Nancy S. Jecker, PhD is a Professor of Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Washington School of Medicine and serves as President of the International Association of Bioethics (2022-present). She holds Adjunct Professorships at the University of Washington School of Law, Department of Global Health, and Department of Philosophy. Dr. Jecker is a Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg African Centre for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science and Visiting Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Centre for Bioethics. She was awarded the PhD in Philosophy from the University of Washington, after first earning mast…
Nancy S. Jecker, PhD is a Professor of Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Washington School of Medicine and serves as President of the International Association of Bioethics (2022-present). She holds Adjunct Professorships at the University of Washington School of Law, Department of Global Health, and Department of Philosophy. Dr. Jecker is a Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg African Centre for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science and Visiting Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Centre for Bioethics. She was awarded the PhD in Philosophy from the University of Washington, after first earning masters' degrees in Philosophy from both Stanford University and the University of Washington, and a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Stanford University.
Dr. Jecker’s research focuses on global bioethics, individual and societal aging, justice, human dignity, medical futility, artificial intelligence, and sub-Saharan African philosophy. Dr. Jecker has published over 200 articles and 4 books. Her most recent book, Ending Midlife Bias: New Values for Old Age (Oxford University Press, 2020), coins the term 'midlife bias' to refer to the privileging of midlife values across the lifespan. Dr. Jecker's other books include Wrong Medicine: Doctors, Patients and Futile Treatment, 2nd Edition, with Lawrence Schneiderman (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011, Japanese translation by Keiso Shobo Publishing Company 2021, Chinese translation by Ho-Chi Book Publishing Company 2015); Bioethics: An Introduction to the History, Methods, and Practice, 3rd edition, with Albert Jonsen and Robert Pearlman (Jones and Bartlett, 2012); and Aging and Ethics: Philosophical Problems in Gerontology (Humana Press, 1991, distributed internationally by J. Wiley and Sons and by Chapman and Hall, E-Book by Springer Publishers).
Dr. Jecker was a Fulbright U.S. Scholar (selected 2021/2022); a two time recipient of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science International Fellow award (2021/2022 and 2018/2019); and a three time Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship awardee (2020,1989, 1987/1988). She was a Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore (2018); Scholar-in-residence at the Brocher Foundation (2017); Visiting Professor at The University of Bucharest Research Institute (2017); and keynote speaker at the Israeli Ministry of Health (2017).
Dr. Jecker was elected to the Board of Directors for the International Association of Bioethics (2019-present) and to the Board of Directors for the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (2016-2019).