Masih Tazhibi is a medical student at Harvard Medical School. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University with a degree in Neuroscience. There, he worked in the Initiative for Drug Delivery Innovation (IDDI) Laboratory investigating the safety and feasibility of focused ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening for enhanced drug delivery in CNS malignancies. He also assisted with a clinical trial administering this treatment to patients with diffuse midline glioma (DMG). Masih’s current interests include consciousness and end-of-life issues, brain tumor immunotherapy, and providing patients with the most dignifying care.

Read Masih's essay: "Kant, Consciousness, and Supportive Care for Vegetative Patients"

*This award is funded by a fund originally created as the Dr. Henry K. Beecher Prize. Before 2026, the Annual Bioethics Essay Award was referred to as the Beecher Prize.