Engineering Life: Synbio, Bioethics & Public Policy

Debra JH Mathews, PhD, MA, is the Assistant Director for Science Programs at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She also holds affiliate faculty status at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine. With a PhD in genetics and a master’s in bioethics from Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Mathews completed a postdoctoral fellowship in genetics at Johns Hopkins and the Greenwall Fellowship in Bioethics and Health Policy. Her work spans the intersection of science, ethics, and public policy, focusing on emerging technologies such as genetics, stem cell science, and synthetic biology. She oversees key programs in ethics and policy related to biomedical research, including the Stem Cell Policy and Ethics program, and has contributed to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Dr. Mathews also serves on the steering committee of the international Hinxton Group, exploring global ethics and policy challenges in stem cell science.