Celia Fisher, PhD

Faculty Affiliate; Founding Editor, Applied Developmental Science

Celia B. Fisher, PhD, is the Marie Ward Doty Endowed University Chair and Professor of Psychology, and founding Director of the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education. She currently directs the NIDA funded Fordham University Training Institute on HIV Prevention Research Ethics.

She has served as Chair of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Human Studies Review Board, the DHHS Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP; Subcommittee on Children’s Research), the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code Task Force, the New York State Licensing Board for Psychology, the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Common Rule Task Force, and the American Public Health Association Ethics Code Committee. She is a member of the external advisory board of the NIH Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, and served on the Consensus Panel of the American Psychological Association Therapeutic Responses to Gender Nonconformity, Gender Dysphoria, and Sexual Orientation Distress in Children and Adolescents, the National Academies' Committee on Revisions to the Common Rule for the Protection of Human Subjects in Research in the Behavioral and Social Sciences, the IOM Committee on Ethical Review and Oversight Issues in Research Involving Standard of Care Interventions, the IOM Committee on Clinical Research Involving Children.

A founding editor of the journal Applied Developmental Science, Dr. Fisher is the author of Decoding the Ethics Code: A Practical Guide for Psychologists (4th edition, 2017, Sage Publications); co-editor of eight books, including The Handbook of Ethical Research with Ethnocultural Populations and Communities (2006, Sage Publications) and Research with High-Risk Populations: Balancing Science, Ethics, and Law (2009, APA Publications); and over 170 theoretical and empirical publications in the areas of ethics in medical and social science research and practice and life-span development. Dr. Fisher is well-known for her federally funded research programs focusing on ethical issues and well-being of vulnerable populations, including ethnic minority youth and families, active drug users, college students at risk for drinking problems, LGBT youth and adults with impaired consent capacity. She received the American Psychological Association’s 2017 Outstanding Contributions to Ethics Education Award, the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Human Research Protection and was named a 2012 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Education

1970 BS Human Development Cornell University
1975 MA Experimental Psychology Graduate Faculty New School for Social Research
1978 PhD Experimental Psychology Graduate Faculty New School for Social Research
1978–1979 Post-Doctoral Infant Research Princeton University

Honors

American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Committee Ethics Educator Award, 2017
Health Improvement Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Human Research Protection, 2011
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2012
Presidential Citation, American Psychological Association, 2003
Marie Ward Doty Chair and Professor of Psychology, Fordham University, 2003
Distinguished Alumni Award, Graduate Faculty, New School University, 2004
Fellow, Society for the Study of Ethnic Minority Issues, Division 45, American Psychological Association, 2006

Current Research

Ethics in HIV Prevention Research Involving LGBT Youth (Co-PI; NIMHD R01MD009561)
Increasing AIAN Research Engagement through A Culturally Adapted Ethics Training (Co-PI; NICHD 1R01HD082181)
Fordham HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute (PI; NIDA 1R25DA031608)

Completed Research (selected)

Ethical Challenges for Research Extenders Responsible for the Integrity of Community Addiction Research (PI; NCRR 1R21RR026302)
Participant Perspectives on HIV/Drug Research Ethics (Co-PI; NDA 1 RO1 DA015649-01A2)
Fordham Resident Alcohol Prevention Program (PI; NIAAA 1U18 AA025912)
Fordham Athlete Alcohol Prevention Initiative (PI; DOE)
Mentoring the Responsible Conduct of Research(PI; NINDS 1 R01 NS 052877)
Assessment and Enhancement of Research Consent Capacity for Adults with Mental Retardation (PI; NICHD HD 39332-02)

Publications

View Pubmed Publications

Fisher, C. B. (2017). Decoding the Ethics Code: A Practical Guide for Psychologists, Fourth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Fisher, C. B., Arbeit, M., Dumont, M., Macapagal, K., & Mustanski, B. (2016). Self-consent for HIV prevention research involving sexual and gender minority youth: Reducing barriers through evidence-based ethics. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 11, first published online 3.7.16 DOI: 10.1177/1556264616633963
Macapagal, K., Coventry, R., Arbeit, M., Fisher, C. B.& Mustanski, B. (2016). “I won’t out myself just to do a survey”: Sexual and gender minority adolescent’s perspectives on the risks and benefits of sex research. Archives of Sexual Behavior. Online July 28, 2016 DOI 10.1007/s10508-016-0784-5
Fisher, C. B. (2015). Enhancing the responsible conduct of sexual health prevention research across global and local contexts: Training for evidence-based research ethics. Ethics &Behavior, 25 (2). DOI: 10.1080/10508422.2014.948956
Fisher, C. B. & Yuko, E. (2015). The HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute: Training early-career scientists to conduct research on research ethics Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 10(5), 470-480.
Fisher, C. B. & Mustanski, B. (2014) Reducing health disparities and enhancing the responsible conduct of research involving LGBT youth. Hastings Center Report, 5, 28-31. PMID: 25231783, PMCID: 4617525
Fisher, C. B. (2014). HIV Prevention Research Ethics: An Introduction to the Special Issue. Journal Of Empirical Research On Human Research Ethics, 9(1), 1-5. PMID: 24572078
Fisher, C.B., True, G., Alexander, L., & Fried, A.L. (2013). Moral stress, moral practice, and ethical climate in community-based drug use research: Views from the frontline. American Journal of Bioethics Primary Research, 4(3), 27-38.
Fisher, C. B. (2013). Confidentiality and disclosure in non-intervention adolescent risk research. Applied Developmental Science, 17 (2), 1-6
Fisher, C. B. (2013). Human rights and psychologists’ involvement in assessments related to death penalty cases. Ethics & Behavior, 23 (1), 58-61.
Fisher, C.B., Brunnquell, D.J., Hughes, D.L., Maholmes, V., Plattner, P. Russell, S.T., Liben, S., & Susman, E.J. (2013). Preserving and enhancing the responsible conduct of research involving children and youth: A response to proposed changes in federal regulations. Social Policy Report, 27 (1), 3-15. http://www.srcd.org/sites/default/files/spr_27-1.pdf
Fisher, C. B. & McCarthy, E. L. (2013). Ethics in prevention science involving genetic testing. [Special issue] Prevention Science, 14, 310-318. PMID: 23354905
Fisher, C. B., Busch-Rossnagel, N.B., Jopp, D.S., & Brown, J.L. (2012). Applied developmental science, social justice and socio-political well-being. Applied Developmental Science, 16(1), 54-64.

Television

MSNBC (2014, October 18). Discrimination 'mounting' on West African Immigrants [video file].[Transcript] Melissa Harris-Perry.
ABC7 (2015, April 30). Fordham's Celia Fisher on ABC-NY on the Ethics of the Sofia Vergara Embryo Suit [video file]. Eyewitness News, New York.
Al Jazeera America (2013,November 4). Collect it all: America’s surveillance state [video file]. Faultline.
Fox News (2005, June 9). Gene imaging: miracle or menace? Your World with Neil Cavuto.

Print and Web

Svenska Dagbladet. (2016, January 15). Social Justice and hyper-masculinity.
The Washington Post (2015, November 23). Charlie Sheen put a spotlight on HIV and sex workers. But here’s what’s missing from the conversation.
Ampersand (2015,October 29). Unpacking the NPRM: expanding exemptions.
Ethics & Society (2015, October 19). NIH’s new definition of ‘children’ finally gets it right: a welcome change for children’s health equity (written by Dr. Celia B. Fisher.).
Huffington Post (2015, October 16). Federal Government Report Calls for End to Conversion Therapy.
The Huffington Post (2015,October 16). Stop Conversion Therapy – It’s Based on Pseudo-Science.
The Advocate (2015, October 15). Feds: ‘Harmful’ Conversion Therapy Must Be Stopped.
Ethics & Society (2015, September 3). Minimal risk and minimal experience: can researchers competently navigate OHRP’s new risk categories?(written by Dr. Celia B. Fisher).
Ethics & Society (2015, June 15). When are researchers accomplices to a crime? Navigating moral boundaries(written by Dr. Celia B. Fisher).
Associated Foreign Press (2015, May 5). TV star Vergara speaks out over embryo custody battle.
Clinical Leader (2015, March 13). Paying Clinical Trial Participants: Best or Worst Practice?
Psych Central (2014, December 1). Ethical Parenting: Parent-Child Conflict.
Ampersand (2014, August 19). Discovering research ethics scales and measures (written by Dr. Celia B. Fisher & Dr. Elizabeth Yuko).
SciDevNet (2014,February 18). View on Disability: Trials Exclude Vulnerable People.
Ethics & Society (2013, August 19). Advance directives for research involving adults with advancing dementia (written by Dr. Celia B. Fisher).
Vox.com (2013, August 13). Was it ethical for missionaries to be treated for Ebola before the Liberians they were serving?
The Jewish Channel (2013, April 24). Investigation Reveals Additional Questionable Identity with Connections to Broyde’s Scholarship.
The Root (2013, September 18). Can a Racist Grandpa Raise a Biracial Kid?
Ethics & Society (2013, May 17). Are psychologists violating their Ethics Code by conducting death penalty evaluations for defendants with mental disabilities? (written by Dr. Celia B. Fisher).
The New York Post (2012, December 2). Experts split on getting involved.
Pittsburgh Tribune Review (2011, October 12). Gateway superintendent’s e-mail scrutinized.
AHC Media (2011, July 1). Ethics mentoring – lead by policy & example.
The Carnegie Council (2007, December 17). Interview with Celia B. Fisher, Director, Center for Ethics Education.
gradPSYCH (2007, September). Balancing risk and research.
The Associated Press (2007, July 22). School conducts anti-phishing research.
Science Magazine (2006, May 12). A cure for the common trial.
Fox News (2006, March 24). Extreme health care? Reality TV show features cutting edge medicine.
New York Daily News (2005, September 20). Gender test gives mom the news at 5 weeks.
Health Day (2005, August 5). Dog cloning could lead to insights into human disease.
New York Daily News (2005, July 22). Shari’s kin renew plea for liver.
Web Pro News(2005, June 25). FDA approves heart failure drug for black patients.
Health Day (2005, June 24). Heart drug approved for Blacks raises race issue.
USA Today (2003, May 5). Teen alcohol study coming under fire from ethicists.
AHC Media (2003, February 1). Experts say Clonaid isn’t likely to have cloned baby.
Philippine Daily Inquirer (2003, January 4). Creating humanoids by cloning unethical and deplorable.
The New York Times (2002, June 30). NJ &CO.; Making a Match.
New York Daily News (2001, August 8). Doc vows he’ll clone 200 soon.
Christian Science Monitor (2001, August 6). In codes of privacy, new cracks.
Philadelphia Inquirer (1999, August 16). Keeping therapists and patients apart, American Psychological Association may tighten rules on sexual involvement.

Programs

Bioethics