Rebecca Pentz, PhD, is a professor of hematology and oncology in research ethics at Emory University School of Medicine. During the early part of her career, she served as a clinical ethicist, helping patients, families and the health care team at the bedside to resolve ethical dilemmas, first in the community setting in Yakima, Washington and then as the sole clinical ethicist at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson for a decade. She joined Emory and Winship Cancer Institute as an associate professor in 2002.
Dr. Pentz represents Emory on various national data safety monitoring boards and scientific advisory committees, including the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network, GTEx, ALS repository, St. Jude and the National Disease Research Interchange. She also provides mentorship to Winship ethics faculty and fellows.
Education
Dr. Pentz earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy at Pomona College in Claremont, California. She then went onto receive her Master of Arts in Philosophy at Byrn Mawr College in Byrn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Dr. Pentz completed her Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of California at Irvine in Irvine, California.
Titles & Roles
Professor of Hematology and Oncology in Research Ethics
Emory University School of Medicine
Research
Dr. Pentz and the ethics research team conduct empirical ethics research on topics of most importance to the Cancer Institute. The main focus is on ethical issues in early drug development, with emphases on informed consent, biobanking, return of results and genetic testing. The team designs ethics companion studies for all the multi-project grants submitted by Winship, and therefore cover wide ranging issues from the use of botanicals to health disparities. They work closely with the Winship Tissue Bank on proper informed consent and return of results. As a member of Children's Oncology Group, they conduct research on the ethical implications for the whole family of pediatric stem cell transplant.
Dr. Pentz received The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Distinguished Service Award 2001 for participation in the Task Force on the Status of the Field, and work on the report North American Graduate Bioethics and Humanities Training Survey Report. She is an appointed member of the Committee on Policy Issues at the Institute of Medicine.
