Purpose

The McGovern Center examines the moral, spiritual, and cultural aspects of biomedical science and the healthcare professions.

Our faculty is trained in various disciplines, including history, medical humanities, philosophy, ethics, religious studies, and law.

We teach students and work with faculty of the UTHealth Houston schools of:

• Biomedical Informatics,
• Biomedical Sciences,
• Dentistry,
• Medicine,
• Nursing, and
• Public Health.

We produce documentary films, develop course curricula, and publish books and articles. We provide instructional seminars and programs to facilitate change in organizational culture at academic health science centers and healthcare institutions.

Our research touches upon issues such as:

• privacy and discrimination in genetic diseases,
• the impact of meditation on recovery during breast cancer treatment,
• ethical issues at the end of life,
• physician suffering and impairment,
• faculty health and well-being,
• pastoral psychology, and
• competency assessment in geriatrics.