Megan Patrick Alcauskas, MD, was a neurology resident at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City when she edited the December 2006 issue on Global Health: Ethics of International Medical Volunteerism. She received her MD from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Her interest in international health and medical ethics began after she volunteered at a rural health clinic in Haiti as an undergraduate at Boston College. She spent her junior year at Oxford University studying medical sociology, specifically the interaction between medicine and politics in developing countries. While in medical school, Megan interned for a summer at the Department of Health and Human Services in the Global Health Office and was a member of AMSA's National Health Policy Taskforce. She was also founder and editor of a health policy newsletter and was active in the hospital's bioethics committee. Her work can be found in Medical Economics and The P&S Journal as well as in numerous student and resident publications.

Anne Bertkau was a fourth year medical student at New York University when she edited the April 2005 issue on Professional Self Regulation. She graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College in 1999 and worked as a consultant for McKinsey and Company before beginning medical school. At NYU, Anne helped to establish a professional development curriculum for medical students. She planned on doing a residency in internal medicine following medical school.

David R. Block was a fourth-year medical student at University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences when he was editor for the Medicine and the Social Contract issue of VM in April 2004. He received a BA with honors in biomedical ethics and biology from Brown University in May 1999. While at Brown, he spent summers at the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Hastings Center. He also worked as an editor for The Catalyst, the university's interdisciplinary humanities and sciences magazine. Following graduation, he completed a one-year fellowship at the Institute for Ethics at the American Medical Association in Chicago. At the time of his issue's publication, David planned a career as a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

Bob Burke was a second-year medical student at Stanford University when he edited the VM issue on Physicians in Public Roles in December 2005. Bob graduated summa cum laude from Boston College with a degree in biochemistry. He lived and worked in Warsaw, Poland, with his wife, Jessica, while she completed a Fulbright fellowship. At Stanford, Bob evaluated the ethics of clinical trials in the developing world at the Institute for OneWorld Health, worked at the Center for Advanced Pediatric Education, a simulator-based training program for residents and nurses in pediatrics, and conducted basic science research in the Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease.

Adrienne Carmack, MD, was a fourth-year resident in urology at the University of Miami when she served as a theme issue editor for the January 2006 issue on Ethical Issues in Screening. A native Texan, she received her BS in human physiology from Boston University after spending two years at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. She received her medical degree from the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Her primary areas of interest are medical ethics, medical literature, and education. While in medical school, Adrienne spent a month at the Journal of the American Medical Association learning the editorial process.

Matthew W. DeCamp entered the Duke University Medical Scientist Training Program in 2000 following completion of a BS from Purdue University. He was the theme issue editor for Standards of Care, which appeared in the December 2004 edition of VM. At the time of his issue's publication, he was in his third year of graduate work in the Department of Philosophy, and his PhD thesis examined global distributive justice. His past research interests included the effect of health care commodification on the patient-physician relationship and the ethical issues raised in population-based genetics research. Matt had been actively involved with Duke University's Institutional Review Board, the Center for the Study of Medical Ethics and Humanities, the Center for Genome Ethics, Law and Policy, and the Program on Global Health and Technology Access.

Monya De was a fourth-year medical student at the University of California-Irvine College of Medicine when she was the editor of the February 2004 issue of VM on Paternalism in Medicine. Monya graduated from Stanford University, where she earned a degree in human biology with honors and a minor in English literature. At Stanford, she studied biomedical ethics and was a medical columnist and arts editor for the Stanford Daily newspaper. After graduation, she worked in strategy consulting for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. During her medical school years, she traveled to Ecuador to study Spanish and volunteer in between climbing volcanoes and exploring the Galapagos Islands.

Robert Deiss was a fourth-year student at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine when he served as theme issue editor for the August 2007 issue on Language, Culture, and Belief in the Medical Encounter.

Julia C. Dombrowski was a fifth-year student in the joint MD/MPH program of Duke University School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health when she edited the May 2004 issue on Medicine's Response to Terrorism. She received a BS degree in biology from the University of New Mexico in 1998. During the 2002-2003 academic year, she completed a Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship at The University of North Carolina. Julia put her interest in bioethics into practice by volunteering in a needle exchange program and working as a biomedical research trainee in Nigeria. During a clinical research fellowship in 2002, she had the opportunity to learn about the ethical issues inherent in research with human subjects. Julia has been writing, both scientifically and creatively, since college and plans to make writing and editing a significant part of her medical career.

Erin Egan, MD, JD, was a resident in the Department of Medicine at Loyola University Medical Center and a senior associate at the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy when she was the editor for the Patient Safety and Medical Error issue in March 2004.

Miriam Fishman was a fourth-year medical student at New York University School of Medicine when she edited the April 2007 issue on Professionalism in Medical School. She received a BA in history from Yale University and was a research fellow at the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research in Bethesda, Maryland, before entering medical school. At NYU she worked with the Professional Development Committee to design, implement, and refine a professional development curriculum for the medical students and is active in the school's free clinic.

Allison Grady served as the Theme Issue Editor for January 2008 issue on Ethical Issues in Diagnosing and Treating Addiction. At the time her issue was released she was a senior research assistant and editor for Virtual Mentor at the American Medical Association in Chicago. Prior to her position at the AMA she was the volunteer and special projects coordinator at the Middlesex United Way in Middletown, Connecticut. A 2003 graduate of Smith College, she plans on pursuing a master's degree in nursing.

Kerri Hecox, MD, was a graduate student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, pursuing an MPH in Health Policy and Administration when she served as theme issue editor for Access to Care in July 2005. She graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2001, and completed a residency in family medicine at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2004. Dr. Hecox has a strong interest in understanding access-to-care barriers in the Latino population, and plans to work both domestically and in Latin America on confronting these barriers, particularly as they relate to maternal-child health issues.

Gretchen Hermes, PhD, was a fourth-year medical student at the University of Chicago when she served as the theme issue editor for Parental Competence in Medical Caregiving and Decision Making in October 2006. She received a BA in English language and literature from the University of Chicago, then worked at the Smithsonian Institution on one of the first multimedia offerings, Life Story, on the race to discovery the structure of DNA. She received a master's degree in comparative religion from Harvard Divinity School, founding an on-campus organization dedicated to the study of religion and healing, and was assistant curator of Emotions and Disease, an exhibit at the National Institutes of Medicine. Her doctorate through the Committee on Human Development examined the biological effects of chronic social isolation; her postdoctoral fellowship included an examination of the neurodegenerative changes associated with chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii.

Shaili Jain, MD, obtained her medical degree from the University of Liverpool in England. She completed a residency in psychiatry including a chief resident position at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She was an attending psychiatrist with Aurora Behavioral Health Systems in Wisconsin when she was the editor of the State of the Art of Healing in the 21st Century theme issue in July 2006.

Jennifer Kasten, MSc, was a third-year student at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, when she served as editor for the March 2008 issue of Virtual Mentor with the theme of Medicine and Personhood. Jennifer received a master's degree in the history of medicine from Oxford, and another master's degree in the control of infectious disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she held a Marshall Scholarship. She is interested in the history and philosophy of medicine, religion and bioethics, pediatric surgery, and tropical medicine. She hopes to prove that surgeons, too, can ask interesting questions about the world.

Louise P. King, MD, JD, was a second-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas when she served as theme issue editor for the April 2008 Virtual Mentor on Medical Care for U.S. Immigrants. At the conclusion of her training, Louise hopes to combine a strong interest in bioethics and health policy with a career in gynecologic oncology.

Eran Klein, MD, PhD, was a second-year resident in neurology at Oregon Health and Science University when he completed his theme issue on Expertise in Medicine in February 2006. He received his medical degree and a doctorate in philosophy from Georgetown University. His dissertation, directed by Edmund Pellegrino, MD, was on developing a Heideggerian approach to the epistemology of skills and expertise in medicine. He co-edited The Story of Bioethics: from Seminal Works to Contemporary Explorations with Jennifer Walter in 2003.

Jeff Kullgren, MPH, was a second-year student at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine when he served as editor for the January 2004 issue on Physician Activism. Jeff received a BS in sociology from Michigan State University and an MPH in health management and policy from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Jeff interned at the AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families in Washington, D.C., and at the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in Rockville, Maryland. He also worked at Chicago Health Outreach, Inc, a community health center in Chicago. Jeff's research experiences include studying the effects of welfare reform and how Medicaid managed care has affected people with HIV/AIDS. At the time of publication, he had most recently worked at the University of Michigan Economic Research Initiative on the Uninsured, where he evaluated community-based initiatives to improve uninsured adults' access to health care.

Tom LeBlanc was a recent graduate from the Duke University School of Medicine in September 2006 when he edited the VM issue on Humanist Approaches to the End of Life. He received a bachelor's degree in biomedical ethics from Brown University. While at Duke he also earned a master's degree in philosophy, focusing on topics in medical ethics. At the time of his issue's publication, he had begun his internship in internal medicine at Duke University and had career interests in palliative care, oncology, medical ethics, medical education, and literature in medicine.

Sarah Lee was a second-year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City when she served as the theme issue editor for the Caring for the Incarcerated Patient, in February 2008. Sarah received a bachelor of arts degree in comparative literature from Columbia University in 2001 and worked as an editor for The Paris Review and Random House before applying to medical school. She has particular interest in working with underserved communities, both in the United States and abroad.

Justin List, MAR, a former fellow at the Institute of Ethics at the American Medical Association and previous editor for Yale University's Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, was a second-year student at the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago when he explored the topic of Illness-Poverty Relationship in VM's November 2006 issue.

Deirdre Coyle Masterton was a fourth-year medical student at New York University and one of the founding members of the Professional Development Committee there, when she edited the December 2003 issue on Professionalism in Medical School. Deirdre graduated from Washington & Lee University with a biology degree in 2000 and planned a career in obstetrics and gynecology.

Megan Moreno, MD, earned her medical degree at George Washington University, where she was involved in writing and editing for GW's health policy journal, Reform Watch. She completed a pediatric residency and then took a chief resident position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During residency, Dr. Moreno also obtained a master of science degree in education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was in the process of pursuing a fellowship in adolescent medicine when she was the editor for the March 2005 theme issue on Adolescent Medicine. In October of that year, Dr Moreno edited another issue of VM, this one on Ethical Decision Making in the Diagnosis, and Treatment of STDs. Her primary areas of interest are adolescent medicine and the role of education in illness prevention, particularly in the area of STDs and reproductive health.

Peter Moschovis was a fourth-year student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and an MPH candidate at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health when he worked on the May 2005 issue that explored the Role of Faith in the Patient-Physician Relationship. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BA in philosophy in 2000. Following graduation, Peter spent a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Greece, studying refugee and immigrant public health. His work in Greece focused on the health needs of Kurdish and Afghan refugees and victims of trauma in post-war Kosovo. He also worked as a medical volunteer at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. Peter's research interests include the medical ethics of ancient philosophy, medical ethics education, and the role of spirituality and theology in the formation of ethical beliefs.

Hari Nadiminti was a fourth-year medical student at the University of Miami School of Medicine when he edited the September 2005 issue on the Ethical Challenges in Organ Donation. He attended the University of Miami and received a BS with honors in biology in 1999. Hari's interest in medical ethics began during college when taking a religion and bioethics course in the department of religious studies. After the course, he worked on a two-year medical ethics research project focusing on determining the ideal health care surrogate.

Lina Nayak was a second-year medical student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis when she served as the November 2007 theme issue editor. Ms. Nayak graduated summa cum laude from Northwestern University and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Ms. Nayak has published in Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and the NATO Science Series. She served on the board of directors for Student Pugwash, the U.S. student affiliate of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, and moderated the Health Working Group for their 2007 national conference. Ms. Nayak was also active in Medical Student Government and served as a representative to the American Association of Medical Colleges.

Thomas Ng was the theme issue editor for Patients, Doctors, and Medical Device Technologies which appeared in the February 2007 edition of VM. At the time of his issue's publication, Thomas was a second-year student in the MD/PhD program at the University of Southern California and the California Institute of Technology. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, he earned a BS in bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include neuroscience, medical imaging, and the application of technological advances in medicine and health care.

Lisa Nijm was a recent graduate of the MD/JD program at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and School of Law when she served as the theme issue editor for the Ethics of Quality Care in June 2004. She accepted a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary in Chicago.

Neil Parikh was a second-year student at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine when he served as editor for the March 2007 issue on Media Influence on the Practice of Medicine. Neil received his undergraduate education at USC also, where he double-majored in biology and journalism. Enthusiastic about the journalism-medicine intersection, Neil had been a medical intern/reporter for the Orange County Register and with the CNN medical unit. He worked extensively with a health advocacy group to break down language barriers in hospitals and conducted clinical research in Mumbai, India, investigating the barriers that prevent HIV patients from receiving medication.

Manish Tushar Raiji was a second-year student at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine when he served as an editor for the May 2006 issue on Conflict of Values in the Clinical Setting. He received a BS in economics and science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a research focus on economic disparities. He also served as an associate editorial page editor and columnist for the Michigan Daily. He then joined Teach for America and taught sixth-grade mathematics in Baltimore, Maryland, while concurrently receiving a master's degree in teaching from Johns Hopkins University.

Lhasa Ray was a fourth-year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and a second year master's student in Einstein's Clinical Research Training Program when she edited a VM issue on the topic of Medicine, Ethics, and War in October 2007. She was a recipient of the American Federation for Aging Research Summer Fellowship, and has conducted research in under- and overtreatment of the elderly, in palliative care, and in metabolic causes of cognitive change. At the time of her issue's publication she planned to apply to internal medicine residency programs and intended to specialize in critical care.

Amanda J. Redig was in her second year of the MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program at Northwestern University when she was the editor of the November 2004 theme issue on Research Ethics. Mandy graduated from the University of Arizona where she earned a BS with honors in biochemistry and a creative writing minor. While a student at UA, Mandy participated in laboratory research in the Veterinary Science-Microbiology Department and worked at the Arizona Cancer Center. During her first year as a medical student, Mandy worked as an intern with the Ethics Group at the American Medical Association, an experience which helped further her interest in bioethics. Mandy returned as editor of the April 2006 issue of VM that examined Ethical Issues Posed by Emerging Epidemics. As an aspiring research physician, she hopes to focus her career on the relationships between clinical oncology, medical research, and science policy.

Dana Marie Roque, MD, a 2007 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, was a first-year resident in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Magee-Womens Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center when she was a theme issue editor for the September 2007 edition of Virtual Mentor.

Emily Rothbaum was a fourth-year medical student at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and applying for a pediatrics residency when she completed her theme issue on the Cost of Care in March 2006. She graduated from Harvard College with a degree in the history of science and medicine in 2001. Before starting medical school, she spent time doing health policy research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C. During medical school, Emily co-founded and wrote for a health policy newsletter for medical students and faculty. As a pediatrician, she plans to combine clinical practice with continued involvement in health policy research and advocacy.

Laura Sigman, JD, was a fourth-year medical student at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine when she completed her theme issue on system constraints to optimal medical care in May 2008. She planned to continue her medical training in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore beginning in the summer of 2008. Prior to medical school, she received a JD from Harvard Law School and worked in health law for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Siddharth Srivastava was a second-year medical student at Johns Hopkins when he served as editor for an issue of VM on Public Health and Physicians as Agents of the State, published in December 2007. Sid has a strong interest in government and politics as they relate to medical ethics.

Timothy Sullivan was a second-year student at Georgetown University School of Medicine when he was the editor of the January 2007 issue on the Ethics of Cancer Care and Research. Originally from the Boston area, Tim graduated from the University of Rochester in 2003 with a BA in psychology. Following college he spent two years doing breast cancer research for the radiation oncology department at Massachusetts General Hospital. Before beginning medical school, Tim traveled to Durban, South Africa, where he lived for three months while volunteering at a small HIV clinic. In addition to medical ethics, Tim's interests include medical education, medical humanities, and disparities in health care.

Matthis Synofzik was pursuing a joint medical and doctorate degree at the University of Tübingen when he served as the theme issue editor for the February 2005 edition that explored Quality of Life and Clinical Decision Making. His philosophical interests at that time centered on ethics, continental philosophy, and philosophy of mind, and his medical study focused on neurology and cognitive neuroscience. He was undertaking experimental work for his thesis on models of sensorimotor integration of ego-motion. These two fields of interest are reflected in Matt's extracurricular work as a nurse at the neurosurgical ICU at the University Hospital (since 2001) and as a research assistant at the Department of Medical Ethics (since 2002). Matt has put his personal and academic concern for the improvement of health in developing countries into practice by providing medical and social work services in Guatemala (2001) and in Sudan (2004).

Robert J. Walter, DHCE, was a third-year medical student at Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago when he was editor of Roman Catholic Medical Ethics: Beginning and End-of-Life Issues in May 2007. He received a BA with honors in applied philosophy and an MA in health care ethics, both from Loyola University Chicago. He earned his doctorate in health care ethics (DHCE) at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. At the time of his issue's publication, Rob was a senior associate at the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy and a member of the Northern Illinois Catholic Ethics Network. His research interests include religion and ethics and end-of-life issues.

Charles Wells was a third-year medical student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and was the editor of Physician Accountability, which appeared in July 2007. He earned a BA in philosophy from Princeton University, where he wrote his thesis about the influence of luck on moral status. He studied ethics and philosophy of science on a Rotary Scholarship at the University of Bristol.