We mourn the passing of Michael Alan Grodin, MD, a former member of the Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R) Board of Directors and a renowned physician, medical ethicist, and scholar whose work in human rights leaves an indelible mark on the world.  

Throughout his career, Dr. Grodin advocated for the ethical treatment of human subjects in research. He was particularly passionate about issues related to vulnerable populations in medical research, including prisoners, refugees, and people with disabilities. Holocaust studies and Jewish bioethics were a central component of Dr. Grodin’s life and legacy. 

As an expert in the history of Nazi medicine and Jewish medical and spiritual resistance during the Shoah, Dr. Grodin received a special citation from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in recognition of his “profound contributions—through original and creative research—to the cause of Holocaust education and remembrance.”  

In addition to his work in medical ethics, Dr. Grodin was also a respected physician and scholar. He held numerous academic positions throughout his career, including appointments at Boston University School of Medicine and the Boston Medical Center.   

He was a prolific author, publishing more than 150 articles and book chapters on a wide range of topics related to medical ethics and human rights. Throughout his career, Dr. Grodin edited or co-edited five books: The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code: Human Rights in Human Experimentation; Children as Research Subjects: Science, Ethics and Law; Meta-Medical Ethics: The Philosophical Foundations of Bioethics; and Health and Human Rights; and Jewish Medical Resistance in the Holocaust.   

Dr. Grodin’s legacy is one of compassion, integrity, and dedication to the highest ethical standards in medicine and research. We are grateful for his service to PRIM&R and for his tireless efforts to promote human rights and ethical research practices. 

Our condolences go out to Dr. Grodin’s family and loved ones.  
 
Dr. Grodin was named the Arthur R. Kravitz Award Recipient of 2014. He talks about his work in an interview with James Frosch, MD, recorded in 2020.   

You can read an obituary for Dr. Grodin, here  

 We welcome your memories and kind words about Dr. Grodin in the comments below.