Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100550
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$356,808.00
Summary
Bioethics in the Antipodes: A history of Australian bioethics since 1980. This project aims to provide a comprehensive account of bioethics in Australia. Since the 1980s, bioethics sought to address the medical, legal and social implications of Australian research in reproductive medicine. Australian bioethics is often assumed to share a similar history to American bioethics, but the debate about reproduction, euthanasia and the nature of moral authority in secular liberal democracy is distinctl ....Bioethics in the Antipodes: A history of Australian bioethics since 1980. This project aims to provide a comprehensive account of bioethics in Australia. Since the 1980s, bioethics sought to address the medical, legal and social implications of Australian research in reproductive medicine. Australian bioethics is often assumed to share a similar history to American bioethics, but the debate about reproduction, euthanasia and the nature of moral authority in secular liberal democracy is distinctly Australian. To date, the history of these developments has not been examined. The project will use archival sources, interviews, and theoretical analysis. Potential benefits include a deeper understanding of the distinctive local and global contributions of Australian bioethics.Read moreRead less
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
Can and should we link data at a national level? Vaccine safety surveillance: A case study. This project provides many benefits for the community, exploring the legal and ethical issues around consent for data linkage, convening Citizens' Juries to weigh the evidence and make recommendations. It addresses National Research Priorities: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and Safeguarding Australia as well as National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy priorities. It uses vaccine sa ....Can and should we link data at a national level? Vaccine safety surveillance: A case study. This project provides many benefits for the community, exploring the legal and ethical issues around consent for data linkage, convening Citizens' Juries to weigh the evidence and make recommendations. It addresses National Research Priorities: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and Safeguarding Australia as well as National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy priorities. It uses vaccine safety surveillance as a case study to evaluate the effectiveness of data linkage (through linking Commonwealth immunisation data to state hospital data) and the methodologies and lessons learnt from cross jurisdictional data linkage can be transferred to other areas. Read moreRead less
Ethical, Social and Regulatory Issues in Advanced Prenatal Testing. This project aims to investigate the social, ethical and regulatory issues arising with the rapid advancement and increased use of genomic non-invasive prenatal testing in early pregnancy in Australia. It expects to generate new insight into key issues such as consumer information before and after testing, consent, and equitable access to genomic health technologies in human reproduction. Expected outcomes include recommendation ....Ethical, Social and Regulatory Issues in Advanced Prenatal Testing. This project aims to investigate the social, ethical and regulatory issues arising with the rapid advancement and increased use of genomic non-invasive prenatal testing in early pregnancy in Australia. It expects to generate new insight into key issues such as consumer information before and after testing, consent, and equitable access to genomic health technologies in human reproduction. Expected outcomes include recommendations for addressing these issues, supported by ground-breaking social research and ethical and regulatory analysis. The project is expected to have major benefits, addressing the gap between policy and practice that has emerged in prenatal testing in Australia and shaping the ethics and regulation of pregnancy care.
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Reproductive Autonomy in the Genomic Age. This project aims to provide a better way to help people to think and reflect about new genetic tests in pregnancy. These tests are on the rise. Yet they are occurring in a setting that is overly individualistic and underplays problems that can come from increased information and choice. This project will involve an interdisciplinary team to generate new theoretical and practical knowledge to re-frame the concept of 'reproductive autonomy'. Expected outc ....Reproductive Autonomy in the Genomic Age. This project aims to provide a better way to help people to think and reflect about new genetic tests in pregnancy. These tests are on the rise. Yet they are occurring in a setting that is overly individualistic and underplays problems that can come from increased information and choice. This project will involve an interdisciplinary team to generate new theoretical and practical knowledge to re-frame the concept of 'reproductive autonomy'. Expected outcomes include new bioethics knowledge, innovations in research methodologies, new data and recommendations for practice. The project will provide benefits by generating the first analysis of how reproductive autonomy needs to change to ensure new tests in pregnancy are offered and used well.Read moreRead less
When informed consent goes poorly: A descriptive study of health care complaints and medical negligence claims. To correct process failures effectively, one must understand them. This project will improve knowledge of problems and disputes that arise when patients are 'consented' for medical treatment -- an enterprise in which thousands of Australians, many at very vulnerable stages of their lives, are engaged daily. Study findings will advance understanding of breakdowns in the informed conse ....When informed consent goes poorly: A descriptive study of health care complaints and medical negligence claims. To correct process failures effectively, one must understand them. This project will improve knowledge of problems and disputes that arise when patients are 'consented' for medical treatment -- an enterprise in which thousands of Australians, many at very vulnerable stages of their lives, are engaged daily. Study findings will advance understanding of breakdowns in the informed consent process and help shape strategies for reducing them. Our partner organisations are extraordinarily well-placed to carry insights from this work to health professionals in the field, enhancing opportunities for real benefits to patients from the research. The project fits with the national research priority of promoting and maintaining good health.Read moreRead less
Biotechnology Across the Borders of Life: Stem Cell Technology and Global Medical Exchange. This project interrogates the debates and policy surrounding embryonic stem cell technology and two intimately connected medical technologies - reproductive technologies, in which it is founded, and organ transplantation, which it seeks to overcome. Each of these technologies repeatedly confronts and tests social, cultural, ethical and legal precedents, fuelling world-wide political and media debate. The ....Biotechnology Across the Borders of Life: Stem Cell Technology and Global Medical Exchange. This project interrogates the debates and policy surrounding embryonic stem cell technology and two intimately connected medical technologies - reproductive technologies, in which it is founded, and organ transplantation, which it seeks to overcome. Each of these technologies repeatedly confronts and tests social, cultural, ethical and legal precedents, fuelling world-wide political and media debate. The project addresses the social effects - locally and globally - of these technologies. Analyses of altruism, giving and commodification underpin the study, and are used to elucidate the social ramifications of the practices and expert discourses of these biotechnologies in four nation-states: Australia, Singapore, UK and USA.Read moreRead less
Addiction, moral identity and moral agency: Integrating theoretical and empirical approaches. By clarifying and evaluating scientific claims about the moral impacts of addiction on the judgment and practices of drug addicted persons and by investigating the perspectives of users and treatment professionals, our project will contribute to the development of ethical and effective public policy, treatment and education programs in the addictions area, thus helping to address the causes and reduce t ....Addiction, moral identity and moral agency: Integrating theoretical and empirical approaches. By clarifying and evaluating scientific claims about the moral impacts of addiction on the judgment and practices of drug addicted persons and by investigating the perspectives of users and treatment professionals, our project will contribute to the development of ethical and effective public policy, treatment and education programs in the addictions area, thus helping to address the causes and reduce the impact of biological, social and environmental factors which diminish life potential in drug addicted persons. The innovative features of this project will enhance Australia's international reputation in bioethics and moral psychology, extend the reach of experimental philosophy, and facilitate future interdisciplinary work.Read moreRead less
Hamstrung by ethics creep? Investigating human research ethics in practice. This project will benefit national ethics review processes and ethical research practice. It will provide the community, funding bodies, researchers, participants and ethics committee members with confidence in both the ethics review process and day-to-day practice of health research. As health research becomes increasingly complex, it is vital that the conceptual bases used in ethical deliberations and their relationshi ....Hamstrung by ethics creep? Investigating human research ethics in practice. This project will benefit national ethics review processes and ethical research practice. It will provide the community, funding bodies, researchers, participants and ethics committee members with confidence in both the ethics review process and day-to-day practice of health research. As health research becomes increasingly complex, it is vital that the conceptual bases used in ethical deliberations and their relationship to research practice are made explicit. By making known the ways that ethics committee members and health researchers make decisions about research ethics and how this influences the conduct of their practice, we can be assured that health research in the future is being conducted in the most effective and ethical way. Read moreRead less
Communicating genetic information in families: practical, legal, social and ethical issues. The outcomes of this study, will give evidence as to whether or not people do pass on genetic risk information to relatives, how they do it, what the barriers are, what their preferences are. It will also provide data so that mechanisms for best practice communication and clear guidelines for legal and health professionals can be developed. Effective communication and exchange of genetic risk information ....Communicating genetic information in families: practical, legal, social and ethical issues. The outcomes of this study, will give evidence as to whether or not people do pass on genetic risk information to relatives, how they do it, what the barriers are, what their preferences are. It will also provide data so that mechanisms for best practice communication and clear guidelines for legal and health professionals can be developed. Effective communication and exchange of genetic risk information will benefit individual health and the health of future generations.Read moreRead less