Sophia Fantus

Sophia Fantus, PhD, MSW, is Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) jointly appointed in the School of Social Work and the Department of Public Affairs & Planning. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Ethics at Baylor College of Medicine / Houston Methodist Hospital and holds graduate degrees from the University of Toronto (PhD Social Work & Bioethics) and New York University (MSW).

Education:

• PhD Social Work & Bioethics, University of Toronto, 2017
• MSW Policy & Practice, New York University, 2009
• Honors BA Religion & Bioethics, University of Toronto, 2007

Research & Scholarship: Fantus leads an interdisciplinary program situated at the intersection of social work, bioethics, and public health. Her four core streams are (1) LGBTQ+ inclusivity and reproductive health ethics, (2) moral distress/injury and well-being among health professionals, (3) moral resilience and self-care interventions, and (4) innovative ethics education for inter-professional teams. Recent projects integrate AI-ethics, VR pedagogy, and spirituality-based interventions to reduce burnout across nursing, social work, and chaplaincy.

Publications & Impact: Since 2013 she has authored >60 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and reviews. Her 2024-25 output explores moral injury among IPV/sexual-assault workers, AI ethics for clinicians, and gestational surrogacy after Dobbs v Jackson. Work appears in Nursing Ethics, Journal of Family Violence, Digital Health, British Journal of Social Work, and American Journal of Bioethics.

Grants & Awards: Funded by NIH/NIA ($323k), UT System, and internal UTA awards ($10k Faculty Fellows; $5k Moore Professorship). Notable submissions under review include NIH proposals on ethical multimodal AI for genetic discovery and AHRQ projects on virtual behavioral-health equity.

Teaching & Mentorship: Regularly teaches Death & Dying, Qualitative Research Methods, Diverse Populations, and Thesis/Dissertation seminars. Has chaired or served on >20 MSW/PhD committees and mentors post-docs, medical students, and graduate researchers.

Service & Leadership: Chairs the Aging Curriculum Committee, serves on UT System and hospital ethics boards, is Treasurer of the ASBH Social Work Affinity Group, and reviews for >25 journals. Community roles include board membership at Sixty & Better and the Tarrant County Ethics Consortium.