Communication and Bioethics

Studying how language and communication can improve equitable care delivery.

Investigators

Brittany Greene, MD, MA

Assistant Professor

Bio: Dr. Brittany Greene grew up in a suburb of Chicago then moved to Los Angeles to complete her undergraduate degree in French at UCLA. She matriculated from Duke University School of Medicine then moved to Seattle for her pediatrics residency at Seattle Children's Hospital/University of Washington. She stayed in Seattle for her pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship training, as well as a clinical bioethics fellowship and master of arts in bioethics at the University of Washington. She continues at Seattle Children's Hospital, where she is an attending physician in the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, with a primary focus on solid tumors, and on the bioethics consult team, and serves as the Director of Ethics of the Cancer and Blood Disorders Program. Her research in the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders Research focuses on the intersection of communication and bioethical issues in pediatric oncology.

Research interests: Bioethics, palliative care, ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genetic testing

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Melissa Martos, MD

Fellow

Bio: Dr. Martos is a pediatric oncology fellow, as well as a Health Services and Quality of Care research fellow. She is investigating disparities in oncology communication based on patient language of care. She ultimately aims to partner with community groups to research interventions that improve quality of care for those that prefer a language other than English. Dr. Martos studied environmental science at UC Berkeley prior to earning her medical degree at UC San Francisco. She then completed pediatrics residency at the University of Washington/Seattle Children's Hospital and has continued on for fellowship. Her prior work includes clinic management and improvement and health equity education.

Research interests: Language equity, communication, quality improvement

Emily Merkel, MD

Clinical Fellow

Bio: Emily Merkel is a fellow in pediatric hematology and oncology at Seattle Children's Hospital/University of Washington with clinical and research interests at the intersection of bone marrow transplant and palliative care. After studying at Barnard College in New York, Dr. Merkel spent several years in rural Rwanda working for Partners In Health, a healthcare and social justice NGO. It was there while contributing to what later became Rwanda's national cancer program that she developed a passion for oncology and palliative care. She attended medical school in Seattle at the University of Washington, completed residency in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and returned to Seattle for fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology with additional training in epidemiology, currently completing an MS at the University of Washington.

Research interests: Bone marrow transplant (BMT), palliative care, patient reported outcomes, communication

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