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Dr Rebekah McWhirter (Image: supplied)

Medical research and human rights: regulating for health

Hosted by: Dr Hardip Patel

Abstract

Translating medical research findings into policy and practice is a key part of realising the human right to health. However, ensuring that the benefits and burdens of medical research are experienced equitably requires consideration of other rights – to autonomy, self-determination, privacy and others – that may be in tension with this goal. Researchers working to develop new preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic tools do so within a complex network of regulatory forces, and understanding these forces can help to accelerate progress and improve research outcomes. This talk will explore the role of law and regulation in creating the conditions that facilitate high quality research, equitable access to health benefits and the promotion of human rights, using genomic medicine as a case study.

Biography

Dr Rebekah McWhirter is a senior lecturer in the ANU College of Law. Her research examines legal and ethical aspects of health, and aims to identify how law can support health. Her work is interdisciplinary, and has a particular focus on research ethics governance and trustworthy governance of genomic data. She is a director of Women’s Health Tasmania and the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law, and co-chair of the Education, Ethics and Social Issues Committee of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia.