Douglas B. White

Douglas B. White is a Professor of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, holding the UPMC Endowed Chair for Ethics in Critical Care Medicine. He serves as Vice-Chair for Faculty Development and Director of the Program on Ethics and Decision Making in Critical Illness at the CRISMA Center. His research focuses on surrogate decision-making ethics and interventions to improve end-of-life care in ICUs.

• Education: Summa cum laude graduate in English Literature from Dartmouth College (1995), MD from UCSF (1999), Master’s in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from UCSF.

His empirical research program examines factors affecting surrogate decision-making and develops interventions for critically ill patients. He collaborates with experts in bioethics, law, philosophy, and biostatistics, supported by NIH funding. His normative work addresses resource allocation, futility disputes, clinician conscience refusals, and decision-making for patients without surrogates.

Dr. White has received numerous honors, including the Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholar Award, Grenvik Family Award, and election to the Association of American Physicians. He has also delivered lectures at prestigious institutions like Johns Hopkins and the University of Toronto.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Summa Cum Laude, Dartmouth College (1995)
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society (1999)
  • Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholar Award (2008)
  • UPMC Endowed Chair for Ethics in Critical Care Medicine (2012)
  • Goldman-Berland Lectureship (2018)
  • Association of American Physicians (2024)