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Debra DeBruin joined the Center for Bioethics and the Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, as Assistant Professor in December 2000. She is also the Director of Graduate Studies in the Center for Bioethics. She received her BA from Carleton College magna cum laude with distinction in philosophy, and her PhD in philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh. She recently completed a Greenwall Postdoctoral Fellowship in Bioethics and Health Policy at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and Georgetown University.
In addition to teaching philosophy and bioethics, Dr. DeBruin has served as a health policy fellow for Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) in the Democratic office of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee of the United States Senate. Her responsibilities there encompassed diverse concerns, including Medicare reform and other health-related policy initiatives for senior citizens, pain management and end-of-life care, physician-assisted dying, and mental health and substance abuse issues. She has also worked as a consultant to the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine and the National Bioethics Advisory Commission on issues relating to the ethics of research. She was Project Director for the Robert H. Levi Leadership Symposium on the ethics of Medicare reform, a forum designed to bring together eminent scholars with influential policy makers for extended discussion of fundamental moral issues concerning Medicare reform. Her areas of interest include the ethics of research involving human participants and public health policy.
Book Chapters
Carse A, DeBruin, D. Transforming Resistance: Shifting the Burden of Proof in the Feminist Classroom. In Superson A, Cudd A (eds.) Theorizing Backlash: Philosophical Reflections of the Resistance to Feminism. Landham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2002.
DeBruin D. Identifying Sexual Harassment: The Reasonable Woman Standard. In French S, Teays W, Purdy L (eds.) Violence Against Women: Philosophical Perspectives. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1998.
DeBruin D. Justice and the Inclusion of Women in Clinical Studies: A Conceptual Framework. In Mastroianni A, Faden R, Federman D (eds.) Women and Health Research: Ethical and Legal Issues of Including Women in Clinical Studies. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1994.
Articles
DeVries R, DeBruin D, Goodgame A. Ethics Review of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research: Where Should We Go From Here? Ethics & Behavior 2004;14(4):351-368.
DeBruin D. Looking Beyond the Limitations of Vulnerability: Reforming Safeguards in Research. American Journal of Bioethics 2004;4(3):76¿78.
Liaschenko J, DeBruin D. The Role of Nurses in Ensuring the Responsible conduct of Clinical Trials. Minnesota Medicine 2003;86(10):35-36.
DeBruin D. Justice and the Inclusion of Women in Clinical Studies: An Argument for Further Reform. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 1994;4(2):117-146