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. 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 (PDS Research). Dr. Baker also collaborates on NIH and foundation funded research exploring the impact of religion on community attitudes towards prenatal genetic testing, mental health treatment, and mRNA vaccines. Her work has appeared in publications such as The American Journal of Bioethics, Theoretical Medicine & Bioethics, 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; social determinants of health; health policy