Maureen Pontarelli, DBe
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Pain Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Critical Care Medicine, UT MD Anderson, Houston, Texas
Instructor, Critical Care Medicine, UT MD Anderson, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2024 | Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, US, Doctor of Bioethics |
| 2021 | Georgetown University, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, US, Master of Arts in Catholic Clinical Ethics |
| 2020 | Providence College, Providence, RI, US, Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, Minor in Theology |
Postgraduate Training
| 2024-2025 | Post-Doctoral Clinical Ethics Fellowship, UT MD Anderson, Houston, Texas |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2025 | Healthcare Ethics Consultant Certification (HEC-C) |
Experience & Service
Other Professional Positions
Ethics Intern, CommonSpirit Health, 2022 - 2023
Senior Scientist, GlaxoSmithKline, Cambridge, MA, 2020 - 2024
Honors & Awards
| 2023 - 2021 | GSK Global Recognition Bronze Award |
| 2021 | GIaxoSmithKline Innovation, Performance, and Trust Award |
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2026. Family Team Meeting and Supporting the Family Caregiver. Invited. APPs C.A.R.E. Series. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2026. An Uh Attitude toward AI and Healthcare. Conference. 4th Annual Paul M. Schyve Center for Bioethics Conference, “AI in Healthcare: Minds, Morals, and Machines.”. Rochester, New York, US.
- 2026. Qualitative Evaluation of the Improving Goal Concordant Care Collaboration. Poster. ALIGN 2026: Advancing Learning and Innovation in Goal Concordant Care. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2026. A Doctor Remembers a Patient: Confidentiality, Duty to Warn, and a Right Not to Know. Conference. 9th Annual Hereditary Cancer Symposium. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2026. Ethical Dilemmas and Trauma Informed Communication. Invited. Clinical Ethics Grand Rounds | Difficult Case Review. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Ethical Issues in Emergency Medicine. Invited. Department of Emergency Medicine Lecture Series.
National Presentations
- 2024. Reducing Moral Distress in Ulysses Contracts: Towards the Implementation of a Shared-Decision Making Model. Invited. Loyola Bioethics Live!. Chicago, IL, US.
- 2021. Genetics and Genetic Testing in Minors. Invited. Boston, MA, US.
- 2021. Gender Dysphoria, Reassignment Treatments, and Catholic Health Care. Invited. Boston, MA, US.
- 2020. Role of Scientists in Society. Invited. Boston, MA, US.
- 2019. Autocatalytic, Acid-Amplified Degradable Polymers. Invited. Providence, RI, US.
- 2019. Towards the Development of a Low-Cost and Easily-Deployable Sensing Platforms for Phosphate and Nitrate. Poster. Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows Conference.
- 2018. Double Aromaticity Based on Structural, Energetic, and Magnetic Criteria in Bench-Stable Compounds. Invited. Providence, RI, US.
Formal Peers
- 2026. Ethics of Third-Party Involvement and Surrogate Decision-Making. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Reproductive Ethics. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2025. Ethics in Critical Care Medicine. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Medical Futility at the Beginning of Life. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Religion and Bioethics. Houston, Texas, US.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Pontarelli M, Doherty I, Vincent H, Enck G, Nortje N. When Emotions Run High: Navigating a Complex Scenario. Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Nortje M, Pontarelli M, Doherty I, Nortje N. The Influence of Trauma on End-of-Life Decision-Making. Canadian Journal of Bioethics, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Grado VE, Pontarelli M, Doherty I, Nortje N. When a Surrogate Knows What to Do, but Can't Do It. Canadian Journal of Bioethics, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Ravi N, Pontarelli M, Baldassarre A, Gezu Y, Nortje M, Truong G, Hoffmann WA, Nortje N. Patterns of Unprofessional Conduct by Medical Practitioners in South Africa (2014-2023). South African Journal of Bioethics and Law, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Pontarelli M, Enck G. Athena contracts: A practical patient care tool. Journal of Hospital Ethics. e-Pub 2026.
- Gezu Y, Pontarelli M, Nortje M, Ravi N, Truong G, Baldassarre A, Nortje N, Hoffmann WA. Ethical Misconduct of HPCSA-Registered Occupational Therapists in South Africa (2014– 2023): A Follow-Up Study. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Nortje M, Gezu Y, Ravi N, Pontarelli M, Truong G, Baldassarre A, Hoffmann WA, Nortje N. Ethical transgressions by registered psychologists in South Africa during the period 2014–2023. South African Journal of Psychology, 2026. e-Pub 2026.
- Pontarelli M, Gezu Y, Nortje M, Truong G, Ravi N, Baldassarre A, Hoffmann WA, Nortje N. Ethical Transgressions Amongst Healthcare Professionals in South Africa from 2014 to 2023. Health SA Gesondheid, 2025. e-Pub 2025.
- Baldassarre A, Pontarelli M, Wilkenson J, Gezu Y, Nortje M, Truong G, Ravi N, Nortje N, Hoffmann WA. Trends in ethical transgressions amongst South African dietetic practitioners. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2025. e-Pub 2025.
- Pontarelli M. A Catholic Defense of the Inclusion of Pregnant Women with Chronic Illness in Clinical Trials. The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly(24):617-628, 2024. e-Pub 2024.
- Nortje M, Pontarelli M, Doherty I, Nortje N. Dual-Role Conflict: Healthcare Provider or Medical Power of Attorney. Canadian Journal of Bioethics.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified September 09, 2026