Cassie Houtz, PhD (she/her/hers) is a postdoctoral fellow of Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Genetics and Genomics in the Perelman School of Medicine’s Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy. Her interests lie in disability bioethics, philosophy of medicine, and the “quality of life.” As a postdoctoral fellow, she is working on two primary research areas: (1) ethical and social issues related to obesity genetics research, testing, and treatment and (2) ethical dilemmas in rare pediatric genetic diseases, especially leukodystrophies. She received her PhD in the study of religion from Harvard University, where she studied the intersections of philosophical, religious, and biomedical conceptions of what it means to live a “good life.”
![Cassie Houtz](https://d197nivf0nbma8.cloudfront.net/uploads/2024/03/Cassie-Houtz-Fellow-2024-408x452.jpeg)
Associate Fellow
Cassie Houtz, PhD
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications of Genetics and Genomics, Perelman School of Medicine
Related Content
![](https://d197nivf0nbma8.cloudfront.net/uploads/2024/07/Penn-LDI-LinkedIn_Policy-RachelNorma2-520x438.jpg)
Briefing: The Impact of Repealing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Minimum Staffing Rule on Patient Outcomes
Presented to U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
In The Media STAT
Massive Study of Veterans’ DNA Shows How Diversity Can Help Researchers Decipher the Genome
Interview
In The Media USA Today
Nursing Home Staffing Mandate Would Save Thousands of Lives, Researchers Say
Interview
![](https://d197nivf0nbma8.cloudfront.net/uploads/2024/07/AdobeStock_244068384-520x438.jpeg)
Fears of Family Separation Deter Parents With Substance Use Disorder From Getting Needed Care
Policymakers Should Consider Reporting and Planning Procedures That Do Not Involve Child Protective Services
![](https://d197nivf0nbma8.cloudfront.net/uploads/2024/07/AdobeStock_198329390-520x438.jpeg)
A Federal Court Ruling Puts Free Preventive Care at Risk
The Braidwood Case Opens the Door For Others To Block PrEP and other Preventive Services
![](https://d197nivf0nbma8.cloudfront.net/uploads/2024/07/AdobeStock_243858970-1-520x438.jpeg)
Why the CDC’s Environmental Justice Index Holds the Power to Improve Health
It’s the First National Database to Measure the Impact of Environmental Factors on Health
![](https://d197nivf0nbma8.cloudfront.net/uploads/2024/07/AdobeStock_118828785-520x438.jpeg)
Three Ways to Fix Value-Based Payments
Changing the Health Care Reimbursement Model Could Improve Quality and Lower Costs
In The Media science
Loss of India’s Vultures May Have Led to Deaths of Half a Million People
Interview