Faculty Profile
Stephanie Malia Fullerton, Ph.D.
Dr. Fullerton is Assistant Professor of Bioethics & Humanities in the School of Medicine.
Dr. Fullerton's research program focuses on the ethical and social implications of genetic epidemiological and genomic research, especially at it involves the investigation of traits and diseases disproportionately affecting US-based ethnic minority populations. Her work explores scientists’ understandings of human genetic variation and its relation to disease risk, the use of racial and ethnic constructs in the conduct and interpretation of genetic research, and the responsible incorporation of genomic methodologies into broader programs of health disparities research. She also conducts research exploring research participant perspectives on data-sharing, research use, and result return in the context of genome-wide association studies. She holds an adjunct position in the Department of Genome Sciences, is a co-investigator of the UW Center for Genomics and Healthcare Equality, and serves as a member of the Regulatory Support and Bioethics Core of the UW Institute of Translational Health Sciences.
As a core faculty member of the Public Health Genetics program, Dr. Fullerton advises MPH and PhD students, serves as Faculty Coordinator of the PHG Journal Club, and co-directs the PHG Interactive Seminar Series (PHG 580) with Dr. Melissa Austin. She also teaches PHG551/MHE551, Human Genomics: Science, Ethics, and Society, in the fall quarter.
Dr. Fullerton obtained her D.Phil. in Human Population Genetics from the University of Oxford and later re-trained in Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications research with a fellowship from the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute. Previous appointments include the University of Durham, UK (Anthropology), Penn State University (Anthropology, Biology, and the Rock Ethics Institute), and the University of Chicago (Human Genetics). Her genetic research focused on characterization of the genetic architecture of candidate loci involved in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
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