April 11, 2023
Washington, D.C. — The O’Neill Institute is pleased to announce that Michele Bratcher Goodwin will be joining next year as co-faculty director. Trained in anthropology, sociology, and law, she has conducted field research in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America, and is credited with helping to shape health law and biotechnology law as fields of discourse. Her scholarship has forged new ways of thinking in organ transplant policy; assisted reproductive technologies; reproductive health, rights and justice; and civil liberties. An award-winning author, global thought leader, and podcast host, Goodwin’s research and analysis appear across these national and international platforms in the forms of commentary, interviews, and opinion editorials.
“I am convinced that Michele will be a huge asset to the school and the Institute, taking us all to new levels of excellence. This is not just because she is brilliant, engaged, and socially active — all of which is true — but also because she embodies Georgetown’s spirit of ‘servant leadership,’ centering the communities we are striving to serve through our work,” said Lawrence Gostin, faculty director of the O’Neill Institute. “I am ecstatic that she will be joining us and look forward to learning from her leadership.”
Goodwin is a Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, Irvine and founding director of the Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy. She is currently the Abraham Pinanski Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School. In fall 2022, she joined Georgetown University Law Center as a visiting professor. As a leading scholar in reproductive rights and racial justice, she has previously engaged with the O’Neill Institute on panel discussions on the global and domestic implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision.
“I am thrilled to join Professor Gostin at the helm of the O’Neill Institute. In these times, the urgency of addressing underlying institutional and infrastructural inequalities throughout the world and in the United States could not be more pronounced or more urgent,” said Michele Goodwin. “I have long been impressed with the leadership and expertise at the heart of the O’Neill Institute and am proud to join its outstanding global community.”
Goodwin will serve as co-faculty director, alongside Lawrence Gostin. In her position, she will help oversee the O’Neill Institute’s eight initiatives and over 100 experts to advance the institute’s mission in addressing the world’s most pressing health issues. She will play a crucial role in advancing our world-class scholarship, enhancing our on-the-ground policy experience, and deepening our capacity-building efforts.
“As the O’Neill Institute continues to grow, so does our impact around the world. Our work is continually expanding to meet the needs and challenges of the evolving health landscape, and I am thrilled that Michele is joining us during this transformative period,” shared Katie Gottschalk, executive director of the O’Neill Institute. “Her expansive research and policy experience, brilliant thought leadership, and commitment to advancing equity are just a few of the things that make her the perfect person to lead the institute and this field as we continue to tackle critical health issues domestically and globally.”