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 spans a range of areas and disciplines, including:
2025
2026
Sydney Health Ethics network members, to share your recent publications with our community, please send through the details and link to she.network@sydney.edu.au.
Join us for SHE Conversation (pdf, 142KB), every second Thursday during semester, from 12pm to 1pm, in person or online. Conversation is an engaging mix of formal talks and dynamic discussions. All are welcome!
The SHE Journal Club, held monthly during semester online, is a chance to meet informally to discuss a journal paper and the ethical questions it raises. It’s a friendly group and everyone is welcome (no bioethics skills required!). Feel free to bring lunch or coffee with you!
In Semester 1 2026, Journal Club invites you to join a three-part series exploring the ethics of truthfulness, deception, and disclosure in healthcare and clinical practice. While we will be exploring papers of a common theme, there is no pressure to attend all three sessions. Please contact Annie Kang if you would like to be added to the mailing list.
See our upcoming schedule below:
Session Two - Thursday 16th April, 12-1pm
Meng, M., Li, X., Zhao, J., & Hao, Y. (2024). When western concept meets eastern culture: Exploring the impact of Confucianism on shared decision-making in China. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing, 11(11), 100586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apjon.2024.100586
Session Three - Thursday 4th June, 12-1pm
TBC
Hosted by Sydney Health Ethics Affiliates from the Clinical Ethics Services at South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, come along to the Clinical Ethics Salon a casual online meetup every fourth Tuesday. This is for those interested in clinical ethics to share ideas and discuss their work.
For more ethics reflection and skill development, join the Clinical Ethics Roundtable. Roundtable is an informal and collegiate space to explore practical clinical ethics issues in greater depth and in conversation with clinicians, academics, and others.
For further information about these and other SHE Clinical Ethics events see this guide (pdf, 356KB).
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Visiting Fellow program allows the Sydney Health Ethics team to collaborate with scholars from various disciplines and expand our national and international research partnerships. Visiting scholars are provided with a workspace, computer, and library access. They are encouraged to present a work-in-progress seminar or participate in the SHE conversation series, and to engage fully in the network's academic activities, including events and workshops.
The Sydney Health Ethics Network accommodates self-funded Visiting Fellows. Applications from self-funded individuals are considered depending on the availability of space.
Sydney Health Ethics recognises the diversity of individuals engaged in research or work related to the philosophy of medicine, medical humanities, bioethics, and public health ethics. We invite applications from a broad range of researchers, including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and academics, to visit our network. We also welcome applications from non-academic visiting professionals, provided they propose an applied research project relevant to our group's work.
Applications must include the following in one PDF document:
For inquiries about visiting as a fellow at Sydney Health Ethics, please contact the appropriate sponsor from our academic team. When applying, use the subject line “Visiting Fellow Application”. Ensure you reach out well in advance to facilitate planning for the visit.
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.
Mailing address
Level 1, Edward Ford Building A27
The University of Sydney
Camperdown
NSW, 2006
