Marsha Michie, PhD

Marsha Michie, PhD, is Associate Professor of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, where she directs the PhD in Bioethics program and is Associate Director of the Bioethics Center for Community Health and Genomic Equity (CHANGE). Her research focuses on ethical and social issues in medical research and healthcare, with a focus on genetics, reproduction, disability, and health equity. Much of her scholarly work examines the experiences and priorities of people who are impacted by genetic research and prenatal care, including pregnant people, people with disabilities or genetic conditions, and the researchers and clinicians who create and provide healthcare and therapies for them.

Current funded research:

• The PREPARE (Prenatal Preparation: Actions and Results) study, which draws on longitudinal interviews with parents who receive genetic results during the perinatal period, along with interviews with healthcare providers and genetic condition support groups, to understand what information and supports parents need as they prepare for a child with a genetic condition.
• The FAIRER (Framework for Advancements in Reprogenomics Ethics and Regulation) study, which is developing anticipatory ethical guidance for future clinical trials of genomic interventions during pregnancy (or that might result in pregnancy), drawing on interviews with experts and focus groups with sexual and/or gender minorities, along with a large-scale structural review of ethical literature.
• The INFORM (Supporting Just-in-Time Consent for Prenatal Screening in Diverse Populations) study, which is a clinical trial comparing a mobile-friendly consent model to current ways of offering prenatal genetic screening. This trial will recruit at three diverse sites that serve a large pregnant population from historically underserved communities.

In addition, Dr. Michie is a co-investigator on several projects involving genetic information and gene editing. She also advises multiple other projects and initiatives, and co-chairs the Genomics and Society Working group at the National Human Genome Research Institute, a group that advises the institute on planning and priority setting in genomics and society research.