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Current Graduate Students

The Department of Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University attracts students from throughout the nation and the world to SLU.

Our students complete research in diverse fields, including the philosophy of medicine, sexual and reproductive ethics, death and dying, professionalism, public health ethics, neuroethics and Catholic health care.

Matilda Ajibola

Graduate assistant and Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and bioethics)

  • B.A. in philosophy, Kogi State University, Nigeria
  • M.A. in ethics, peace and human rights, American University, Washington, D.C.

Research interests: bioethics, biotechnology and human enhancement, human rights

Timothy Alabi

Master's and Ph.D. student

  • B.Sc. in sociology and anthropology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
  • M.Sc. in sociology and anthropology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
  • Ph.D. in anthropology, Durham University

Research interests: Clinical ethics, health care practices, health care utilization, mental health and hospital ethnography

Lucinda Antonacci-Fulton

Ph.D. student 

  • B.S. and M.S., Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
  • MBA, Washington University in St. Louis

Research Interests: genomics research in the clinical setting

Annemarie Arnold

Graduate assistant and Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.A. in biology and philosophy, Boston College
  • M.A. in moral theology and ethics, Catholic University of America

Research interests: Catholic moral theology and bioethics, trust and the doctor-patient relationship

Allison Bajada

Graduate assistant and Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in philosophy, Villanova University
  • B.S. in psychology, Villanova University

Research interests: Catholic biomedical ethics, sexual and reproductive ethics, pediatric ethics, bioethics and the law

Andrew Baldassarre

Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and health care ethics)

  • B.S. in mechanical engineering and philosophy, Northeastern University
  • M.A. in philosophy, University of Houston

Research interests: Clinical ethics, gender theory, ethics of care

Michael Blake

Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.S. in Biology, Villanova University
  • M.A. in Theology, Villanova University 

Research interests: transhumanism and techo-optimism, emerging biotechnology, clinical ethics, Augustinianism, and Catholic moral theology

Sam Berendes

Graduate assistant and Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in philosophy and theology, Marian University (Indianapolis)

Research interests: clinical ethics, organ donation, ethics and genomics and reproductive ethics.

Amy Broadway

Graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. student

  • M.S. in occupational therapy, Washington University in St.
  • M.A. in philosophy, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Research interests: clinical ethics, end-of-life care, neuroethics, well-being, disability studies

Amanda Berg

Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.A. in classics (ancient Greek), University of Virginia
  • M.T.S., Loyola University Maryland

Research interests: ancient medicine and suffering

Andre Chavez

SLU Diversity Fellow, graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and bioethics)

  • B.A. in philosophy and medical humanities, Baylor University

Research interests: phenomenology of illness, virtue ethics, metaphysics of health and illness, clinical reasoning, models of clinical care, philosophical anthropology, embodiment, and pathocentric epistemic injustice

 Joel Cox

Graduate assistant and Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and bioethics)

  • B.A. in philosophy and history, Pepperdine University

Research interests: ethics of autonomy, emerging autonomy, analytic metaethics, abortion, clinical ethics, epistemology, divine command theory, platonic defenses of democracy in the republic

Allison Coffelt

Ph.D. Student 

  • B.A.s in political science and English, Truman University 
  • M.A. in English-creative nonfiction, University of Missouri
  • M.S. in narrative medicine, Columbia 

Research Interests: Narrative, narrative ethics, health humanities, medical humanities, critical theory, literature, documentary, film, pedagogy

Jacquelyn Cutts

Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in religious and theological studies and philosophy, Salve Regina University

Research interests: Catholic biomedical ethics, clinical ethics, disability and impairment, Thomistic theology, death and dying, organizational ethics

Douglas Davison

Graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in philosophy, Elmhurst University (minors in medical humanities and religion)
  • M.A. in bioethics, Wake Forest University

Research interests: reproductive ethics, end-of-life ethics, clinical ethics

Samuel Deters

Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in theology and philosophy, Quincy University
  • M.A. in theology, Aquinas Institute of Theology

Research interests: clinical ethics, end-of-life care, pain and suffering, virtue ethics, Catholic social teaching

Payton Dyksterhouse

Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in philosophy, Wake Forest University
  • M.A. in bioethics, Emory University

Research interests: Clinical ethics, pediatric ethics, end-of-life care, medical aid in dying, enhancement ethics

Andrea Eidsvik 

Ph.D. student

  • B.A., Quest University Canada
  • M.Sc. in medical humanities from King’s College from the University of London

Research interests: clinical ethics, metaethics, hermeneutics, phenomenology narratives medical law,  end of life

Peter Fonseca

Graduate teaching assistant, Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in philosophy, Cardinal Glennon College
  • M.A. in theology, Kenrick School of Theology
  • M.Div., Kenrick School of Theology
  • M.S. in bioethics, University of Mary

Research interests: Catholic moral tradition, catholic health care, natural law

Cynthia Gonzalez

SLU Diversity fellow and Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and bioethics)

  • B.A. in philosophy and literature, University of California, Santa Cruz

Research interests: Aristotle, virtue ethics, aesthetics, business ethics, clinical ethics, public philosophy

Julie Gunby

SLU Presidential Fellow, Graduate teaching assistant, and Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.S.N. in nursing, Emory University
  • B.A. in philosophy and German, University of Georgia
  • M.S.N. in nurse midwifery, Emory University
  • M.T.S. in theological studies, Duke Divinity School

Research Interests: Virtue ethics, virtue epistemology, phenomenology, clinical decision-making, perinatal care

Lexi Hucker

Graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in philosophy, Saint Louis University
  • B.A. in gender studies, Saint Louis University
  • J.D. with a concentration in health law, Saint Louis University

Research interests: Legal epidemiology, law and bioethics, addiction ethics 

Sarah Huntzinger

Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in sociology, University of Colorado
  • M.S. in bioethics, University of Mary

Research interests: Trauma-informed care (TIC) ethics, intentionality and embodied perception, language phenomena, scholastic metaphysics tradition, and beatitude in health care mission

Emma Jokisch

Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in bioethics and health studies, Saint Louis University

Research interests: Reproductive technology, biopower and biopolitics, sociology, disability studies, feminist bioethics, and incarceration

Carson "Hye" Kelly

Ph.D. student (Joint Philosophy and Bioethics)

  • B.A. in Philosophy, Agnes Scott College
  • M.A. in Philosophy and Social Policy, George Washington University

Research Interests: Clinical Ethics, Feminist Philosophy, Feminist Ethics, Bioethics, Reproductive Ethics, End of Life Ethics and Care, Healthcare Provider-Patient Relationship Ethics

Charles Love

Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.A. in biology, Westmont College
  • M.A. in Theology and Leadership, Gonzaga University

Research interests: Catholic healthcare ethics, medical technology, theology of medicine, the intersection of creation and medicine, Aquinian concepts of medicine and healthcare.

Alex McNamee

Graduate assistant and Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and bioethics)

  • B.A. in philosophy, Montana State University
  • B.A. in psychology, Montana State University

Research interests: Philosophy of medicine, metaethics, end-of-life care, health disparities

Ben Parviz

Graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and bioethics)

  • B.A. in theology, Concordia University Chicago
  • M.A. in theological studies, Saint Louis University
  • M.A. in philosophy, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Research interests: Hope and human flourishing

Ashley Richard

Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.A. in Spanish for international service, Catholic University of America
  • B.S. in biology, Catholic University of America
  • M.P.H. in global health, Saint Louis University

Research interests: Theological ethics, global and public health, research ethics, Catholic social teaching, medical education, clinical ethics, and Ignatian pedagogy

Dominic Robin

Ph.D. student (joint English and bioethics)

  • B.A in English, College of the Ozarks
  • M.A. in English, University of North Florida

Research interests: Medical humanities, medicine and literature, health humanities, disability studies, death and dying, literature and philosophy, 20th-century English literature, narrative ethics

Andrenique Rolle

Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.A. in theology, College of Saint Benedict
  • M.T.S. (systematic theology), Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary

Research interests: Bioethics, moral theology, clinical ethics, systematic theology, human dignity, health equity, liberation theology, solidarity, health care reform

Agnieszka Romanowska

Graduate assistant and Ph.D. student 

  • M.Jur. in faculty of law and administration, Jagiellonian University (Krakow, Poland)
  • M.S. in bioethics, University of Warsaw (Poland)

Research interests: Clinical ethics, ethics of consent, ethics of new technologies (ethics of the use of AI in medicine), organizational culture in the context of healthcare systems

Addie Rose

Ph.D. student 

  • B.S. in Studio Art (Ceramics), University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
  • MBA in Healthcare Management, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Research Interests: geriatric ethics; ethics of eating disorders

Michael Sauder

Ph.D. student

  • B.S. in  biochemistry, Messiah University
  • M.P.H. in biostatistics and epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University/Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  • M.A. in philosophy of medicine, King's College (London)

Research interests: Ethics, causation, placebo

Kathryn Sheldon

Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.A. in catholic studies, Seton Hall University
  • M.A. in theology, Seton Hall University

Research interests: Catholic health care, systematic theology, animal research ethics, mental health care ethics, and sexual and reproductive health ethics

J. Peter Swindemann

Graduate assistant and Ph.D. student (joint theology and health care ethics)

  • B.S. in mechanical engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
  • B.A. in theology, Marian University (Indianapolis)
  • M.A. in theology, Aquinas Institute of Theology

Research interests: Christian ethics, the common good, sexual and reproductive ethics, and Thomistic metaphysics.

Helen Webster

Graduate assistant and J.D./Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in biology with a minor in philosophy, Davidson College

Research interests: Intersection of law and bioethics, neuroethics, clinical ethics, data and genetic privacy

Mallory Wietrzykowski

Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and bioethics) 

  • B.A. in philosophy, Grand Valley State University
  • M.A. in philosophy, Kent State University

Research interests: Ethics, applied ethics, public health ethics, biomedical ethics, feminist philosophy, ethics of sport

Ashley Yukihiro

Graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. student

  • B.S. in human biology, Biola University
  • M.A. in philosophy, Talbot School of Theology/Biola University

Research interests: End-of-life care, geriatric care, death and dying, palliative care, patient autonomy, dignity, clinical ethics/decision making and disability studies

Alexander Zhang

Graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. student (joint philosophy and bioethics)

  • M.A. in philosophy, Arizona State University

Research Interests: virtue ethics, ethics of care, applied ethics, bioethics, public health ethics, political philosophy

Clayton Zimmerman

Ph.D. student

  •  B.A. in Sport Management, Minors in Bioethics and Philosophy, Belmont Abbey College
  • M.A. in Bioethics and Science Policy, Duke University

Research Interests: Clinical ethics, pediatric ethics, end-of-life care

Andrew Zsebedics

Ph.D. student

  • B.A. in philosophy, St. John Vianney College Seminary
  • M.A. in philosophy, Franciscan University

Research interests: Clinical ethics, organ donation, doctor-patient relationship, beginning and end-of-life issues