About Me
Who Is Nipa Chauhan?
As a little girl, I always wondered why there was a preference for sons over daughters in my culture. Before accessible assisted reproductive technology, there were certain ceremonies that claimed to guarantee the birth of a son.
This curiosity with reproduction and choice has never left me. Now, I am a reproductive bioethicist specializing in reproductive ethics, public policy, and public engagement.
I'm sure similar ethical questions have plagued you too - let's chat about them!
My Experience
MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CONCEIVABLE DREAMS
March 2022 - Present
Conceivable Dreams is a grassroots organization advocating for current and future families. We achieve this by building awareness and empowering choices to address infertility and reproductive health issues. Our sponsorship extends to the collection and analysis of data in support of continued provincial funding of infertility treatments.
BIOETHICS ASSOCIATE, MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL
June 2016 - Present
Assist the senior bioethicist in case consults, policy review and development, literature review and analysis, teaching, and committee presence.
Examples:
-
sex-selection protocol review for ultrasound technicians
-
medical assistance in dying case consults and capacity review
-
international review of abortion procedure protocol
-
anonymous or directed embryo donation policy creation
-
fair allocation of funded IVF cycles
Supervisors: Dr. Kerry Bowman (2016-2019), Dr. Rebecca Greenberg (2019 - Present)
FERTILITY ETHICS CONSULTANT
November 2020 - Present
I help answer questions on novel ethical dilemmas based within a fertility clinics; guide and develop policy, stay informed of literature on reproductive tech with an intersectional lens involving race, sex, gender, and sexuality.
If you would like ethics consultation or education for your clinic - send an email!
SESSIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Sept 2017 - Present
-
Assist in teaching third and fourth year undergraduate bioethics based courses in the Human Biology department (HMB306/406) and the Faculty of Medicine for the Laboratory Medicine and Pathology Master's program (LMP2003)
-
Be well-read and well-versed in topics such as artificial intelligence, gene editing, reproductive technologies, consent and capacity, culture etc.
-
Correspond with students regarding lecture and course material, grade midterm essays and final exams, and collect attendance
ADVISORY CHAIR, MISSINFORMED
September 2021 - Present
Professional review and commentary of content, copy and projects, for a funded organization that aims to answer common health questions for women in a scientifically-backed and accessible way.
POET SPREAD LEADER,
WILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM & MCMASTER DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY MEDICINE
Sept 2019 - November 2021
Implement the 'Prevention of Error-based Transfers' project by encouraging adherence to Ontario's Health Care Consent Act (1996) in Long-Term Care facilities across Southern Ontario through education, consultation, and ethics support.
Supervisors: Dr. Paula Chidwick and Dr. Jill Oliver
Education
2021
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, BLAVATNIK SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
Values and Public Policy: Political Philosophy in Practice
-
Short course, completed
-
Emphasis on publicly funded fertility treatments
-
Final Grade: 93%
2017 - 2019
Master of Health Science in Bioethics
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO,
DALLA LANA SCHOOL OF
PUBLIC HEALTH
-
Department of Joint Centre for Bioethics
-
Practicum: Mount Sinai Hospital, Bioethics Department
-
Thesis Project: OBGYN perspectives regarding permanent contraception for childless single women under 30
-
GPA: 4.0
2011 - 2016
Honours Bachelor of Science
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO,
ST. GEORGE
-
Double majored in Human Biology: Health & Disease, and Bioethics
2008 - 2011
Master of Health Science in Bioethics
WESTMOUNT COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE
With a concentration on sciences and philosophy.
Awarded prizes in philosophy and leadership.
My Research
Invited Talks
EMBRYOLOGY SUMMIT - CANADIAN FERTILITY AND ANDROLOGY SOCIETY
2022
Abandoned Embryos and Gametes: Ethical Considerations
GATEKEEPER'S DILEMMA PANEL - CANADIAN FERTILITY AND ANDROLOGY SOCIETY
2022
Panel Discussion and Q&A: Fertility Management ‐ Who’s in Charge?
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO - FACULTY OF MEDICINE (ACADEMIC HALF DAY)
2022
Ethics of Termination of Pregnancy and Ethics of Fetal Viability
COOPERGENOMICS
2022
Abandoned Embryos: International Ethics and Law
MISSINFORMED – LAUNCH WEEK GALA
2021
Keynote Interview with Nipa Chauhan
JOINT CENTRE FOR BIOETHICS SEMINAR SERIES, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
2021
Paediatric Decision-Making in the Pandemic’s 4th Wave: Reconsidering paternalism
ENDOCRINOLOGY & FERTILITY MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL – ACADEMIC HALF DAY
2021
Fertility Bioethics Cases for Endocrinology Fellows
NEONATAL ICU, MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL – ACADEMIC HALF DAY
2021
Medical Error for Neonatologist Fellows
LONDON HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE – BIOETHICS GRAND ROUNDS
2020
Best of Intentions: Navigating paternalism and ageism during COVID-19
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD - EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF CENTRES OF MEDICAL ETHICS CONFERENCE 2019
2019
Beneficent Paternalism: A virtuous approach to the gatekeeper role held by obstetrician/gynaecologists for permanent contraception
CANADIAN BIOETHICS SOCIETY CONFERENCE 2019
2019
Beneficent Paternalism: A Qualitative Investigation of OBGYN Perspectives on Non-Clinical Objections to Tubal Sterilizations
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO - HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE 2019
2019
Café Bioethics Workshop: Biobanking and Gene-Editing Technology
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO - CENTRE FOR ETHICS GRADUATE CONFERENCE 2019
2019
Beneficent Paternalism: A virtuous approach to the gatekeeper role held by obstetrician/gynaecologists for permanent contraception
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM - GLOBAL ETHICS CONFERENCE 2019
2019
Beneficent paternalism: OB-GYN perspectives regarding permanent contraception for childless, single women under 30
CANADIAN BIOETHICS SOCIETY CONFERENCE 2018
2018
Resource Allocation of Publicly-Funded Fertility Treatments: A Grounded Theory Focus Group Study of Patients’ Perspectives
Publications
BIOETHICS
2022
Jones, C. A., Gotz, T., Chauhan, N.,
Goldstein, S., & Assal, A. (2022). Patients’ preferences for
distributing limited government‐funded IVF cycles. Bioethics,
1–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13003
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
2020
Jill Oliver, Paula Chidwick, Pamela Forsyth, Nipa Chauhan, Theresa Nitti, Henry Yu-Hin Siu,
Ethical Considerations During COVID-19: Informed Consent Cannot Be Made in Advance, Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, Volume 21, Issue 12, 2020, Pages 1815-1817, ISSN 1525-8610,
Volunteer Work
Clinical Support Specialist
PRINCESS MARGARET CANCER CENTRE
Patient height and weight determination,
Patient hospitality, emotional support
On demand for various miscellaneous purposes within Princess Margaret Hospital.
Graduate Student at Large, Board of Directors
CANADIAN BIOETHICS SOCIETY
Elected by fellow graduate and undergraduate students of the CBS
Representative of all bioethics-related graduate students acrossCanada
Involvement in CBS meetings, student liaison, event planning
Engage with fellow students to liven the bioethics community
Extensive conference planning and presentation, Halifax 2018 and Banff 2019
Advise and direct Canadian and American university representatives
Two-year term
President
UT-SWING
Organize weekly swing dance socials and beginner lessons for U of T students and members of the downtown Toronto area
Plan special theme events
Teach beginner swing dancing lessons
Vice-President and Co-founder
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO BIOETHICS SOCIETY
Lead an initiative dedicated to the bioethics student body
Further bioethics engagement for students in interdisciplinary fields like medicine, law, social work, nursing, scientific research etc.
Maintain a cohesive, governing student-lead body that connects the Joint Centre for Bioethics: Master of Health Sciences in Bioethics, Collaborative Program in Bioethics, the Bioethics undergraduate specialty and major in the Department of Philosophy, the Faculty of Medicine, Café Bioethics, and the Canadian Bioethics Society
Medical Ethicist
SOCIETY OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS OF CANADA, MEDICO-LEGAL ETHICS COMMITTEE
To provide opinions/analysis/directions on medico-legal topics for the Society and its members
To act as a resource committee to the president, the Council and the membership of the SOGC
To oversee the development and content of post-graduate courses in medico-legal aspects of the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology
To provide Policy Statements, Committee Opinions and Clinical Practice Guidelines with regards to area of reproduction and infertility
President and Founder
CAFÉ BIOETHICS
Founded a successful initiative dedicated to public engagement and the advancement of knowledge regarding bioethics issues
Present and lead a democratic discussion regarding various ethical issues in medicine
Plan and organize monthly events at Hart House, U of T
Invite relevant stakeholders and interested members of the public
Post and share relevant media articles on the official Facebook page
Become the public engagement facet for students at the University of Toronto Bioethics Society
Past events include topics such as: Paid Surrogacy, MAID and Mental Illness, Sex-selection, Conscientious Objections and MAID
Recognitions
GORDON CRESSY STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD
2019
In appreciation of outstanding voluntary service while a student at the University of Toronto
VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARD
2018
For outstanding service and contribution to the patients and families at Mount Sinai Hospital.
MARTIN MCKNEALLY CAPSTONE PROJECT AWARD
2018
For Patients' perspectives on allocation of publicly funded in vitro fertilization in Ontario: a qualitative study.
INNOVATION POSTER SHOWCASE
2018
For Patients' perspectives on allocation of publicly funded in vitro fertilization in Ontario: a qualitative study.