Religion, pluralism, and healthcare practice: a philosophical assessment. This project aims to develop a systematic approach to accommodating religious values and practices in healthcare. Current approaches are ad hoc and discriminatory, and in an increasingly religiously diverse contemporary Australia, a systematic approach is needed. This project will consider and provide policy advice on how healthcare could be reformed so that the issue of accommodation of religious values and practices is t ....Religion, pluralism, and healthcare practice: a philosophical assessment. This project aims to develop a systematic approach to accommodating religious values and practices in healthcare. Current approaches are ad hoc and discriminatory, and in an increasingly religiously diverse contemporary Australia, a systematic approach is needed. This project will consider and provide policy advice on how healthcare could be reformed so that the issue of accommodation of religious values and practices is treated in a consistent and ethical manner. The benefit of the project will be a better, cost effective, model for healthcare management that reduces disparities for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.Read moreRead less
Ethical and Social Issues in Translating Epigenetics into Antenatal Care. This project aims to investigate how knowledge about the intergenerational transmission of health and disease is shaping antenatal care in Australia. It expects to generate new knowledge about how the science of epigenetics can be used to address social inequality and is anticipated to have impact across the social sciences, bioethics and public health. Expected outcomes of the project include novel theoretical approaches ....Ethical and Social Issues in Translating Epigenetics into Antenatal Care. This project aims to investigate how knowledge about the intergenerational transmission of health and disease is shaping antenatal care in Australia. It expects to generate new knowledge about how the science of epigenetics can be used to address social inequality and is anticipated to have impact across the social sciences, bioethics and public health. Expected outcomes of the project include novel theoretical approaches to the ethics of pregnancy, along with guidance tools to shape the use of epigenetics in antenatal care and social policy to reduce social inequalities. This should provide significant benefits, improving information and support available to vulnerable women as they negotiate maternal health and social services. 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
Artificial Intelligence, Robots, and Agriculture: Social and ethical issues. This project aims to investigate the social and ethical issues raised by the use of artificial intelligence and robotics in agriculture. By combining social science research methods and philosophical analysis, the project aims to generate new knowledge in bioethics and applied ethics. Expected outcomes of this project include an account of the social and ethical issues farmers, rural communities, and consumers anticipat ....Artificial Intelligence, Robots, and Agriculture: Social and ethical issues. This project aims to investigate the social and ethical issues raised by the use of artificial intelligence and robotics in agriculture. By combining social science research methods and philosophical analysis, the project aims to generate new knowledge in bioethics and applied ethics. Expected outcomes of this project include an account of the social and ethical issues farmers, rural communities, and consumers anticipate arising from these technologies, improved understanding of these issues, and an account of how these groups would like to see these issues addressed. This should help Australia benefit from the responsible use of artificial intelligence and robotics in agriculture.Read moreRead less
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
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.
Conscience and conscientious objection in health care. Medical professionals sometimes decline to provide particular forms of safe, beneficial and legal health care, on the grounds that provision would go against their consciences. Bioethicists and policy makers have failed to identify legitimate limits to the scope of appeals to conscientious objection in health care. This is in large part because the underlying concept ''conscience" is unclear. This project aims to advance bioethical debate by ....Conscience and conscientious objection in health care. Medical professionals sometimes decline to provide particular forms of safe, beneficial and legal health care, on the grounds that provision would go against their consciences. Bioethicists and policy makers have failed to identify legitimate limits to the scope of appeals to conscientious objection in health care. This is in large part because the underlying concept ''conscience" is unclear. This project aims to advance bioethical debate by producing a philosophically and psychologically informed analysis of conscience, and by applying this to discussions about the legitimate limits to conscientious objection in health care. It is expected to result in academic and non-academic publications and enable improvements to Australian health care policy.Read moreRead less
Moral conservatism, human enhancement and the 'Affective Revolution' in moral psychology. Debates between moral conservatives and liberals, about whether enhancing human mental and physical abilities above normal limits is ethically acceptable, have been intractable. Recent developments in moral psychology can be used to transform understandings of these debates and enable us to develop just policies to regulate enhancement technologies.