The Ethics Committee is comprised of thirteen (13) members, except for the commissioner who shall serve as an ex officio member. Six (6) members shall be appointed by the governor, two (2) shall be appointed on the nomination of the temporary president of the senate, two (2) shall be appointed on the nomination of the speaker of the assembly, one (1) shall be appointed on the nomination of the senate minority leader and one (1) shall be appointed on the nomination of the assembly minority leader. A member of the ethics committee shall also serve on the funding committee.

13 Members

James V. McDonald M.D., M.P.H.,(link is external)_[1] Commissioner, New York State Department of Health
 
Jean M. Baric-Parker, D. BE, is an Adjunct Faculty member at St. Bernard’s School of Theology and Ministry, in Rochester, NY, where she teaches graduate level Bioethics. Baric-Parker received her Doctorate in Bioethics from Loyola University – Chicago, with a concentration in Research Ethics. Her professional interests lie in beginning-of-life ethical issues, particularly relating to the 14-Day Rule for human embryonic stem cell research and human oocyte donation. She serves on the Ethics Committee of the Catholic Medical Association and the Linacre Quarterly Review’s Editorial Advisory Board. She has served on Institutional Review Boards at the University of Rochester and the Eastman Institute for Oral Health. Baric-Parker also holds graduate degrees in Theology (Holy Apostles College) and Dental Public Health (Boston University) and is certified by the National Catholic Bioethics Center.
 
Richard H. Dees, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Bioethics at the University of Rochester, where he also chairs the Steering Committee for Public Health-Related Majors and directs the bioethics program. His current research focuses on issues at the intersection of neurology and ethics, on ethical issues in organ transplants, and on the justification of public health initiatives. He also has continuing research interests in the social and conceptual foundations of liberal institutions and practices, especially those surrounding toleration, which is the subject of his book, Trust and Toleration. In addition, he works at the University of Rochester Medical Center with the clinical ethics program, the solid organ transplant teams, and the hospital ethics committee, and outside of Rochester, he serves on the Regenerative Medicine Research Advisory Committee for the State of Connecticut.
 
Robert Klitzman, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry (in Socio-medical Sciences) in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Joseph Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. He co-founded and for five years co-directed the Columbia University Center for Bioethics, and is currently the Director of the Ethics, Policy and Human Rights Core of the HIV Center, and a member of the Division of Psychiatry, Law and Ethics at Columbia. Dr. Klitzman has written numerous articles and book chapters, as well as six books, examining ethical, social, psychological and policy issues related to stem cells, research ethics, genetic testing, reproductive decision-making, privacy of genetic and other health information, Institutional Review Board decision-making, professional education and other areas. His most recent book, "Am I My Genes?: Confronting Fate and Family Secrets in the Age of Genetic Testing," was published in 2012. He has also engaged in public education in medical ethics, and has written about these issues for the New York Times and other publications. Dr. Klitzman has received several honors and awards for his work, including fellowships from the Aaron Diamond Foundation, the American Psychiatric Association, the Russell Sage Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund and the Rockefeller Foundation.
 
H. Hugh Maynard-Reid, D.Min., B.C.C., C.A.S.A.C., is Director of the Pastoral Care Department in the North Brooklyn Health Network, Health and Hospitals Corporation of New York City. He is a Board Certified Chaplain and a Credentialed Addiction and Substance Abuse Counselor by the State of New York. He also is certified in Human and Medical Bioethics. Previously, Rev. Dr. Maynard-Reid served as a minister for 15 years in New York City. He was also the Associate Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Studies at Northern Caribbean University (formerly West Indies College), and Adjunct Professor at Andrews University. He is a member of the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law and the Association of Professional Chaplains. He is an Advisory Member of Catholic Health Services of Long Island Pastoral Education and Chaplaincy Services. He served at North Brooklyn Network as a member of the Institutional Review Board and human research committee and is a member of the Ethics Committee. As a member of the Brooklyn Ecumenical Advisory, his community services work centers on community leaders' health education.
 
Camille P. Wicher, Ph.D., Esq., R.N., M.S.N., is the Vice President of Clinical Operations, Corporate Ethics and Research Subject Protection at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. She advises scientists, clinicians and the administration regarding ethical practices and scientific integrity within all facets of the Institute; and offers advice and counsel on issues related to patient advocacy, corporate compliance, risk management, human resources and business practices. Ms. Wicher supports ethics programs; monitors compliance with values and ethical conduct guidelines; facilitates an open environment in which employees feel comfortable bringing ethical issues forward; enhances the visibility of topics related to human subjects in health research, health law and policy for research; and offers training and professional development across departmental disciplines. She also chairs the Institute’s Corporate Ethics & Clinical Ethics Committee and the Institutional Conflicts of Interest Committee. She co-Chairs the Joint University of Buffalo/Roswell Park Cancer Institute Stem Cell Research Committee. She continues her commitment to rigorous programs in protection of research subjects and scientific integrity. Since 2002 she has been responsible for administrative oversight as the Institutional Official for the Roswell Park Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Ms. Wicher joined the staff of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in 1997 as Counsel for Risk Management and Corporate Compliance. She is the former chair of the Professional Liability Committee and serves on 12 additional Institute committees, has published several articles, and serves on the NYS Surrogate Decision Making Committee. Ms. Wicher earned her PhD in May 2013 in the area of end of life ethics through the University Of Buffalo School Of Nursing.

The members serve without compensation but are allowed the necessary and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Estimated expenses below are based on travel expenses between the member's home and the Empire State Plaza or Metropolitan Area Regional Office where board meetings are held.

Costs FY 2020-21: $0
Costs FY 2021-22: $0
Costs FY 2022-23 $0
Est. Costs FY 2023-24: $0

The Board has no plans to meet further and is repealed as of 2025; accordingly, there are no plans to fill vacancies should they occur.