Paul Scherz

Paul Scherz is the Our Lady of Guadalupe Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, holding appointments in the Department of Theology within the College of Arts and Letters. His interdisciplinary work bridges theology, science, medicine, and technology, focusing on virtue ethics—particularly Stoic ethics—in moral theology.

Dr. Scherz earned a BA in molecular and cell biology from UC Berkeley (2001), a PhD in genetics from Harvard (2005), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF. He later obtained an MTS and PhD in moral theology from Notre Dame (2010, 2014). Prior to his current role, he taught at the Catholic University of America and the University of Virginia.

His research interests include bioethics (genetic technologies, end-of-life ethics), technology ethics (AI governance, algorithmic risk), and the historical influence of Stoic philosophy on Christian ethics. Notable publications include The Ethics of Precision Medicine (2024) and Tomorrow’s Troubles (2022), exploring risk ethics and algorithmic governance. He co-edits the Encountering Artificial Intelligence series with the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture.

Current projects address AI ethics, particularly virtue ethics frameworks for military AI and the anthropological implications of algorithmic systems. He critiques depersonalization in healthcare AI and advocates for ethical integration of scientific advancements with moral prudence.

His work examines intersections between science and theology, including Laudato Si’-inspired ecological ethics and the moral formation of scientists in big data contexts. He has contributed to debates on CRISPR technology, brain death criteria, and the commodification of human tissue in vaccine development.