ACE Ethics Committee

The ACE Ethics Committee has served the organization for three decades. It was originally known as the “Ethics and Standards of Practice Committee” (ESOP, such that some of its early publications were affectionately called “Esop’s fables”). In 2006 and 2007, it was suggested that the committee might more aptly be viewed as akin to institutional review boards and hospital clinical ethics committees, which embrace the missions of education, policy creation and review, and consultation. It became the ACE Ethics Committee in 2007.

In 2000, under the leadership of Dr. Ron Prineas, the Committee developed the first guidelines for ethics specific to the practice of epidemiology. Since then, the committee has (i) provided consultation support to the ACE Board of Directors and the general membership regarding ethical challenges that arise in the practice of epidemiology, (ii) commenced a revision of the guidelines, (iii) sponsored events at annual meetings, and (iv) fostered the growth of research on ethics in epidemiology and public health. A current initiative aims to include more students in the Committee’s work.

Most generally, the Committee seeks to serve as a focal point for those interested in ethics and epidemiology.

The Committee has established topic-specific subcommittees; collaborated with other ACE committees, governments, universities, and other professional societies; planned and conducted workshops and plenary sessions at ACE Annual Meetings; maintained a repository of syllabi for ethics and epidemiology courses, and published articles for ACE’s official publication, Annals of Epidemiology, and other journals.

Committee Members

Chairs

• WayWay M. Hlaing, Chair, University of Miami, (Current till 2023)
• Jennifer Salerno, Vice-Chair, McMaster University

Members

• Obafemi J. Babalola, Field Epidemiologist, Liberia
• Steven Coughlin, Augusta University
• Victoria Crabb, University of Iowa (associate member)
• Jim Enstrom, UCLA School of Public Health (retired)
• Kenneth W. Goodman, University of Miami Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy
• John H. Holmes, University of Pennsylvania
• Ed Peters,  University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Vijayan Pillai, University of Texas – Arlington           

Previous Chairs (dates may be approximate)

• 1993-1995       Ronald J.  Prineas
• 1996-1998        Steve Coughlin
• 1999-2001       Doug Weed
• 2002-2004       Robert McKeown
• 2006-2008       Kenneth W. Goodman
• 2009-2011       James E. Enstrom
• 2012-2014       Thomas M. Weiser
• 2015-2017       Jennifer (Fergenbaum) Salerno
• 2018-2020       Edward S. Peters
• 2021-2023       WayWay M. Hlaing