Shelly Simana's research lies at the intersection of bioethics and law, addressing ethical and legal challenges that arise as a consequence of scientific advancements in genetics, reproductive technologies, and biotechnology. Central to her research are two intertwined questions: what impact do advances in genetics, reproduction, and biotechnology have on individuals and society; and, how does the law shape this impact? These advances hold the potential to revolutionize health and well-being—but only if the law is set on a path that allows them to do so.
Simana's work has been published in UC Irvine Law Review, Yale Journal of Law & Technology, Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Journal of Medical Ethics, Bioethics, and Current Stem Cell Reports, and has been cited by the New York State Supreme Court.
Prior to joining BC Law, Simana was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford Law School, as well as a doctoral candidate at Harvard Law School. While pursuing her doctoral degree, Simana served as a teaching fellow at Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She was also a research associate in the Program on Science, Technology, and Society (STS) at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Prior to her doctoral studies, Shelly was a visiting scholar in the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a clerk in Israel's High Court of Justice Department at the State Attorney’s Office, and an associate attorney at S. Horowitz & Co., focusing on health law regulation.
