Whitny Braun, PhD

Whitny Braun is a professor and bioethicist who has been featured on the National Geographic Channel television program "Taboo", on NPR and other news outlets and is known for her research into the the Jain practice of Sallekhana, the Parsi practice of Dakhmenashini and reproductive technologies through the lens of comparative religion. Additionally Braun has published on the topic of healthcare in the American prison system, specifically with regard to organ donation and the death penalty. Her current research focuses on the ongoing legal battle over Sallekhana in the Indian courts and possible American legal precedent for the practice. She has spoken at several international conferences about Christian, Jewish and Muslim philosophical approaches to artificial reproductive technology, specifically heterologous embryo transfer and the embryo industry in the United States as well as the ethics of disaster management strategies in Haiti.She splits her time between Southern California and the Sierra Nevadas near Yosemite National Park and is an avid Airstream enthusiast and collector.