Ellen Wright Clayton

Source: http://law.vanderbilt.edu

Ellen Wright Clayton, M.D., J.D. was the chair to the Institute of Medicine committee assembled to examine Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and contributed her expertise to the February 2015, Institute of Medicine report, Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Redefining an Illness.

The following biographical sketch is from Appendix E of the Institute of Medicine report, Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Redefining an Illness.

"Ellen Wright Clayton, M.D., J.D. (Chair) is an internationally respected leader in the field of law and genetics who holds appointments in both the law and medical schools at Vanderbilt University, where she also co-founded the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society. She has published 2 books and more than 100 scholarly articles and chapters in medical journals, interdisciplinary journals, and law journals on the intersection of law, medicine, and public health. In addition, she has collaborated with faculty and students throughout Vanderbilt and in many institutions around the country and the world on interdisciplinary research projects and has helped to develop policy statements for numerous national and international organizations. An active participant in policy debates, she has advised the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as well as other federal and international bodies on an array of topics ranging from children’s health to the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects. Professor Clayton has worked on a number of projects for the Institute of Medicine (IOM), five of which she has chaired or co-chaired, and she is currently a member of the IOM Council. She is an elected fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science."

Education

M.D. from Harvard University

J.D. from Yale University

M.S. from Stanford University

B.S. from Duke University

See also

• Vanderbilt bio page for Dr. Clayton
• Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society website

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

See National Institutes of Health.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - A set of biomedical research institutes operated by the U.S. government, under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services.

National Academy of Medicine (NAM) - An American non-profit, non-governmental organization which provides expert advice to governmental agencies on issues relating to biomedical science, medicine and health. Formerly known as the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

See National Academy of Medicine.