Clinical Ethicist / Assistant Clinical Professor
University of California San Diego Health
La Jolla, California
Daniel Edward Callies, PhD is an Assistant Clinical Professor at UC San Diego’s School of Medicine where he lectures on topics related to clinical ethics. He is also the Ethics Program Manager and Clinical Ethicist for the UC San Diego Health System. Prior to joining UCSD, he was the Senior Clinical Ethics Fellow for the UCLA Health System, a Postdoctoral Scholar at UCSD’s Institute for Practical Ethics, the Bernheim Postdoctoral Fellow in Social Responsibility at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and a Predoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard University. He earned his PhD from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.
Dr. Callies’ research falls under the broad umbrella of practical ethics, with a current focus on issues related to medical decision-making capacity, just health care resource allocation, and physician obligations with respect to futile medical treatment. He is also widely published in the sub-discipline of environmental bioethics. His first book (Climate Engineering: A Normative Perspective) came out in 2019 with Lexington Books, and his articles have been published in well-regarded academic journals such as: Bioethics; Journal of Applied Philosophy; American Journal of Bioethics; Politics, Philosophy, & Economics; and Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics.
With an enthusiasm for teaching, Dr. Callies has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in ethics, politics, and critical thinking, and has lectured on clinical ethics at both UCLA and UCSD’s School of Medicine. In his role as UCSD’s Clinical Ethicist, he works with patients, families and treating teams to provide equitable, just, and compassionate healthcare.
When not engaged in scholarship, teaching, or clinical duties, Dr. Callies can be found golfing, backpacking, and surfing throughout Southern California.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Friday, October 24, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Pacific Time