Center for Bioethics

Dr. Halverson is a faculty investigator at the Indiana University Center for Bioethics and assistant professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.  He is a faculty member of the Bioethics and Participant Advocacy Program of the Indiana CTSI.

Dr. Halverson received his bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College. He went on to receive his master’s in Social Sciences and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Chicago. Dr. Halverson completed two postdoctoral fellowships, one at MacLean Center at the University of Chicago and another at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Halverson's research interests include ethics and genetics, return of genetic and diagnostic testing results, health communication and linguistics, communicating risk and uncertainty, and patient education. Dr. Halverson employs ethnographic and other social scientific research methods as they pertain to clinical identity, diagnosis, and patient communication.

Recent Courses: 

GRDM - G504 - Introduction to Research Ethics 

Selected Guest Lectures: 

• “Return of Research Findings,” Indiana University Medical School
• “Mock Bioethics Meeting,” Indiana University Business School
• “Police Powers in the Clinic,” Medical Ethics and Professionalism, Indiana University Medical School
• “Hateful Patients,” Indiana University Medical School

Genetic Testing

Selected Publications:

• Halverson CME, Wessinger BS, Wright Clayton E, Wiesner GL. (2020). Patients’ willingness to reconsider cancer genetic testing after initially declining: Mention it again. Journal of Genetic Counseling 29(18): 18-24.
• Halverson CME, Bland ST, Leppig KA, Marasa M, Myers M, Rasouly HM, Wynn J, Clayton EW. (under review). Ethical Conflicts in Translational Genetic Research: Lessons Learned from the eMERGE-III Experience. Genetics in Medicine 22: 1667-72.
• Halverson CME, Clift KE, McCormick JB (2016). Was it worth it? Patients’ perspectives on the perceived value of genomic-based individualized medicine. Journal of Community Genetics 7(2):145-152.

Selected Grants:

Precision Health Initiative, Indiana University Grand Challenges Program

• Role: Supported faculty
• Dates: 2019 – present
• Funder: Indiana University School of Medicine
• Description: To understand and optimize the prevention, treatment, and health outcomes of human diseases through a precise definition of the genetic, developmental, behavioral and environmental factors that contribute to health.

Clinical Pragmatics: Revisiting Communication Concerns in Medical Genetics (Engaged Anthropology Grant)

• Role: Principle Investigator
• Dates: 2018
• Funder: Wenner-Gren Foundation
• Description: Return to Mayo Clinic in order to discuss the results and implications of dissertation work, including issues that have emerged regarding coercion, paternalism, and power in medical communication.

Return of Individual Research Results

Selected Publications:

• Halverson CME, Jones SH, Novak L, Simpson C, Velez Edwards DR, Zhao SK, Clayton EW (2020). What Results Should Be Returned from Opportunistic Screening in Translational Research?Journal of Personalized Medicine 10(13).
• Clift KE, Halverson CME, Fiksdal AS, Kumbamu A, Sharp RR, McCormick JB (2015). Patients’ views on incidental findings from clinical exome sequencing. Applied & Translational Genomics 4: 38–43.
• Halverson CME, Ross LF (2012). Attitudes of African-American parents about biobank participation and return of results for themselves and their children. Journal of Medical Ethics 38:561-566.
• Halverson CME, Ross LF (2012). Engaging African-Americans about biobanks and the return of research results. Journal of Community Genetics 3(4):275-283.
• Halverson CME, Ross LF (2012). Incidental findings of therapeutic misconception in biobank-based research. Genetics in Medicine 14(6):611-615.

Healthcare Communication and Language

Selected Publications:

• Halverson CME. (2019). Evidence and Expertise in Genetic Nomenclatures. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 29(3): 314-331.
• Halverson CME. (2019). Standards and Legacies: Pragmatic Constraints on a Uniform Genetic Nomenclature. Social Studies of Science 49(3): 432-455.
• Morris M, Inselman J, Rogers JMG, Halverson C, Branda M, Griffin JM (2018). How do patients describe their disabilities? A coding system for categorizing patients' descriptions. Disability and Health Journal 11: 310-314.