Lauren  Baker, PhD

Lauren Baker, PhD

Instructor in Medicine

Lauren L. Baker, PhD, is an Instructor in Medicine in the Bioethics Research Center at WashU Medicine. Dr. Baker received her PhD with distinction in Health Care Ethics from Saint Louis University, where she focused on pediatric ethics, philosophy of medicine, and narrative ethics. She is currently a scholar in the Mentored Training Program in Clinical Investigation (MTPCI) at WashU Medicine.

Dr. Baker applies social science methods to explore complex ethical and social issues in medicine and public health. Currently, she is Principal Investigator on a study examining child welfare policy and practice related to informed consent, assent, and treatment refusal in psychotropic medication decisions for youth in foster care. Dr. Baker is also a Co-Investigator for the Healthcare, Values, and the Spiritual Life Program where she collaborates on research exploring the impact of religion and faith on attitudes towards prenatal genetic testing, mental health treatment, and the use of mRNA vaccines. Her work has appeared in publications such as The American Journal of Bioethics, Theoretical Medicine & Bioethics, the Journal of Moral Theology, and the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research. Prior to joining Washington University, Dr. Baker worked in refugee administration and in the anti-trafficking in persons field. She additionally taught health care ethics and public health ethics at Saint Louis University.

Research Interests: Public health ethics; pediatric and adolescent ethics; religion as a social determinant of health; health policy