Hastings Center News
The Hastings Center Announces Inaugural SNF Global Bioethics Scholars
A physician who cares for patients, trains medical students, and conducts research in a city on the frontline in eastern Ukraine aims to strengthen bioethics infrastructure in her country and in conflict-affected regions globally.
A research psychologist in South Africa who was introduced to bioethics via research oversight, “a life changing career opportunity that I grabbed with both hands,” aspires to develop bioethics research and education across Africa.
These are two of the seven early-career bioethics researchers in low- and middle-income countries and territories selected for the inaugural cohort of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Bioethics Mentorship Program at The Hastings Center for Bioethics. This new pathway program pairs SNF Scholars with Hastings Center Fellows for work on projects to advance each scholar’s research and career goals. The program also includes peer learning and community-building activities for scholars and mentors.
The Hastings Center received 50 applications from 28 countries in response to the first application cycle, selecting the SNF Scholars through a rigorous review process conducted by the project’s staff team with support from a selection committee of Hastings Center Fellows.
Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky has long envisioned a global bioethics mentorship initiative that would link next-generation bioethics researchers in low- and middle-income countries with senior colleagues in other parts of the world. “Being a mentor is one of my most valued professional experiences. I’ve been honored to support — over the years — vital new bioethics initiatives, such as the Africa Bioethics Network.
“The SNF Scholars program will connect the next generation of bioethics with the resources of The Hastings Center and our elected Fellows. It will create new opportunities, enhance research, and deepen connections globally. We are thrilled to partner with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to realize this vision of global community, and excited to share the lessons we will learn with bioethics colleagues everywhere.”
Hastings Center research scholars Nancy Berlinger and Carolyn Neuhaus are staff liaisons to the SNF Scholars and mentors, bringing insights from other Hastings pathway programs, including the Sadler Scholars for advanced doctoral students and early-career researchers in the United States, and the Caribbean Bioethics Education Program for master’s-level bioethics students in the Caribbean region.
The SNF Global Bioethics Mentorship Program is made possible through the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
The inaugural cohort of SNF Scholars and mentors are:
Alex Hinga, a postdoctoral researcher at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kilifi, Kenya. His mentor is Seema Shah, a professor of pediatrics at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and an associate professor of law at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Vladyslava Katchkovska, an associate professor of internal and family medicine at Sumy State University Medical Institute in Sumy, Ukraine. Her mentor is Jonathan Moreno, the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Ethics Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania.
Janice Moodley-Marie, associate professor of psychology at the University of South Africa in Pretoria. Her mentor is Faith Fletcher, an associate professor in the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine.
Nchangwi Syntia Munung, a bioethics researcher at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Her mentor is Judy Iles, professor of neurology at the University of British Columbia.
Sylvia Nabukenya, a research scientist and bioethicist at the Makerere AI Health Lab at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Her mentor is Bryn Williams-Jones, a professor of bioethics at the University of Montreal.
Yolandie Ralfe, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Africa Health Research Institute/Global Health Bioethics Network in KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. Her mentor is Connie Ulrich, a professor of bioethics and of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania.
Neha Mohan Rao, an associate consultant in pediatric pulmonology at Manipal Hospitals in Bangalore, India. Her mentor is Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, Cullen Professor of Medical Ethics at the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine.
