Leavitt puts doctor at U. on research panel

Pediatrician and medical ethics expert Dr. Jeffrey Botkin, University of Utah associate vice president for research integrity, has been named to a federal panel that works to protect humans who are the subjects of scientific and medical research.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt announced the appointments of Botkin and six other new members to the 11-member Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections.

Botkin is also a professor of pediatrics and medical ethics, and an adjunct professor of human genetics and internal medicine. He is nationally known for his research focusing on the ethical, legal and social implications of genetic technology with an emphasis on research ethics, genetic testing for cancer susceptibility, newborn screening and prenatal diagnosis.