy and health. This year, Madeline chose to focus her research on governmental population regulation. Specifically, she explored the ethics of restricting reproductive autonomy in the name of public welfare, as well as the possible duty held by both women and the government to improve population health. Throughout this course, Madeline has enjoyed participating in group discussions on various bioethical topics, as it has been able to greatly expand her ethical and scientific knowledge in the field. She is incredibly grateful for the time she was able to spend in the course and is excited to continue pursuing Bioethics in her future. 

Naomi Ravenell is a current junior in the Bioethics Project, attending her fourth year at Kent Place. Her work as an emergency medical technician inspired her to join the Bioethics Project, as she wanted to broaden her knowledge on patient rights and the consequences of medical decisions in pursuit of a future career in medicine. This year, Naomi focused her research on investigating the ethicality and impact of medicalization, specifically through the lens of menopause. She explored the balance between offering medical support when necessary and preserving the right for women to make autonomous decisions on their care and the implications of stigma around aging on medical decisions. Naomi is grateful for this opportunity and looks forward to using the bioethical principles she has learned when faced with dilemmas in the medical field.