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Portrait of Dr. Christine Grady
Christine Grady, MSN, PhD

Chief, Bioethics
Head, Section on Human Subjects Research


Bioethics


BS, Georgetown University
MSN, Boston College
PhD, Georgetown University


Email: CGrady@cc.nih.gov
Phone:301-496-2429

Portrait of Dr. Christine Grady
Christine Grady, MSN, PhD

Chief, Bioethics
Head, Section on Human Subjects Research


Bioethics


BS, Georgetown University
MSN, Boston College
PhD, Georgetown University


Email: CGrady@cc.nih.gov
Phone:301-496-2429


Dr. Christine Grady's contributions are both conceptual and empirical and are primarily in the ethics of clinical research, including informed consent, vulnerability, study design, recruitment, and international research ethics, as well as ethical issues faced by nurses and other health care providers.


Dr. Grady is a nurse-bioethicist and a senior investigator who currently serves as the Chief of the Department of Bioethics.

Dr. Grady has published widely in the biomedical and bioethics literature and authored or edited several books, including The Oxford Textbook of Clinical Research Ethics.

She served from 2010-2017 as a Commissioner on the President's Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Her work is known internationally, and she has lectured widely on ethical issues in clinical research and clinical care, HIV disease, and nursing. She is an elected fellow of the Hastings Center and of the American Academy of Nursing, a senior research fellow at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and is the recipient of multiple awards.

She holds a BS in nursing and biology from Georgetown University, a MSN. in community health nursing from Boston College, and a PhD in philosophy from Georgetown University.

See her Intramural Research Program bio page.

Curriculum Vitae

Books

Ulrich C and Grady C (eds). Moral Distress in the Health Professions. Springer-Nature International, 2018

Danis M, Largent E, Wendler D, Hull S, Shah S, Millum J, Berkman B, Grady C (eds). Research Ethics Consultation: A Case Book. New York: Oxford University Press. 2012

Emanuel EJ, Crouch RA, Grady C, Lie R, Miller FG, Wendler D. (eds) The Oxford Textbook of Clinical Research Ethics New York: Oxford University Press. 2008

Lavery J, Grady C, Wahl E, Emanuel E. (eds) Ethical Issues in International Biomedical Research: A Casebook. New York: Oxford University Press. 2007

Emanuel E, Crouch R, Arras J, Moreno J, Grady C. (eds) Ethical and Regulatory Aspects of Clinical Research: Readings and Commentary. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 2003

Grady C. The Search for an AIDS Vaccine: Ethical Issues in the Development and Testing of a Preventive HIV Vaccine. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. 1995

Books and Book Chapters

Grady C. Writing a Consent Form, Chapter 35 in W.K. Kelly and S. Halabi. Oncology Clinical Trials: Successful Design, Conduct, and Analysis. NY: Demos Medical, 2010: 327-333.

Grady C. Clinical Trials in The Hastings Center Bioethics Briefing Book for Journalists, Policymakers, and Campaigns. NY: Hastings Center, 2008:11-14

Grady C and Levine R. Shared responsibility for treatment in the South African phase 1 HIV preventive vaccine trials. Chapter 13.2 in J. Lavery, C. Grady, E. Wahl, E. Emanuel Ethical Issues in International Biomedical Research: A Casebook. New York: Oxford University Press. 2007: 225-230.

Grady C. Ethics of vaccine research. Chapter 2 in A.S. Iltis (ed) Research Ethics, New York/London: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. 2006: 22-31.

Grady C. Ethical Issues in Critical Care, Chapter 7 in P Morton, D Fontaine, C Hudak, & B. Gallo (eds). Critical Care Nursing: A Holistic Approach, 8th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 2005; 9th edition, 2009

Grady C. Ethical Principles in Clinical Research. Chapter 2 in J. Gallin (ed) Principles and Practice of Clinical Research. New York: Academic Press; 2002: 15-26. Chapter 2 in J. Gallin and F. Ognibene 2nd Edition, 2007: 15-26.

Wiener L., Septimus A. and Grady C. Psychosocial support and ethical issues for the child and family. Chapter 40 in P. Pizzo and C. Wilfert (eds) Pediatric AIDS, 3rd Edition. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 1998: 703-727.

Grady C. Ethics, Genetics, and Nursing Practice. Chapter 9 in D. Lea, J. Jenkins, and C. Francomano (eds). Genetics in Clinical Practice. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers; 1998: 221-252.

Grady C. HIV Disease: Ethical Considerations for clinicians. Chapter 34 in V. DeVita, S. Hellman, S. Rosenberg, J. Curran, M. Essex, and A. Fauci (eds). AIDS: Etiology, Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment, 4th edition, Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Co.; 1997: 633-642.

Grady C. Ethical issues in critical care. Chapter 7 in C. Hudak, B. Gallo, and P. G. Morton (eds). Critical Care Nursing: A Holistic approach, 7th edition. Lippincott Raven Publishers; 1997: 71-81.

Journal Articles

Hendriks S, Hsu N, Beckel-Mitchener AC, Ngai J, Grady C.  Continuing trial responsibilities for implantable neural devices. Neuron. 2023 Aug 10:S0896-6273(23)00541-X. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.07.008. Online ahead of print.PMID: 37582365

Patch K, Huang C, Hendriks S, Wasserman D, Parrish M, Grady C. (2023) It's Pretty Sad If You Get Used to It”: A Qualitative Study of First Responder Experiences with Opioid Overdose Emergencies, Prehosp Emerg Care. 2023 Jul 18:1-8. doi: 10.1080/10903127.2023.2236200. Online ahead of print.PMID: 37436072

Ulrich CM, Deatrick JA, Wool J, Huang L, Berlinger N, Grady C. Ethical Challenges Experienced by Clinical Ethicists during COVID-19, AJOB Empirical Bioethics. 2023 Jan-Mar;14(1):1-14. doi: 10.1080/23294515.2022.2110965. Epub 2022 Aug 22.

Hendriks S. Ramos KM, Grady C. Survey of Investigators About Sharing Human Research Data in the Neurosciences. Neurology. 2022 Sep 20;99(12):e1314-e1325. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200886. Epub 2022 Aug 18.

Grady C, Shah S, Miller F, Danis M, Nicolini M, Ochoa J, Taylor H, Wendler D, Rid A. So Much at Stake: Ethical Tradeoffs in Accelerating SARS CoV-2 Vaccine Development. Vaccine 2020; 2020 Aug 11;S0264-410X(20)31048-3. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.08.017

Cho HL, Kim SY, Fitzhugh C, Hsieh M, Tisdale J, Grady C Motivations and decision-making of adult sickle cell patients in high-risk clinical research. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2020 Jun;26(6):1225-1232. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2020.03.014.

Hendriks S, Grady C, Ramos KM, Chiong W, Fins JJ, Ford P, Goering S, Greely HT, Hutchison K, Kelly ML, Kim SYH, Klein E, Lisanby SH, Mayberg H, Maslen H, Miller FG, Rommelfanger K, Sheth SA, Wexler A. Ethical challenges of risk, informed consent, and post-trial responsibilities in human research with neural devices: a review 2019 Oct 17;10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.3523. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.3523.

Ulrich, C M, Grady C. 2019. Moral Distress and Moral Strength Among Clinicians in Health Care Systems: A Call for Research. NAM Perspectives. Commentary, National Academy of Medicine. Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.31478/201909c

Greely H, Grady C, Ramos K, Chiong W, Eberwine J, Farahany N, Johnson S, Hyman B, Hyman S, Rommelfanger K, Serrano E.  Neuroethics Guiding Principles for the NIH BRAIN Initiative. Journal of Neuroscience, 2018 Dec 12;38(50):10586-10588

Grady C, Bedarida G, Sinaii N, Gregorio MA, Emanuel EJ. Motivations, enrollment decisions, and socio-demographic characteristics of healthy volunteers in phase 1 research. Clin Trials. 2017 Oct;14(5):526-536.

Grady C. Informed Consent. N Engl J Med. 2017 May 18;376(20):e43.

Grady C, Touloumi G, Walker AS, Smolskis M, Sharma S, Babiker AG, Pantazis N, Tavel J, Florence E, Sanchez A, Hudson F, Papadopoulos A, Emanuel E, Clewett M, Munroe D, Denning E; INSIGHT START Informed Consent Substudy Group. A randomized trial comparing concise and standard consent forms in the START trial. PLoS One. 2017 Apr 26; 12(4):e0172607.

Grady C, Cummings SR, Rowbotham MC, McConnell MV, Ashley EA, Kang G. Informed Consent. N Engl J Med. 2017 Mar 2; 376(9):856-867. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1603773

Campbell S, Ulrich C, Grady C. A Broader Understanding of Moral Distress Am J Bioeth. 2016 Dec;16(12):2-9.

Grady C. Cultivating Synergy in Nursing, Bioethics, and Policy. Hastings Cent Rep. 2016 Sep; 46 Suppl 1:S5-8. doi: 10.1002/hast.623

Abbott L, Grady C. A systematic review of the empirical literature evaluating IRBs: What we know and what we still need to learn; Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 2011, 6(1), 3-20

Smith W, Grady C, Krohmal B, Lazovski J, Wendler D. Empirical evaluation of the need for 'on-going consent' in clinical research. AIDS 2011, 25:107 –114

Grady C. Do IRBs Protect Human Research Participants? J Am Med Assoc 2010; 304(10):1122-1123.

Ulrich CM, Taylor C, Soeken K, O'Donnell P, Farrar A, Danis M, Grady C. Everyday ethics: ethical issues and stress in nursing practice. J Adv Nurs. 2010 Nov; 66(11):2510-19.

Stunkel L, Benson M, McLellan L, Sinaii N, Bedarida G, Emanuel E, Grady C. Comprehension and Informed Consent: Assessing the Effect of a Short Consent Form. IRB: Ethics &; Research, 2010, 32(4): 1-9

Henderson DK, Dembry L, Fishman NO, Grady C, Lundstrom T, Palmore TN, et al. SHEA guideline for management of healthcare workers who are infected with hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and/or human immunodeficiency virus. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2010 Mar.31(3):203-32

Ulrich C, Hamric A, Grady C. Moral Distress: a Growing Problem in the Health Care Professions? The Hastings Center Report 2010; 40(1): 20-22.

Beskow L, Grady C, Iltis A, Sadler J, Wilfond B. Points to Consider: The Research Ethics Consultation Service and the IRB, IRB: Ethics & Research 2009, 31(6): 1-9.

Grady C, Edgerly M. Science, Technology, and Innovation: Nursing Responsibilities in Clinical Research, Nursing Clinics of North America 2009; 44: 471–481

Shah S, Elmer S, Grady C. Planning for Post-trial Access to Antiretroviral Treatment for Research Participants in Developing Countries. American Journal of Public Health 2009; 99(9): 1-

Fojo T, Grady C. How Much Is Life Worth: Cetuximab, Non – Small Cell Lung Cancer, and the $440 Billion Question. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2009, 101 (15): 1-

Lazovski J, Losso M, Krohmal B, Emanuel EJ, Grady C, Wendler D Benefits and burdens of participation in a longitudinal clinical trial. Journal of Empirical Research in Human Research Ethics 2009 Sep;4(3):89-97.


  • Doctor of Public Service, University of Maryland Baltimore, 2022
  • 2022 Excellence in Practice award, Nursing Outlook, 2022
  • Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Award for Exemplary Public Service, Ignatian Volunteer Corps, 2022
  • Blessed are the Peacemakers Award, Catholic Theological Union, April 2021
  • Distinguished Child Advocate 2020.  The Children's Law Center, 2020
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, American Society for Bioethics and the Humanities 2019
  • Elected member of the National Academy of Medicine 2017
  • Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, Drexel University, Philadelphia PA, 2015
  • National Institutes of Health Director's Award – 1997,1999, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022
  • National Institutes of Health Director's Ruth Kirschstein Mentoring Award, 2011
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Director's Award, 2007, 2017, 2022
  • Elected Fellow (2002), to Fellows Council (2005), and Vice Chair of the Fellows Council (2006), Hastings Center
  • Elected Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, 1997

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This page last updated on 12/08/2023

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