Erich H. Loewy M.D., F.A.C.P., was born in Vienna, Austria in 1927 and was able to escape first to England and then to the U.S. in late 1938. He was initially trained as a cardiologist. He taught at Case Western Reserve and practiced in Cleveland, Ohio. After 14 years he devoted himself fully to Bioethics and taught at the University of Illinois for 12 years. In 1996 he was selected as the first endowed Alumni Association Chair of Bioethics at the University of California Davis School of Medicine and has taught there since.

Dr. Loewy has published widely —books, book chapters and journal articles —both in English and German. Textbook of Healthcare Ethics; Moral Strangers, Moral Acquaintance, and Moral Friends; and together with Dr. Roberta Loewy The Ethics of Terminal Care and Changing Health Care Systems from Ethical, Economic and Cross-Cultural Perspectives are among his recent books. He is frequently sought out as a teacher and guest lecturer both here and abroad. His research interests include 1) Social ethics and problems of justice; 2) ethical theory; 3) healthcare systems and allocation, and 4) the problems of clinical medical ethics. Currently he is working on a book dealing with the role of emotion, aesthetics and reason in the making of ethical judgements. In May of 2001, Dr. Loewy received the international Paracelsus prize which is awarded in Austria for achievements in diverse fields.

E-mail: ehloewy@ucdavis.edu