Howard Brody

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Howard A. Brody (born June 23, 1949, died July 22,2024) [1] was an American bioethicist and family physician. He was a professor of family medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch prior to his retirement from there in 2016. For much of his time at the University of Texas Medical Branch, he was the director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities there. [2] Brody has performed research in the field of placebo studies.

Contents

Career

Brody taught medicine at Michigan State University before leaving the faculty there in 2006. From 1985 to 2006, he directed the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences there. [3] [4]

Work

Brody is known for his extensive writing about the placebo effect [4] [5] and about the pharmaceutical industry. [6] He has been critical of increasing medical costs, [7] and has been called a "watchdog" in regard to relationships between pharmaceutical companies and medical research. [8] In 2010, he challenged his fellow physicians to identify tests and treatments that did not produce any benefit, which has been credited with inspiring the Choosing Wisely campaign. [9]

Lawsuit

In 2016, Brody filed a complaint against the University of Texas Medical Branch, alleging that the University discriminated against him by placing him on a leave of absence, cutting his salary significantly, and removing him from his position as director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities. He claimed that this was an unusually harsh punishment for his handling of a sexual assault accusation. [10] This complaint ended up becoming a lawsuit in federal court. [11]

Awards and recognition

In 2009, Brody received the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities' Lifetime Achievement Award. [12] He is a Hastings Center Fellow. [13]

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References

  1. ↑ "Howard Brody". Name Authority File. Library of Congress . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  2. ↑ Levinthal, Dave (15 September 2016). "When it comes to transparency, neither Trump nor Clinton excel — but Clinton does better". Center for Public Integrity . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences History". Michigan State University Website. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  4. 1 2 Talbot, Margaret (9 January 2000). "The Placebo Prescription". The New York Times . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Barton, Adriana (12 January 2014). "The placebo effect: A new study underscores its remarkable power". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  6. ↑ Zuger, Abigail (20 March 2012). "A Drumbeat on Profit Takers". The New York Times . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Study: Appendix surgery costs differ around U.S." CBS News . Associated Press. 23 April 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  8. ↑ Dreger, Alice (6 February 2013). "What the Sunshine Act Means for Health Care Transparency". The Atlantic . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  9. ↑ Begley, Sharon (21 February 2013). "Just say don't: Doctors question routine tests and treatments". Reuters . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  10. ↑ Elder, Laura (25 March 2016). "Former medical humanities program director lodges complaint against UTMB". The Daily News . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  11. ↑ Ferguson, John Wayne (5 April 2017). "Lawsuit asserts UTMB used misery campaign to force resignation". The Daily News. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "Brody receives lifetime achievement award" (Press release). University of Texas Medical Branch. 12 June 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  13. ↑ "Hastings Center Fellows". The Hastings Center. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
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