She shares her experiences in a book, (Carolina Academic Press, 2014), and in an upcoming Suter Science Seminar titled “The Changing World of Transplant Ethics” at ��ݮ����. She speaks Monday Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. in the Suter Science Center.

“It is critical for students in our undergraduate and to critically evaluate bioethical issues such as those espoused by Dr. Fry-Revere,” said professor , PhD, who teaches in both programs. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to learn of the global issues surrounding this topic from an expert, especially since we will be discussing transplant ethics in our graduate MA in biomedicine seminar this semester.”

Fry-Revere’s seminar is co-sponsored by EMU’s . “We’re committed to ethics and social justice here at EMU, and in developing in our students the critical analysis and communication skills to analyze these issues in a variety of professions,” said , vice president and dean of graduate studies. “Fry-Revere brings important lessons to our learning community in both of those topics.”

Proposing a solution to the organ shortage

Currently a medical ethicist on the Organ and Tissue Advisory Committee of the Washington Regional Transplant Community, Fry-Revere runs two nonprofit organizations and has been widely tapped as an expert in many medical issues in a variety of national and international media outlets.

Her 2014 begins with the story of her 10-month-old son, who developed kidney cancer. She was a willing donor, Fry-Revere shares, but not everyone is so fortunate: “The world average is about four organs available for every 100 people in need,” she said. “… Because more than 99 percent are too ill, too injured, or too far from a hospital when they die for their organs to be of use for transplant, so until we can grow organs in a lab, our only realistic option for reducing the organ shortage is to increase the number of living organ donors.”

How can we do this without risking exploitation of poor people at home and abroad? she asks.

Fry-Revere says Iran has a “well-funded, legal and safe alternative” to a black market system. In Iran, the donation process is managed by non-profits and donors are compensated both with cash but also other benefits like health insurance, loans and education, should be replicated.

‘Dying needlessly’

One goal of her life’s work is “help people think realistically about helping the more than 100,000 Americans actively waiting for a kidney before they die needlessly after languishing on dialysis,” the author shares in a .

Fry-Revere is founder of , dedicated to finding practical answers to the difficult questions of medical ethics and health policy, including politicized issues of organ shortage, doctor/patient-directed pain management, the state of medical care available to veterans, and end-of-life healthcare. She is also founder of , a nonprofit organization working to increase live organ donation and reduce the number of Americans purchasing organs on the black market.

An alumna of Smith College with a degree in philosophy and government, Fry-Revere earned her MA, JD and PhD from Georgetown. She has practiced bioethics, health and Federal Drug Administration-related law, and held academic positions related to bioethics at University of Virginia’s Center for Biomedical Ethics and George Mason University’s College of Nursing and Health Science. She was most recently director of bioethics studies at the Cato Institute.

The series features regular lectures by experts in their field. The next lecture is Oct. 2 with author, activist and educator Todd Wynward.

Matherly will present a case study of a patient’s journey from cirrhosis to liver failure and finally liver transplantation. He speaks Friday, Sept. 11, at 4 p.m. in the Suter Science Center, Room 106.

Cirrhosis of the liver is a common condition affecting over 600,000 adults in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control. This illness can have devastating and often fatal consequences if left untreated. Liver transplantation represents the best method to cure cirrhosis and prevent its long term complications.

“Dr. Matherly’s seminar will provide an excellent introduction to this disease,” said , director of the program, co-sponsor of the lecture. “He is a nationally recognized authority on liver function and has had extensive experience in liver transplantation. Both students and the public should find this an hour well-spent, and good background for the Sept. 21 lecture about transplant ethics.”

The will be presented by Sigrid Fry-Revere, JD, PhD, an ethicist with the Washington Regional Transplant Community and author of “The Kidney Sellers: A Journey of Discovery in Iran.”

An assistant professor of medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, Matherly is co-director of the gastroenterology and hepatology curriculum. He attended medical school at the University of South Carolina before completing residency in internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He finished his training with fellowships in both gastroenterology and transplant hepatology at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The —which are free and open to the public– cover a range of topics, from medicine and health care to conservation, biology, the philosophy of science and the intersection of faith and science. Most begin with refreshments and opportunities to meet the presenters.

Included as part of the lecture series are two symposia for undergraduate students in the STEM programs, including a .

Suter Science Seminar presentations are made possible by the sponsorship of the and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs.