Wahrman, Miryam Z. 1956-

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WAHRMAN, Miryam Z. 1956-

PERSONAL: Born March 27, 1956, in New York, NY; married Israel S. Wahrman, 1975; children: Abigail, Susanna. Education: Hunter College, City University of New York, B.A., 1976; Cornell University, Ph.D., 1981. Religion: Jewish.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—Department of Biology, William Paterson University of New Jersey, 300 Pompton Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York, NY, researcher, 1981-82; Rockefeller University, guest investigator, 1982-83; Mt. Sinai Medical School, New York, NY, instructor, 1983-84; William Paterson College, Wayne, NJ, 1984—, began as assistant professor, currently professor and director of general education; writer.

MEMBER: American Association of Arts and Sciences, American Association of University Women, National Science Teachers Association, Tissue Culture Association, New Jersey Academy of Science, Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Beta Beta.

AWARDS, HONORS: American Association of University Women fellowship, 1979-80; National Institute of Health grant, 1986-88; Sea grants, 1987-89; merit award, William Paterson College, 1987.

WRITINGS:

Brave New Judaism: When Science and Scripture Collide, University Press of New England (Hanover, NH), 2002.

Judaism columnist, America Online. Contributor of scholarly papers to research journals.

SIDELIGHTS: Miryam Z. Wahrman was a member of the pioneering In Vitro Fertilization team at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. She was working with the team when the first test-tube baby was conceived and born there in the 1980s. Wahrman's research extends to cell development, marine biotechnology, genetic engineering, and the behavior of cancerous tumors. She is, in short, a contributor to the rapid advances in biotechnology that have occurred over the past decades.

Wahrman is also a writer on Jewish issues for America Online and other resources. She is particularly interested in how to reconcile Jewish law with the cutting-edge technologies that are arising from scientific research. This interest has led to essays on ethics and to her book Brave New Judaism: When Science and Scripture Collide. The book explores Jewish denominational responses to such advancements as cloning, genetic testing, stem cell research, and bio-engineered food. While Jews are not the only religious people to be debating such issues as infertility treatments and assisted suicide, they do draw upon centuries of religious writings for answers to such issues. Wahrman's book addresses the ways in which ancient Jewish teachings apply to modern biological research.

In Library Journal, Marcia Welsh commended Brave New Judaism as "a very good survey and discussion of the issues" facing modern Jews. Welsh also found the work "thought-provoking." A Publishers Weekly reviewer called the book a "courageous and compelling study," concluding that Wahrman's work "is passionate, engaging and sometimes surprising."