Amitabha Palmer
Department of Critical Care Medicine, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Pain Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Clinical Ethicist, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Ethics, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Pain Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2020 | Bowling Green State University, US, Ph.D. in Applied Philosophy |
| 2016 | Bowling Green State University, US, M.A. in Applied Philosophy |
| 2012 | University of Houston, US, M.A. in Philosophy |
| 1999 | University of British Columbia, CA, B.A. in International Relations and Philosophy |
Postgraduate Training
| 2019-2019 | Internship, Ethics and Policy, American Nursing Association Center for Ethics and Human Rights |
| null-2021 | Postgraduate Training, Introduction to Social Network Analysis, UC Davis (online), Davis, CA |
| null-2022 | Postgraduate Training, Trainee Leadership Certificate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| null-2022 | Postgraduate Training, Research Foundations Certificate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| null-2022 | Postgraduate Training, Human Subjects Protection Training Certificate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| null-2022 | Postgraduate Training, Essentials of Quality of Improvement Certificate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| null-2022 | Postgraduate Training, Serious Illness Conversation Certificate, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| null-2023 | Postgraduate Training, Conflict Resolution and Clinical Setting Mediation for Healthcare, Center for Conflict Resolution in Healthcare, Nashville, TN |
| null-2016 | Internship, Clinical Ethics, Center for Biomedical Ethics at MetroHealth Medical Center |
| null-2021 | Postgraduate Fellowship, Clinical Ethics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
Board Certifications
| null | Healthcare Ethics Consultant Certification (HEC-C) |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Instructor, Department of Philosophy, Ohio Northern University, 2020 - 2021
Research Assistantship, Department of Philosophy, Bowling Green State University, 2019 - 2020
Instructor, Department of Philosophy, Bowling Green State University, 2016 - 2020
Instructor, Department of Philosophy, University of Las Vegas Nevada, 2013 - 2016
Instructor, Department of Liberal Arts, Phoenix College, Maricopa Community Colleges
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Director of Clinical Ethics Internship Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2023 - Present
Clinical Ethics Consultation Committee Member, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2021 - Present
Administrative Assistant/Student Outreach, Department of Philosophy, Politics, Economics, & Law Undergraduate Program, Bowling Green State University, 2019 - 2020
Co-Founder and Vice President, Department of Philosophy, Bowling Green State University, 2019 - 2020
Events Coordinator, Department of Philosophy, Bowling Green State University, 2018 - 2020
Honors & Awards
| Teaching Excellence Award for Teaching Assistants, Bowling Green State University Philosophy Department | |
| Teaching Excellence Award for Independent Teaching, Bowling Green State University Philosophy Department | |
| Awesome Job, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | |
| Best Poster Education and Research Day, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center | |
| Samantha Adams Award for Best Research Paper, American Medical Informatics Association |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Palmer A, Schwan D. The Promise and Peril of Digital Mental Health Tools and AI Therapy Chatbots. Hastings Cent Rep None(None):None. e-Pub 2025. PMID: None.
- Palmer Amitabha, Gorman, Sara. Misinformation, Trust, and Health. Soc. Sci. Med None(None):None. e-Pub 2025. PMID: None.
- Palmer A. Addressing the ethical challenges to informed consent for brain tissue donation. Medicina y Etica 35(3):None, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Palmer A, Gallagher, C. Difficult discharge in the context of suspected malingering: Reflections on the value of epistemic and professional independence in clinical ethics. Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics None(None):None, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Long B, Palmer A. AI and access to justice: How AI legal advisors can reduce economic and shame-based barriers to justice. Journal of Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice. Journal of Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice 33(1):21-7, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Palmer A. How to get angry…properly: Creating online deliberative systems that harness political anger's power and mitigate its costs. Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. Politics, Philosophy, and Economics None(None):None, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Dezort, S, Palmer, A, Nortje, N. “We Don't Want to Talk About It”. Canadian Journal of Bioethics 7(2-3):192-194, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Hawkins, HG, Nortje, N, Palmer, A. Culturally Informed Care. Canadian Journal of Bioethics 7(2-3):189-191, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Nortje, N, Palmer, A. Evolving Landscape of Ethics in Oncology: A Journey Through the Past, Present, and Future. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book None(None):None, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Palmer A, Gallagher C. Clinicians’ Experiences with Patients with Cancer or Their Families who Endorse Medical Misinformation. Journal of Clinical Oncology 41(16):1104-11042, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: None.
- Palmer A, Schwan D. More Process, Less Principles: A Model for the Ethical Deployment of AI and Robotics in Medicine. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 33(1):121-134, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: None.
- Palmer, A. Love without Food: Supporting Families’ End-of-Life Care Decisions for Critically Ill Late-Stage Cancer Patients. Canadian Journal of Bioethics 6(1):81-83, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: None.
- Quinn, A, Palmer, A, Nortje, N. Decision-making at Life’s End. Canadian Journal of Bioethics 6(3-4):134-136, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: None.
- Palmer A. The ethical use of AI in nursing practice. Position Statement American Nurses Association. Position Statement American Nurses Association None(None):None, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: None.
- Palmer A. Beneficent dehumanization: Employing artificial intelligence and carebots to mitigate shame‐induced barriers to medical care. Bioethics, 36(2). None 36(2):None, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: None.
- Stokes, F, Palmer, A. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Nursing. Nursing Philosophy 21(4):PMID: 32609420, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32609420.
Abstracts
- Ho A, Break J, Palmer A, Binkley C.E.. A Holistic, Multi-Level, and Integrative Ethical Approach to Developing Machine Learning-Driven Decision Aids. American Journal of Bioethics 24(9):110-113, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Palmer A, Lopez, Gabriel, Taylor, Jolyn Sharpe, Gallagher, C. Addressing misinformation about cancer care in the clinical setting: A pilot study of a conversation guide and training for cancer care providers. J Clin Oncol None(None):None, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: None.
- Palmer A. Helping clinicians develop skills to address patients who endorse medical misinformation about their cancer care. Journal of Hospital Ethics None(None):None, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: None.
Book Chapters
- Palmer A. Epictetus in the gym: The Stoics on Physical Health. In: Stoicism today: Selected writings. None. Independent, 209-218, 2021.
- Palmer A, Masciari C. Telehealth as a Window into the Future. In: Ethics and Technology in Medicine. None. Springer, None.
- Schwan D, Palmer A. Advanced Technologies in Medicine:. In: Ethics and Medical Technology. None. Springer, None.
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. Ethics and Policy for LLMs in the Research & Writing Process. Panelist. MD Anderson Cancer Center: AI Tea Time Educational Panel. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. The Meaning and Limits of Autonomy in Medical Ethics. None. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. A. Live Like Nobody Is Watching: Relational Autonomy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Health Monitoring. None. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Code Status and Futility: An Ethical and Legal Analysis. None. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. The Ethics of Communication: Correcting Patients or Families who endorse Medical Misinformation about Cancer Care. None. Quarterly Ethics Discussion for Nursing CE. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Conversational Techniques for Correcting Patients who Endorse Medical Misinformation about Cancer Care. None. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. The Ethics of Communication: Provider Experiences with Correcting Patients or Families who Endorse Medical Misinformation about Cancer Care. None. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Literature, Art, and Ethics: The patient examines the physician. None. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2023. Literature, Art, and Ethics: Caring for the Difficult Patient. None. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. The Impermissibility of Social-Impersonal Harm: A Rebuttal to Procreative Beneficence. Poster. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2022. Case Study: Ethical Perspectives on Medically Appropriate Care and Discharge for a Non-Cancer Patient in Cancer Hospital. None. Houston, Texas, US.
National Presentations
- 2024. Advanced Technology in Medicine: Safeguarding Physician Skill, Knowledge, and Character in the AI-Enhanced Clinic. None. Midwestern Medical Humanities Conference, US.
- 2024. Organizational ethics and AI in healthcare: Pitfalls and solutions. None. Organizational Ethics Affinity Group, American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Annual Conference, US.
- 2023. The Ethics of Deployment for AI in Healthcare. Invited, US.
- 2023. Access vs The Human Element of Care: Ethical Challenges for AI Chatbots In Mental Healthcare. Invited. ASBH Annual Meeting, US.
- 2023. Protecting Patient Autonomy from Medical Misinformation: A Pilot Project to Train Providers to Effectively Engage with Patients Who Endorse Medical Misinformation About Cancer Care. Invited. ASBH Annual Meeting, US.
- 2023. A Model for Teaching Clinicians How to Address Patients who Endorse Medical Misinformation about Cancer Care. Invited, US.
- 2023. An introduction to the ethics of AI in mental healthcare. None, US.
- 2023. Clinicians’ Experiences with Cancer Patients or their Families who Endorse Medical Misinformation. Invited. ASCO Annual Meeting, US.
- 2022. Ethical Challenges to Informed Consent for Brain Tissue Banks. None. American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Annual Conference, US.
- 2022. Assessing the Effects of Medical Misinformation about Cancer Care on Patient-Provider Interactions. None, US.
- 2022. More Process, Less Principles: The Ethics of AI and Robotic Deployment in Healthcare. None, US.
- 2021. The Holy Grail of Teaching: Improved Learning Outcomes with Less Time Grading. None, US.
- 2021. The Ethics of Civility in Online Discourse. Invited. Las Vegas, Nevada, US.
- 2020. Public Justification and Vaccine Policy Under Conditions of Widespread Misinformation and Conspiracism. Invited. Central Washington U Forum on Social Media, Propaganda, Public Opinion, US.
- 2020. Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy and Skepticism with Social Epistemology. None. Western Michigan Medical Humanities Conference, US.
- 2020. Beneficent Dehumanization: Employing Artificial Intelligence and Carebots to Mitigate Shame-Induced Barriers to Medical Care. None. Medical Humanities Conference, US.
- 2020. Argument Judo: Can the Principles of Judo Be Applied to Civil Discourse?. None. Special Session on Philosophy of Martial Arts, US.
- 2020. 1DaySooner Organization. Addressing ethical barriers to establishing informed consent for SARS-CoV-2 human challenge trials. Invited, US.
- 2020. Teaching Strategies for Addressing Science Denialism under Conditions of High Social and Political Polarization. None, US.
- 2020. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Nursing: Ethics of Caring as a Guide to Dividing Labor Between AI and Humans. None. MidSouth Philosophy Conference, US.
- 2019. How to Get Angry Online…Properly: Design Principles for Online Deliberative Systems that Harness Political Anger’s Power without its Costs. None. Rocky Mountain Ethics Congress, US.
- 2019. Ancient Problem, Ancient Solution: Stoic Identity Concepts in the Face of Identity Politics and Crumbling Norms of Civil Discourse. None. MidSouth Philosophy Conference, US.
- 2019. Democratic Policymaking in a Fact-Free Word: Scientific Facts in the Space of Public Reason. None. Long Island Philosophy Conference, US.
- 2019. The Ethics of Online Political Discourse. Invited. The Ethics of Online Political Discourse, US.
- 2018. What Would Epictetus Do? The Stoics on Civil Discourse in an Uncivil World. None. Conference on Applied Ethics, US.
- 2018. Roundtable on Teaching. None. Shanklin Awards Workshops, US.
- 2014. The Case for Justice Pluralism: Victim Impact Statements and Restorative Justice in a Retributivist World. Invited. UNLV Philosophy Department Colloquium, US.
International Presentations
- 2024. Developing a Conversation Guide and Training Workshop to Address Misinformation About Cancer Care: Preliminary Results of a Quality Improvement Project. Conference. 21st International Conference for the Society for Integrative Oncology. Los Angeles, US.
- 2024. Ethical Deployment of Patient-Facing Advanced Technologies in Clinical Settings. Invited. Toronto, CA.
- 2023. The Ethics of AI in Healthcare: A Stakeholder-Based Model. Invited, PT.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified February 20, 2025