As a clinical ethicist with a specialization in neuroethics, I provide ethics consultation, both in the inpatient and outpatient settings at the Cleveland Clinic.

The majority of my work is in conjunction with the Epilepsy Center and Center for Neurological Restoration, which is the group that provides deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson disease and other conditions. I’m embedded in both medical and neurosurgery teams to provide support in both some of the common, day-to-day, issues that come up in practicing neurology or neurosurgery, but also some surgery specific questions that come up when people are making difficult decisions about neurosurgery.

Publications (Select)

  1.  Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Deep Brain Stimulation Think Tank: Advances in Neurophysiology, Adaptive DBS, Virtual Reality, Neuroethics and Technology.
    Ramirez-Zamora A, Giordano J, Gunduz A, Alcantara J, Cagle JN, Cernera S, Difuntorum P, Eisinger RS, Gomez J, Long S, Parks B, Wong JK, Chiu S, Patel B, Grill WM, Walker HC, Little SJ, Gilron R, Tinkhauser G, Thevathasan W, Sinclair NC, Lozano AM, Foltynie T, Fasano A, Sheth SA, Scangos K, Sanger TD, Miller J, Brumback AC, Rajasethupathy P, McIntyre C, Schlachter L, Suthana N, Kubu C, Sankary LR, Herrera-Ferrá K, Goetz S, Cheeran B, Steinke GK, Hess C, Almeida L, Deeb W, Foote KD, Okun MS.Front Hum Neurosci. 2020 Mar 27;14:54. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00054. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32292333 Free PMC article.
     
  2. Deep Brain Stimulation at End of Life: Clinical and Ethical Considerations.
    Sankary LR, Ford PJ, Machado AG, Hoeksema LJ, Samala RV, Harris DJ.J Palliat Med. 2020 Apr;23(4):582-585. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2019.0129. Epub 2019 Aug 12.PMID: 31403368

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Investigator
Cleveland FES Center

Clinical Ethicist, Neurological Institute and Center for Bioethics
Cleveland Clinic

Associate Director, Neuroethics Program
Cleveland Clinic