Regulating Autologous Stem Cell Therapies in Australia. This project aims to develop an ethical and regulatory framework for the use of autologous adult stem cell therapies in Australia. These therapies are increasingly being offered to patients for diseases and conditions that lack scientific evidence of safety and efficacy. This study aims to address this problem using a mixed methods approach to generate empirical data and theoretical, ethical and legal insights that will guide the responsibl ....Regulating Autologous Stem Cell Therapies in Australia. This project aims to develop an ethical and regulatory framework for the use of autologous adult stem cell therapies in Australia. These therapies are increasingly being offered to patients for diseases and conditions that lack scientific evidence of safety and efficacy. This study aims to address this problem using a mixed methods approach to generate empirical data and theoretical, ethical and legal insights that will guide the responsible development, translation and regulation of innovative stem cell therapies in Australia and internationally. Anticipated outcomes will improve patient advocacy and public knowledge about adult stem cell therapies, and facilitate better relationships between patients, researchers and clinicians.Read moreRead less
Consent in the void: moral, legal and community values in decisions about human biological donations. This project will improve consent procedures for embryo and organ donation. This will increase the autonomy of those consenting, the quality of consent that is given, and increase public trust in the processes of embryo and organ donation. The legal and moral status of the wishes of the newly dead or embryo donors and will be clarified thereby increasing the quality of consent processes for all ....Consent in the void: moral, legal and community values in decisions about human biological donations. This project will improve consent procedures for embryo and organ donation. This will increase the autonomy of those consenting, the quality of consent that is given, and increase public trust in the processes of embryo and organ donation. The legal and moral status of the wishes of the newly dead or embryo donors and will be clarified thereby increasing the quality of consent processes for all involved. By including community values in addition to the legal and moral issues, this project will make well-founded recommendations for the development of laws, policies and guidelines in relation to decisions about frozen embryos and the newly dead.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101390
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,536.00
Summary
Invasive Synthetic Biomedical Brain Device: Ethical and Policy Implications. The use of novel, invasive, synthetic, biomedical brain technologies such as predictable brain devices, 3D printed biomaterials, additive-bio-fabricated materials, and drug delivery systems have raised unprecedented ethical issues for research. Given the therapeutic potential and high risk of harm associated with synthetic biomedical applications, it is critical to identify the ethical issues before these novel applicat ....Invasive Synthetic Biomedical Brain Device: Ethical and Policy Implications. The use of novel, invasive, synthetic, biomedical brain technologies such as predictable brain devices, 3D printed biomaterials, additive-bio-fabricated materials, and drug delivery systems have raised unprecedented ethical issues for research. Given the therapeutic potential and high risk of harm associated with synthetic biomedical applications, it is critical to identify the ethical issues before these novel applications are widely used in human clinical trials. This project aims to explore how research trial guidelines can address the ethical issues raised by these new brain applications.Read moreRead less
Caring for Asylum Seekers in Australia: Bioethics and Human Rights. Australia's policy of mandatory detention has been criticised at home and abroad. This research will bring together both empirical and reflective material about that policy by those who have seen its effects first hand, which will make an important contribution to national self-definition. The research process itself will bring together practitioners who have worked in the field, many of whom have expressed the need for recordin ....Caring for Asylum Seekers in Australia: Bioethics and Human Rights. Australia's policy of mandatory detention has been criticised at home and abroad. This research will bring together both empirical and reflective material about that policy by those who have seen its effects first hand, which will make an important contribution to national self-definition. The research process itself will bring together practitioners who have worked in the field, many of whom have expressed the need for recording their experiences, and guidelines as to how to practice in the future when human rights issues form a part of clinical practice. As such, the project will contribute to other areas of healthcare where such issues are present, such as indigenous health, mental health, and the care of other vulnerable populations. Read moreRead less
A new ethics for the development and application of genetic technologies in a pluralist society. New technologies for prenatal testing and preimplantation genetic diagnosis will soon grant us an unprecedented power to choose our children's genes. This project will develop an ethical framework to govern the development and use of these technologies and thus help ensure that future Australians enjoy a healthy start to life.
On the cutting edge: promoting best practice in surgical innovation. Surgical innovation leads to beneficial healthcare outcomes, but frequently at an ethical, legal and regulatory cost. This project aims to address these challenges by developing conceptual tools and regulatory mechanisms which promote patient safety and support those who practice, manage and govern surgery.
Neuroethics: The Practical and the Philosophical. The benefits of the project are twofold: practically, it will enable us to better regulate, personally and socially, the new technologies that the sciences of the mind are already producing; intellectually, it will enable us to better understand human agency in the light of the new knowledge generated by the sciences of the mind, and it will help to maintain Australia's reputation as an international leader in applied ethics and in philosophy of ....Neuroethics: The Practical and the Philosophical. The benefits of the project are twofold: practically, it will enable us to better regulate, personally and socially, the new technologies that the sciences of the mind are already producing; intellectually, it will enable us to better understand human agency in the light of the new knowledge generated by the sciences of the mind, and it will help to maintain Australia's reputation as an international leader in applied ethics and in philosophy of mind and agency.Read moreRead less
How do we know what works: ethics and evidence in surgical research. This project will make surgery safer for patients by improving our understanding of evidence in surgery. We will look at the question "what works" in surgery. The resources we develop will help practitioners and regulators to better navigate and manage the complex ethical and practical challenges in this field.
Trust me - I'm a researcher: The role of trust in the human research enterprise. We assume a relationship of trust between researchers and their participants. But what does this mean for researchers and participants, and for the ethics committees who make judgements about the ethics of the research? This project will benefit prospective research participants by providing them with information about how to determine the trustworthiness of researchers and what is expected in a trusting research re ....Trust me - I'm a researcher: The role of trust in the human research enterprise. We assume a relationship of trust between researchers and their participants. But what does this mean for researchers and participants, and for the ethics committees who make judgements about the ethics of the research? This project will benefit prospective research participants by providing them with information about how to determine the trustworthiness of researchers and what is expected in a trusting research relationship. It will also benefit researchers in understanding how to strengthen trust in research relationships and articulating how ethics committees can make well-founded judgements about the trustworthiness of researchers. The findings will also contribute to training programs for both ethics committees and researchers. Read moreRead less
Expand the capacity of an international multidisciplinary research network focussed on the ethical, legal and social implications of emerging biotechnologies. This project will ensure that Australia plays a central role in international debates and research activities aimed at regulating and facilitating advances in biotechnology. The project will also provide Australian researchers with direct access to key international experts in the field.