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Sharona Hoffman

Professor of health law and bioethics, Case Western Reserve University

I joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1999. I am the Edgar A. Hahn Professor of Law, Professor of Bioethics, and Co-Director of the Law-Medicine Center at the University. I hold a B.A. from Wellesley College, J.D. from Harvard Law School, LL.M. in Health Law from the University of Houston, and S.J.D. in Health Law (Doctorate of Juridical Science) from Case Western Reserve University.

I have published over sixty articles and book chapters on health law and civil rights issues. I have particular expertise in the areas of aging, disability, and health information technology, but I have written about many other topics as well. My work has appeared in the Georgetown Law Journal, William & Mary Law Review, and Boston College Law Review, among many other journals. I am also the author of two books: "Aging with a Plan: How a Little Thought Today Can Vastly Improve Your Tomorrow" (Praeger 2015) and "Electronic Health Records and Medical Big Data: Law and Policy" (Cambridge University Press 2016). I have lectured throughout the United States and internationally and have been widely quoted in the press. For further information see my website sharonahoffman.com.

Biased AI can be bad for your health – here's how to promote algorithmic fairness

Mar 10, 2021 00:13 am UTC| Technology Health

Artificial intelligence holds great promise for improving human health by helping doctors make accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions. It can also lead to discrimination that can harm minorities, women and economically...

Artificial intelligence in medicine raises legal and ethical concerns

Sep 06, 2019 07:46 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

The use of artificial intelligence in medicine is generating great excitement and hope for treatment advances. AI generally refers to computers ability to mimic human intelligence and to learn. For example, by using...

Physician burnout: Why legal and regulatory systems may need to step in

Jul 10, 2019 03:13 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

A career as a physician has traditionally been considered to be among the best vocations that talented students can pursue. That may no longer be the case. All too many doctors report that they are unhappy, frustrated and...

Health insurers want you to try cheaper drugs first, but that can hurt you

Jan 04, 2019 16:05 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Few people are familiar with the term step therapy, but most Americans have health insurance policies that adopt it. Step therapy programs, also known as fail first policies, require patients to try less expensive...

Our laws don't do enough to protect our health data

Oct 23, 2017 01:27 am UTC| Insights & Views Law Health

Have you ever wondered why your computer often shows you ads that seem tailor-made for your interests? The answer is big data. By combing through extremely large datasets, analysts can reveal patterns in your...

Economy

China Extends Gold Buying Streak as Reserves Surge Despite Volatile Prices

Chinas central bank has continued to strengthen its gold reserves, extending its buying streak to a 15th consecutive month in January, according to the latest data released by the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC). The move...

Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal

President Donald Trump has signed a landmark executive order removing the 25% penalty tariff on Indian goods, signaling a major shift in U.S.India trade relations and global geopolitical alignment. The move functions as...

Trump Signs Executive Order Threatening 25% Tariffs on Countries Trading With Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order that could impose tariffs of up to 25% on countries that continue to do business with Iran, marking a significant escalation in Washingtons pressure campaign...

U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains

The United States and India have taken a significant step toward a long-anticipated bilateral trade agreement by releasing an interim trade framework aimed at lowering tariffs, reshaping energy ties, and strengthening...

Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility

U.S. stocks surged on Friday, posting their strongest session since May 2025, as investors regained confidence following a turbulent week marked by sharp losses in technology shares and uncertainty around the artificial...

Politics

Ohio Man Indicted for Alleged Threat Against Vice President JD Vance, Faces Additional Federal Charges

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 33-year-old Ohio man accused of threatening to kill U.S. Vice President JD Vance during the vice presidents visit to the Ohio region in January, according to the...

New York Legalizes Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients

New York has officially joined a growing number of U.S. states allowing medical aid in dying after Governor Kathy Hochul signed landmark legislation into law on Friday. The new New York medical aid in dying law permits...

Trump Says “Very Good Talks” Underway on Russia-Ukraine War as Peace Efforts Continue

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that very good talks are ongoing regarding Russias war in Ukraine, signaling potential movement in long-running diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Speaking briefly to...

China Warns US Arms Sales to Taiwan Could Disrupt Trump’s Planned Visit

China has issued a strong warning to the United States, signaling that any additional arms sales to Taiwan could seriously jeopardize U.S. President Donald Trumps planned visit to China in April. According to a report...

Trump Allows Commercial Fishing in Protected New England Waters

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation permitting commercial fishing in a previously restricted marine protected area off the coast of New England, a move that has sparked renewed debate over ocean...

Science

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

Technology

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang reaffirmed his bullish stance on artificial intelligence, calling the massive capital expenditure flowing into AI infrastructure both appropriate and necessary as the industry...

Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) delivered a mixed but closely watched earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations on revenue while unveiling a massive long-term investment plan that unsettled investors. The e-commerce and...

Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch

Major PC manufacturers including HP, Dell, Acer, and Asus are reportedly exploring the option of sourcing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor companies for the first time, as a prolonged global supply crunch continues...

OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering

OpenAI is significantly accelerating its enterprise AI strategy by hiring hundreds of new employees for its technical consulting division, according to a report by The Information, citing a person familiar with the...

SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) shares tumbled sharply on Thursday, tracking a steep decline in Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) after the UK-based chip designer reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the December quarter....