Kelly Gillespie

Kelly Gillespie is a Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Health Law Studies at Saint Louis University's School of Law. She holds a PhD in Health Care Ethics, JD, and BSN from Saint Louis University. Her expertise spans health law, ethics, and policy, with a focus on public health policy, controlled substances, pandemic ethics, and health inequities. She also holds a secondary appointment at the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics.

Education: PhD in Health Care Ethics (2015), Juris Doctorate (2004), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1991), all from Saint Louis University.

Research Interests: Controlled substances law, health inequities, bioethics, pain management, and healthcare policy. She has published extensively in law journals and interdisciplinary outlets, co-editing works on prescription drug diversion and pain policy.

Award Highlights: SLU Research Institute Fellow (2023-2024), Robert W. Meserve Award (2021), and Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Teaching Award (2021). She has served on the NIH Partnership Consultation Board and chaired the ABA Opioid Crisis Task Force.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Center for Health Law Studies, a nationally ranked program, and collaborates with the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to healthcare challenges, including opioid policy reform and pandemic ethics.