Division of Ethics Undergraduate Fellows Contribute to Bioethics and Genomics Research

What inspired you to participate in the Laidlaw Fellowship?

The Laidlaw Fellowship offered a unique opportunity to collaborate with students from diverse academic backgrounds while pursuing independent research. I was especially interested in joining the Future of Bioethics because it examines how policy decisions influence clinical research and medical practice, ultimately affecting patient care. The experience also allowed me to connect with bioethics scholars, former government leaders, and medical trainees, strengthening both my interest in research and my aspirations to become a physician.

What research did you work on?

My research examined the impact of grant and award terminations on the National Science Foundation's ethical, legal, and social research portfolio following policy changes in early 2025.

Through a longitudinal analysis of funded and terminated NSF grants, I investigated which areas of bioethics research were most affected and how institutions and investigators responded. My findings suggested that research focused on ethics, governance, and social analysis has become increasingly vulnerable to disruption, while investments in artificial intelligence and technology-centered research have remained comparatively strong.

What was the most meaningful aspect of your experience?

Designing and carrying out an independent research project was especially rewarding. Contributing original findings that helped inform the broader Future of Bioethics initiative gave me confidence as a researcher, and collaborating with other members of the Laidlaw cohort continually inspired my own work.

How has this experience influenced your goals?

Before participating in the fellowship, I had not envisioned pursuing long-term independent research. This experience strengthened my confidence as a researcher, encouraged me to seek additional research opportunities across Columbia, and introduced me to the possibility of pursuing an MD/PhD in the future.

What inspired you to participate in the Laidlaw Fellowship?

I was drawn to the Laidlaw Fellowship because of its emphasis on research with real-world impact and its interdisciplinary community. As someone new to formal research, I appreciated the program's structured mentorship while still encouraging independence and intellectual curiosity. Working alongside students from different disciplines created valuable opportunities to learn from perspectives beyond my own.

What research did you work on?

I contributed to Dr. Lee's Pathways to Negotiating Genomics Research Partnerships project, which explores how genomics research partnerships can become more equitable across researchers, institutions, funders, and communities worldwide.

My work supported the development of a practical playbook designed to help stakeholders strengthen research partnerships. I reviewed existing guidance documents and playbooks to identify best practices that could be adapted to genomics research collaborations.

What was the most meaningful aspect of your experience?

The collaborative nature of the project stood out most. Working with researchers across institutions and disciplines demonstrated how different perspectives enrich the research process and produce stronger, more thoughtful outcomes.

How has this experience influenced your goals?

As someone planning to pursue medicine, the project expanded my understanding of healthcare beyond individual patient care. It highlighted the broader systems, partnerships, and ethical considerations that shape scientific discovery and global health, reinforcing my interest in combining clinical medicine with ethics and health equity.

What inspired you to participate in the Laidlaw Fellowship?

Applying to the Laidlaw Fellowship meant having the opportunity to learn directly from world-class faculty while becoming part of a community of driven, optimistic student leaders. Throughout my time at Columbia, I've found that while professors teach invaluable lessons, my peers often challenge my thinking in the most meaningful ways. I was excited to join a cohort of students committed to leadership, research, and making a positive impact.

What research did you work on?

I contributed to the Future of Bioethics, a multi-university initiative examining how recent federal policy changes are reshaping the U.S. bioethics ecosystem and identifying strategies to strengthen the field moving forward.

My research focused on International Comparators of Funding, exploring how bioethics research is supported outside the United States. I developed a methodology to assess publication output across several countries using the Scopus bibliographic database and analyzed funding organizations in China, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The goal was to better understand how different national funding models support bioethics scholarship and what lessons they might offer for strengthening research resilience in the United States.

What was the most meaningful aspect of your experience?

Watching Dr. Lee collaborate with principal investigators across multiple institutions was incredibly inspiring. It reinforced that meaningful leadership is collaborative and that impactful research comes from bringing together diverse perspectives to solve complex problems.

How has this experience influenced your goals?

This experience broadened my understanding of the many ways medicine, healthcare, and ethics intersect. It showed me that improving healthcare extends beyond clinical practice and includes asking how medicine can become more humane, equitable, and ethically grounded.