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Qualifications

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2019)

PhD (Bioethics - Moral Philosophy) (Cambridge) (2014)

MA (Bioethics - Moral Philosophy) (New York University) (2009)

Hons. BSc (Bioethics - Moral Philosophy & Life Sciences) (University of Toronto) (2008)

Research Overview

I am a philosopher and I work on theoretical and applied issues in moral and political philosophy. My work currently focuses on the ethics of reproduction (especially the ethics of the donation of reproductive materials), the ethics and law of medicine and environmental sustainability, AI and Neurotech, and a bit of work on the philosophy of sport.

With respect to my work on reproductive ethics, I am currently conducting research on a number of topics, including:

- gamete and embryo donation;

- mitochondrial replacement techniques / mitochondrial donation (aka 'three person IVF');

- artificial gametes/in-vitro derived gametes;

- synthetic embryos/SHEEFS/embryo models

- ectogenesis/artificial wombs;

- 14-day rule & 28-day rule.

Other related technologies I am researching include:

- organoids;

- biofabrication and lab grown organs;

- CRISPR (gene editing).

I am also carrying out theoretical philosophical research on themes of:

- trust;

- hope;

- privacy vs information sharing;

- identity;

- the nature of children's welfare;

- the value of genetic relatedness;

- the value/significance of genetic information.

My work on the ethics and law of medicine and environmental sustainability is an ambitious and wide ranging programme of work. My work to date has included developping the 'principle of environmental beneficence' for decision-making across all levels of healthcare and providing the first account of the 'healthcare exceptionalism objection' in the context of environmentally sustainable healthcare debates. I am currently developping a book - tentatively titled 'a theory of environment beneficience for healthcare' - which aims to expand on this work.

I also work collaboratively both locally, nationally and internationally on the topics of the philosophy, ethics and regulation of AI, neurotechnologies and human augmentation (and the innovation of radically new technologies). For example, my collaborative work with colleagues at Lancaster has resulted in research on the philosophical and regulatory issues surrounding 3D bioprinting and electronic printing in vivo. I have acted as an expert advisor and consultant on these topics to the UK Office of the Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Regulatory Horizons Council, and governments around the world.

At Lancaster Medical School I sit on a number of committees including the Faculty of Health and Medicine Research Ethics Committee and the UA92 Special Advisory Group. I am a member of the Medicine and Sustainability Working Group and am an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion.

I am a member of the steering committee for the Northern Bioethics Network.

I co-direct the team of academics that teach, assess and administrate the Medical School's Professional Practice, Values and Ethics theme.

I also lecture on the ethics and legal issues surrounding sports and sports science, as part of the Sports and Exercise Science Degree at the Medical School.

I founded the Lancaster Medical School PhD programme in Medical Ethics and Law in 2021.

In 2020 I began a new programme of research and teaching (UG and PG) on the ethics and law of medicine and environmental sustainability. This teaching has been used to inform and develop similar teaching at other universities around the UK and internationally.

I founded and co-developped the Lancaster Medical School's AI curriculum, which is the first AI curriculum in a medical school in the UK (and among the first developped and implemented globally).

My research is often profiled in the media, and I regularly contribute interviews and comments to the media on philosophy, law and science topics and issues. Some examples include the BBC, Financial Times, The Guardian, New Scientist, The Times, Times Radio, (as well as other international media outlets).

I currently act as an expert advisor and consultant for a number of foreign governments on the ethics and law of novel biotechnologies and the donation of reproductive materials.

External Roles

Expert Advisor to the EU Commission's European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE)

Editorial Advisory Board Member - Journal of Medicine and Philosophy

Editorial Board - Bioethics

Associate Editor - Frontier - ELSI in Science and Genetics

Steering Committee Member - Northern Bioethics Network

University Representative and Founding Member of the Medical School's Council working group on Environmentally Sustainable Medicine

PhD Supervision Interests

Please get in touch if you are interested in undertaking a PhD moral philosophy, political philosophy, and/or applied ethics/bioethics.