Sydney Health Ethics

Asking ethical questions relating to health and medicine

We focus on the ethical issues across health, medicine and the life sciences by applying approaches and methods drawn from the humanities and social sciences.

About us

Sydney Health Ethics conducts research and teaching in bioethics and health-related social science using multidisciplinary methods. Our mission is to achieve a positive social impact by engaging in academic and public conversations about the ethics of health and wellbeing.

We produce rigorous, critical and engaged ethics and social research, teach bioethics and qualitative research methods and work with communities locally, nationally and internationally to understand and address real-world issues.

Our research

Our research spans a range of areas and disciplines, including:

Clinical ethics
Ethical, socio-political and epistemic aspects of science and medicine
Ethics of patient care, health services and health policy
Ethics of science and biotechnology

Experience of illness and healthcare
Medical humanities and ethics
Philosophy of medicine, science, language and knowledge
Public health ethics
Reproductive ethics
Research ethics

SHE Research Podcast

COVID-19 resource allocation ethics framework

An ethics framework for making resource allocation decisions within clinical care has been developed by a working party involving members of Sydney Health Ethics and many clinicians and clinical ethicists from Sydney.

This document is to help clinicians, hospital administrators and policy makers to plan for possible severe scarcity of vital medical resources in responding to COVID-19.

Download the COVID-19 resource allocation ethics framework (pdf, 278kb)

Research highlights

Associate Professor Julie Mooney-Somers leads a program of research on sexual minority women’s health. In collaboration with Dr Rachel Deacon and ACON Health, she runs the world’s longest running periodic survey of lesbian, bisexual and queer women’s health. This work provided evidence for Cancer Institute NSW to fund research into smoking, including the ‘Smoke Free Still Fierce’ community awareness campaign.
Professor Ainsley Newson and Dr Kathryn MacKay are funded by the Australian Research Council to explore the meaning and implications of reproductive autonomy in the context of new genetic tests in pregnancy through both theoretical and empirical work.
Claire Hooker leads research exploring the impact of performance arts on improving effective communication and developing professionalism in healthcare contexts. For example, the play Grace Under Pressure has toured many hospitals across the State, and has a national mainstage tour in 2020. Learn more: www.artshealthnetwork.com.au

Study options

Postgraduate coursework

Our innovative and interdisciplinary postgraduate program in bioethics will help you develop the critical skills you need to analyse ethical issues in medicine, life sciences and health.

Students consider questions like: What is bioethics and why is it important? Why is public health a moral enterprise? How should the law respond to ethical issues in health? What is ‘medicalisation’? What makes research ‘ethical’? How do we make medicines safe, effective and accessible? What are the limits of autonomy and consent? What do we owe non-human animals? Why might art transform health and healthcare?

Courses are offered in a variety of formats to suit students with competing time demands.

Queries of an academic nature can be addressed to the Program Director, Dr Diego Silva.

Postgraduate research

We provide support and training to our students, giving them the opportunity to participate in weekly seminars and monthly team meetings, contribute to our teaching programs in their areas of expertise, and self-organise peer support and skill-building activities.

Expressions of Interest

If you are interested in becoming a research student at Sydney Health Ethics, you will need to submit an expression of interest. If successful, we will support you to apply to the University of Sydney for an official HDR place.

Before you submit an expression of interest:

identify a Sydney Health Ethics academic who you think would be a good supervisor for the project you want to do
contact the academic and introduce yourself
prepare and submit your Expression of Interest with the support of that academic.

You will need:

your CV
copy of your academic transcript
statement of support from an academic referee
a sample of written work (eg undergraduate assignment, thesis chapter, dissertation or published or unpublished paper)
Statement of Purpose describing your interests, reasons for pursuing an advanced degree at Sydney Health Ethics (1-2 pages) and your long-term goals
project outline (1-2 pages) including background, research aims and research questions, method and anticipated outcomes – this is not assumed to be a final product but assists us in assessing your ability to choose a topic to research, identify research questions and plan your investigation
a brief outline of any formal discussions with Sydney Health Ethics staff and your preferences regarding supervision (if you have any).

To submit your expression of interest, email Professor Ainsley Newson at ainsley.newson@sydney.edu.au

You can submit an expression of interest at any time. However, please ensure that you submit at least one month ahead of the relevant University application date.

Please note: Sydney Health Ethics does not have the authority to offer an official place in a Higher Degree Research (HDR) program. This authority rests with the University of Sydney. An expression of interest is only the beginning of the process of entering a HDR program with Sydney Health Ethics.

For further information on study options and how to apply for a research degree visit the postgraduate research page.

Short courses and professional development

Sydney Health Ethics offer short courses through the Sydney School of Public Health in bioethics and qualitative research methods.

Our short courses will appeal to:

clinicians and other professionals working in health-related fields seeking professional development or continuing education,
early career researchers and PhD candidates who wish to develop their experience, skills and knowledge and
experienced researchers interested in advancing their career or moving into new areas.

Learn more or register for our upcoming short courses.

Get involved with us

Support our work

Give today to help fund the research work we do.

Visit the Support us page to find out more.

Research project: Growing Up with Cancer

The Growing Up with Cancer project used research and creative practice to understand the experience of having cancer during adolescence and young adulthood.

Funded by the Australian Research Council, it brought together researchers, artists, advocates and clinicians at the Sydney Health Ethics, University of Sydney, the University of Newcastle, the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and CanTeen, the Australian organisation for young people living with cancer.

The project used mixed methods research to examine the nature and impact of cancer illness and treatment on the experience of growing up through adolescence and young adulthood.