The President's Council on Bioethics

The President's Council on Bioethics (PCBE) is a group of individuals appointed by President George W. Bush to advise his administration on bioethics. Established on November 28, 2001 by an executive order, the council is directed to "advise the President on bioethical issues that may emerge as a consequence of advances in biomedical science and technology." The members of the council are appointed directly by the President; the President also chooses the chairperson of the Council (currently, Edmund D. Pellegrino). Council members, totaling no more than 18, are appointed for a two-year term, after which time they may be reappointed by the President. Individuals appointed cannot be officers or employees of the federal government. The 2001 executive order that established the council was renewed in 2003 and again in 2005.

Chairman

 * Edmund D. Pellegrino, M.D. - chairman (2005-present)
 * Leon R. Kass, M.D., Ph.D. - chairman (2001-2005)

Current members

 * Edmund D. Pellegrino, M.D. - chairman (2005-present)
 * Ben Carson, M.D.
 * Rebecca S. Dresser, J.D., M.S.
 * Daniel W. Foster, M.D.
 * Michael S. Gazzaniga, Ph.D.
 * Robert P. George, J.D., D.Phil
 * Alfonso Gómez-Lobo, Dr. Phil.
 * Leon R. Kass, M.D., Ph.D.
 * William B. Hurlbut, M.D.
 * Charles Krauthammer, M.D.
 * Peter Augustine Lawler, Ph.D.
 * Paul McHugh, M.D.
 * Gilbert C. Meilaender, Ph.D.
 * Janet D. Rowley, M.D.
 * Diana J. Schaub, Ph.D.

Former members

 * Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D. (2002-2004)
 * Stephen Carter, J.D. (2002)
 * Francis Fukuyama, Ph.D. (2002-2005)
 * Mary Ann Glendon, J.D., M.Comp.L. (2002-2005)
 * William F. May, Ph.D. (2002-2004)
 * Michael J. Sandel, D.Phil. (2002-2005)
 * James Q. Wilson, Ph.D. (2002-2005)

Executive Director

 * F. Daniel Davis, Ph.D. - executive director (2005-present)

Council staff and consultants

 * Marti Patchell - special assistant to the chairman
 * Tonia Busse - staff assistant
 * Eric Cohen - senior research consultant
 * Judith Crawford - administrative director
 * Diane M. Gianelli - director of communications
 * Ginger Gruters - staff assistant
 * Emily Jones - executive administrator
 * Richard Roblin, Ph.D. - scientific director
 * Adam Schulman - senior research consultant

Former Council staff

 * Dean Clancy - executive director (2001-2004)
 * Yuval Levin - executive director (2004-2005)
 * Richard Roblin, Ph.D. - scientific director (2001-2005), acting executive director (2005)
 * O. Carter Snead - general counsel (2003-2005)

Reports and Publications

 * Taking Care: Ethical Caregiving in Our Aging Society (2005)
 * White Paper: Alternative Sources of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells (2005)
 * Reproduction and Responsibility: The Regulation of New Biotechnologies (2004)
 * Monitoring Stem Cell Research (2004)
 * Being Human: Readings from the President's Council on Bioethics (2003)
 * Beyond Therapy: Biotechnology and the Pursuit of Happiness (2003)
 * Human Cloning and Human Dignity (2002)