Constance Perry, PhD, is an associate professor in the health administration department within the College of Nursing and Health Professions of Drexel University. She received a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Buffalo, specializing in biomedical ethics and completed a fellowship in clinical ethics from Loyola University in Chicago. She teaches courses on bioethics and research ethics to undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students.
Until the hospital’s closure, she co-chaired the Hahnemann University Hospital clinical ethics committee and oversaw its consult service. She has served on IRBs and ethics committees for hospices. Currently she serves as the ethicist for the Drexel University IACUC and the FIMR-HIV panel for the greater Philadelphia area.
Her peer-reviewed articles and book chapters cover a wide range of topics, including bias in risk assessment, Kant’s view of suicide, uterine transplants, birth plans, primate research, decerebration as anesthesia, research ethics, ethics education for physician assistant students and obstetric residents and elective c-sections, among other topics. She has given presentations nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics in bioethics and has been part of three grant funded projects.
Her current research interests include ethical issues in pregnancy, autonomy, personhood, animal experimentation, moral status and clinical ethics consultation. She is currently working on a book involving autonomy and pregnancy.
Academic Distinctions
Alpha Eta - National Honor Society for the Allied Health Professions
Faculty Fellowships
- American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
- International Association of Bioethics
- American Philosophical Association
- International Network on Feminist Approaches to Bioethics
Selected Publications
Perry, C., Spear, M. L. (2017). C-Section and Referential Opacity. American Journal of Bioethics, 17:1, 98-99.
Perry, C. K. (2016). Reducing Unreasonable Bias and Risk in Decisions Regarding the Care of Pregnant Women, American Journal of Bioethics, 16:2, 30-31, DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2015.1121304.
Caplan, A., Perry, C., Plante, L., Saloma, J., & Batzer, F. (2007). Moving the Womb. Hastings Center Report, 37:3, 18-20.
Silverman, J., Garnett, N., Gitzer, S., Heckman, C., Kulpa-Eddy, J., LeMay, M., Perry, C., Pinter, M. (2005). Decerebrate Mammalian Preparations: Unalleviated or Fully Alleviated Pain? A Review and Opinion. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science, 44:4, 34-36.
Perry, C. K. (2001). Agency, vulnerability & relations: The compassionate autonomy alternative to speciesism. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, 22:3 pp. 237-246.
Grant participation:
*Kaimal, G., Katz-Buonincontro, J., Perry, C., & Sukumar, D. “Self as Minority Other: Artistic presentations and perceptions of well-being, creativity and relatedness,” (funded for first round – Participated in the Interdisciplinary Moral Forum at Marquette University) part of the Self, Motivation & Virtue Project, funded by the John Templeton Administration. (all conference expenses paid for two researchers to present at Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI) (3/2015, more info at http://smvproject.com/about/timeline/).
*Rossi, J., Yudell, M., Caroll-Scott, A. & Perry, C. (2014) "A Survey of Public Health Professionals’ Views about the Nature, Importance and Usefulness of Academic Public Health Ethics," Social Science Research Fund, Drexel University. ($7520)
*Co-Investigator - teacher for research ethics workshops, Improving Human Subject Research by Enhancing Education, DHHS/PHS Request NumtOD-03-007 (Human Subjects Research Enhancement Program), submitted 7/11/03 for support from 9/30/03-9/29/04, proposed cost $99,965.
Research Interests
Ethical issues in pregnancy, autonomy, personhood, animal experimentation, moral status and clinical ethics consultation. She is currently working on a book involving autonomy and pregnancy.
Specialization
She specializes in Philosophy, Biomedical Ethics, and Research Ethics.
PhD, Philosophy, February 1, 1994
Dissertation Title: Maternal-Fetal Conflict and Principles of Biomedical Ethics by Tom L. Beauchamp & James F. Childress: Fostering a Relationship Between Flexibility and Stability
Director: Richard T. Hull, PhD
University of Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
MA, Philosophy, September 1989
Master's Project Titles: Forced Treatment of Pregnant Women
Director: Richard T. Hull, PhD, and
Chuang Tzu's Reply to Dylan Thomas
Director: Kenneth Inada, PhD
University of Buffalo
University of Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
BA, Health and Society, Minor: Ethics, May 1987
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY