O. Carter Snead

O. Carter Snead is a law professor at Notre Dame, director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture, and one of the world’s leading experts on public bioethics – the governance of science, medicine, and biotechnology in the name of ethical goods. His research explores questions relating to neuroethics, enhancement, human embryo research, assisted reproduction, abortion, and endof-life decision-making. In addition to his scholarship and teaching, Snead has provided advice on the legal and public policy dimensions of bioethical issues to officials in all three branches of the U.S. government. Prior to joining the law faculty at Notre Dame, Snead served as general counsel to The President’s Council on Bioethics (chaired by Leon R. Kass), where he was the primary drafter of the 2004 report, “Reproduction and Responsibility: The Regulation of New Biotechnologies.” He is also the author of What It Means to be Human: The Case for the Body in Public Bioethics (Harvard University Press, October 2020).