People at the Centre
Anita Ho, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biomedical Ethics
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Ho is Associate Professor at the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics, specializing in bioethics and research ethics. Prior to joining the Centre in 2008, she was an Associate Professor in Philosophy and Co-Coordinator for the Center for Women, Economic Justice, and Public Policy at St. Catherine University in Minnesota, and Assistant Professor in Philosophy at UBC.
Ho graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in philosophy and a Bachelor of Commerce in marketing. In 1995, she received her Master of Arts in philosophy from Dalhousie University. In 2000 and 2001, she received her Master of Music in piano performance and Ph.D. in philosophy respectively from the University of Alberta.
Specialization & Professional Interests
Anita Ho’s main research areas include ethics, bioethics, public health ethics, business ethics, social/political philosophy, and disability studies. She is particularly interested in various concepts of trust and autonomy, health-care access and disparity, physician-patient relationship, minority care experience, decision-making models, cross-cultural ethics, and human rights issues. She co-edited a special issue of Teaching Philosophy with Professor Anita Silvers (San Francisco State University) on disability and philosophy, and is currently working on a manuscript on trust and autonomy in medical decision making (funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council). She has also been working with the American Refugee Committee and Dr. Carol Pavlish (UCLA) on an interdisciplinary and collaborative project on human rights and gender-based violence in Rwanda and South Sudan. In addition to her teaching and research duties, Anita Ho has also served as an ethicist for various committees. In addition to her position at the Centre, she is currently the Director of Ethics Services for Providence Health Care and associate chair/ethicist for the UBC Behavioral Research Ethics Board. She was also a visiting scholar at The Hastings Center in Summer 2006, and a visiting senior research fellow at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics at the National University of Singapore in Summer 2009.
Teaching
INDS 502K (001)/MEDG 535 (001): Genetics and Ethics, Winter 2012
Mondays 2:00-5:00 PM
This course covers ethical and social issues relating to research and clinical practice in medical genetics and genomics. It is primarily directed to graduate students in Genetics, Medical Genetics and Genetic Counselling; residents and clinical fellows in medical genetics; as well as interested students in the ISGP Program. Students in social and natural sciences, humanities, and professional programs may participate if numbers allow. A case-based approach helps students develop basic skills in practical moral reasoning and bioethics. Readings and discussions situate questions of practice within broader social and political debates.The course is open to graduate students from all faculties, and is cross listed as a Medical Genetics and an Interdisciplinary Studies course. Undergraduates may inquire into taking the course, but should be honours students or well advanced in a related field.
INDS 530A (007): Directed Study – Bioethics Practicum, Winter 2011
(Schedule individualized)
Course Description: This practicum course provides real-life opportunities for students to develop their abilities to identify and analyze ethical issues arising in clinical, organizational, and/or research settings. It promotes students’ abilities to use reasonable clinical judgment, to communicate effectively, to negotiate and resolve conflict, and to act as a resource for healthcare professionals who are faced with the daily challenges of delivering ethical care. This course is primarily directed to graduate students and medical students/residents/fellows who are interested in clinical ethics.
