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Institute for Bioethics logo
Daniel Wilkenfeld

Daniel Wilkenfeld, PhD

Core Faculty

Professional Statement

Dr. Daniel Wilkenfeld is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing, a permanent fellow at the Center for Philosophy of Science, and a core faculty member at the Institute for Bioethics. In 2020, he came on full time to the School of Nursing and now has a joint appointment with the department of History and Philosophy of Science.

Dr. Wilkenfeld’s traditional research was in the philosophy of science, where he made numerous inroads in the areas of explanation and understanding. He has argued that a clear account of understanding can clear up numerous philosophical puzzles, and he has endeavored to provide such an account. Much of this work has been published in high-end philosophy journals such as Philosophical Studies and Synthese. Dr. Wilkenfeld was awarded a temporary fellowship at the internationally recognized Center for Philosophy of Science, which then was converted to a permanent residential fellowship upon his settlement in Pittsburgh. He has also done empirical work at the intersection of philosophy and psychology, including two postdocs in the psychology department at UC Berkeley, which resulted in publications in venues such as Cognition and Psychonomic Bulletin and Review.

Dr. Wilkenfeld’s most recent work has shifted to health care ethics, with a particular emphasis on the ethics of disability. These have been published in journals such as Nursing Ethics and the Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal. Dr. Wilkenfeld also has papers on both moral understanding and informed consent, with several other projects in the works.

Dr. Wilkenfeld has been teaching philosophy for most of the last 15+ years, with topics including fundamental philosophy of nursing science, as well as health care ethics. He also studied innovative pedagogy as a postdoc funded by the Moore Foundation.

Dr. Wilkenfeld has served as a reviewer and program committee member for a variety of journals and conferences, including the American Philosophical Association and the Philosophy of Science Association. He is also on the steering committee for the Scientific Understanding and Representation Group.

Appointments

  • Associate Professor Department of Acute and Tertiary Care School of Nursing
  • Core Faculty Institute for Bioethics
  • Resident Fellow Center for Philosophy of Science
  • Advocacy Faculty Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disorders (LEND)

Education and Training

  • PhD, The Ohio State University, 2013
  • BA, Amherst College, 2006

Professional Interests in Bioethics

Representative Publications

  1. (In Press) Wilkenfeld, Daniel A., Amy Houtrow, Rachael Wilkenfeld, Tal Levin-Decanini. Involuntary Hospitalization of Autistic Adolescents: Intersectional Risks and Multiplicative Harm. American Journal of Bioethics. (Peer-Reviewed Open Peer Commentary.)

  2. (2025) Wilkenfeld, Daniel A., & Christa M. Johnson. Contextualism About Disability. Res Philosophica, 103(1), 89–103.

  3. (2024) Wilkenfeld, Daniel A. “Pursuit-Worthy Research in Health: Three Examples and a Suggestion.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 107, 64-72.

  4. (2023) Ne’eman, A., Ken Richman, Allison McCarthy, A., and Daniel A. Wilkenfeld. A Passing Problem: Evaluating Harm and Benefit in Autism Research. Ethics & Human Research, 45(6) 2-18.

  5. (2020). Wilkenfeld, Daniel. A., and Allison McCarthy. Ethical Concerns with Applied Behavior Analysis for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 30(1): 31–69.

  6. (2020) Wilkenfeld, Daniel A. Moral Understanding and Moral Illusions. Thought, 9(1): 25–44.

Recent Funding

  • Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation, Disability Navigators Project, PI, 3 years