Meet a few of our alumni!

Some of our 2025-26 graduates celebrating at commencement. Congratulations to all graduates on this incredible achievement!

Naomi Marshall

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford Centre for Human Genetics

Naomi Marshall is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Human Genetics. She is part of the interdisciplinary Clinical Ethics, Law, and Society (CELS) research group. During her MA in bioethics, Naomi began developing her research interests in how genetic conditions are perceived by society and experienced by individuals. This led to her doctoral work in anthropology at the University of Oxford, which she completed in 2024.

Cynthia Morrow

Instructor and Research Consultant, Michigan State University

Cynthia Morrow teaches public health, data management, and research methods at Michigan State University, and works as a medical writer and research consultant in life sciences. Course curricula includes content related to ethical principles in public health practice and data equity. Her bioethics training continues to inform her approach to study design and synthesizing research findings in life sciences.

Benjamin Stoff

Professor and Chair of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine

Benjamin Stoff, MD, MAB is Professor and Chair of Dermatology at Emory University School of Medicine, where he practices general dermatology, with a subspecialty focus on melanoma, and dermatopathology. Dr. Stoff earned a Master of Arts in Bioethics from the Emory Center for Ethics, where he holds an appointment as Faculty Fellow. He is co-editor of the textbook Dermatoethics, 2nd Edition and former co-director the ethics track for residents and fellows through the Emory Office of Graduate Medical Education, Editor-in-Chief of Dialogues in Dermatology (the official podcast of the American Academy of Dermatology [AAD]), Chair of the Professional and Ethics Committee of AAD, and Chair of the Ethics Committee of the American Society of Dermatopathology. He has authored over 130 peer reviewed articles and several book chapters.

Melissa Bryan

Clinical Ethicist, Northside Hospital

Melissa Bryan is a Clinical Ethicist at Northside Hospital. Prior to transitioning into clinical ethics, she spent 18 years working as a nurse in clinical practice. She credits Emory’s MA in Bioethics program with playing an instrumental role in preparing her for her current position, not only through its rigorous academic curriculum but also through opportunities to engage directly with practicing clinical ethicists working within healthcare systems. Melissa notes that the program remained highly supportive both during her studies and after graduation, offering continued guidance and professional connections that proved invaluable to her career development. These experiences helped her build both the theoretical foundation and practical insight necessary to navigate complex ethical issues in patient care and positioned her to contribute meaningfully in her role at Northside Hospital.

Tara Finnegan

Manager of Clinical Ethics, Ascension Illinois

Tara Finnegan is the Manager of Clinical Ethics at Ascension Illinois, where she serves as a member of the Ascension Institutional Review Board and provides ethics consultations for five hospitals and over 80 outpatient sites of care spanning the Chicagoland area. She credits the MA in Bioethics program with giving her the essential skills of critically analyzing bioethical issues, holistically assessing arguments, and effectively communicating ethically supportable recommendations, along with giving her key clinical experiences during her practicum at Grady Memorial Hospital. The MAB program demonstrated how the ethicist functions as a member of an interdisciplinary team and furthered Tara's draw to directly participating in the care of patients and their families.

Natalie Tidwell

Clinical Ethics Fellow, Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Natalie Tidwell will begin a two-year Clinical Ethics Fellowship with Weill Cornell Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, New York, in July 2026. The fellowship is part of the New York-Houston Medical Ethics Consortium, a collaborative program that brings together Weill Cornell Medical College, the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine. In this role, she will participate in ethics consultation services and ethics committee meetings, conduct bioethics research, and contribute to teaching within the medical college.

Kevin Wack

Senior Clinical Ethicist, Emory Healthcare

Kevin Wack is a senior clinical ethicist for Emory Healthcare where he seeks to help the system navigate the inherently value-laden dimensions of healthcare delivery. This includes facilitating individual bedside consultations, providing education throughout the system, and coordinating systemwide quality improvement initiatives to ensure the delivery of high-quality, ethical care. Kevin is a certified healthcare ethics consultant and licensed attorney with a background in law, bioethics, theology, and philosophy. He credits the MA in Bioethics program with helping him build a solid foundation of clinical ethics knowledge alongside practical experiences, forming a great launching point for law school and eventually practice as a clinical ethicist.

Diana Cagliero

Chief Medical Resident, Mount Sinai Hospital Toronto

Diana Cagliero completed both her BS in Anthropology and Human Biology and her MA in Bioethics at Emory in 2019. She completed medical school at the University of Toronto in 2023. She has since completed internal medicine residency at the University of Toronto and is currently working as Chief Medical Resident at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada.

Keenan Wills Davis

Resident Physician in Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine

Keenan Wills Davis, MD, PhD, MA is currently a resident physician in Neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, a bioethicist affiliated with Emory’s Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, and a scholar of neuroethics whose work sits at the intersection of cognitive science, anthropology, and philosophy. He completed the MA in Bioethics at Emory’s Center for Ethics in 2015. He subsequently earned both his PhD (2023) from Emory’s Graduate Division of Religion and his MD (2026) from Emory’s School of Medicine. His doctoral dissertation was an ethnographic investigation of patients’ experiences of recovery undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for treatment-resistant depression. His scholarship explores the ethical and existential dimensions of emerging neurotechnologies and psychedelic therapies, with particular attention to questions of autonomy, identity, and moral formation. In addition to his clinical and research work, he has also contributed to medical education innovation and curriculum reform at Emory School of Medicine.

Jessica Fahim

Medical Student, UMass Chan Medical School

Jessica Fahim is a first-year medical student at UMass Chan Medical School and a member of the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) track. Her work centers on integrating medical ethics into her clinical training while critically examining how physicians are taught to practice medicine and engage with patients and communities. Drawing on her background in bioethics research, she is particularly interested in healthcare equity, structural injustice, and the social dimensions of medicine. She credits the MA in Bioethics program at Emory University with strengthening her ability to think critically about medicine, ethics, and systems of care in ways that continue to shape her medical education.

Bryan Medilien

Resident Physician, Mercer University School of Medicine

Bryan Medilien just graduated from Emory Medical school and will be starting residency at Mercer. The bioethics masters has allowed Bryan to initiate and engage in very difficult conversations with patients and their families about goals and outcomes of care. Bryan has started a non-profit called the Bright Haitian Food Fund to raise money for providing food and a safe space every Saturday for numerous kids in Haiti.

Sarah Touponse

Resident Physician in Psychiatry, University of California-San Diego

Sarah Touponse completed her Master's in Bioethics in the summer of 2020. With an interest in exploring healthcare disparities and the practical applications of bioethics in medical care, she explored human dignity and the impact of dehumanizing attitudes and behaviors on people experiencing homelessness in her practicum and thesis work with Mercy Care Atlanta. Sarah has since earned her medical degree at the Emory University School of Medicine and is currently a resident psychiatrist in California. She is passionate about continuing to serve and advocate for individuals who feel unseen or unheard in medicine throughout her career as a physician and bioethicist, and she plans to pursue a fellowship geriatric psychiatry.

Sierra Weiss

Director of Inclusion and JCC Maccabi Access, JCC Association of North America

Sierra Weiss is the Director of Inclusion and JCC Maccabi Access at JCC Association of North America, where she leads initiatives that foster belonging, accessibility, and meaningful participation across the JCC Movement. Her work focuses on building more inclusive Jewish communal spaces and developing programs that strengthen community engagement for people of all backgrounds and abilities. Weiss earned both her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on disability studies and bioethics and her master’s degree in bioethics from Emory University. The MA in Bioethics program helped prepare her for her current role by deepening her understanding of ethics, equity, and interdisciplinary approaches to inclusion and advocacy.

Maria Davilla

Director of Research Integrity and Deputy Research Integrity Officer, Emory University

Maria Davila is the Director of Research Integrity and Deputy Research Integrity Officer at Emory University. Previously, she served as the Associate Director for the Emory Institutional Review Board. In her current role, Maria manages the team responsible for reviewing research misconduct allegations, ensuring compliance with the responsible conduct of research training, and conducting research compliance audits and investigations. Working in research compliance demands a deep knowledge of regulations; adding a training in bioethics has added a critical ethical view and capacity for analysis that helps her approach complex cases with fairness, integrity, and thoughtful judgment. Bioethics has been especially important in helping her distinguish between error, poor practice, and true misconduct while remaining attentive to due process, confidentiality, and the broader impact on public trust in research. This perspective has allowed her to contribute not only to regulatory compliance, but also to the ethical culture that underpins responsible research. She believes that her bioethics training has helped her strengthen her ability to work in these complex matters.

Rebeccah Wood

Director of the Animal Physiology Core, Emory University

Rebeccah is a Fall 2022 graduate of the MA in Bioethics program. During her time as an MA student, she had interest in international views of animal ethics as well as the importance of transparency for public support of animal research, and her capstone project summarized potential ethical concerns surrounding the longevity of the community member of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs). She hopes to utilize her training in bioethics to make positive changes in public perception of animal biomedical research. Rebeccah is the Director of the Animal Physiology Core at Emory, where she specializes in the creation of animal surgical models and the development and implementation of procedures that enhance the ethical and humane care of research animals.

Emory Moral Moment is the official alumni newsletter of Emory's MA in Bioethics program. The newsletter highlights events, alumni accomplishments, and program updates. We encourage you to explore our latest edition.

Issue 1 - Emory Moral Moment (November 2025)

Dr. Gerard Vong with Caroline Hansen, a Bioethics 4+1 student, at commencement celebrations.

Melissa Bryan, MA in Bioethics graduate, and Tariq Kinza, dual-degree MPH/MA in Bioethics graduate, celebrating at commencement.

Shania Iraldo-Jackson, an MA in Bioethics graduate, receiving her diploma at commencement.

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