We are researchers in Adelaide working in (or adjacent to) bioethics, applied ethics or moral philosophy. We come from a range of disciplines and across institutions including the University of South Australia, University of Adelaide, Flinders University and SA Health.
Dr Hilary Bowman-Smart
Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia
Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide
hilary.bowman-smart@unisa.edu.au
Hilary is a bioethicist and philosopher with a focus on diagnosis, reproduction, genomics, and the philosophy of medicine. Her work is collaborative and interdisciplinary, and is informed by mixed-methods empirical research. She was awarded her PhD by the University of Melbourne in 2022, and prior to her current role she was Researcher in the Ethics of Prenatal Genetics and Genomics at the University of Oxford. Currently, she is undertaking projects focused on philosophical and ethical issues in machine learning in diagnostics, as well as digital health and online prescribing platforms.
Education
PhD, University of Melbourne
MPH, University of Newcastle
BSc(Hons), Monash University
BA, Monash University
Research interests
Reproduction
Genomics
Empirical bioethics
Philosophy of medicine
Dr Matthew Tieu
Research Fellow, Adelaide Health Simulation, University of Adelaide
matthew.tieu@adelaide.edu.au
Matthew’s research demonstrates how philosophy, ethics, and the social sciences underpin, inform, and shape our understanding and practice of healthcare. A large part of his work is therefore conceptual and theoretical, but grounded in scientific and practical realities. His research covers a broad range of areas including aged and dementia care, digital health technology, user experience (UX) research, knowledge translation, cancer survivorship, health sociology, and healthcare related life course theory development.
Education
PhD, Flinders University
MA, University of Adelaide
BSc(Hons), University of Adelaide
BA, University of Adelaide
Research interests
Professional identity
Aged and dementia care
Digital health
Dr Melissa McCradden
THRF Clinical Research Fellow & Deputy Director , Australian Institute of Machine Learning, University of Adelaide
melissa.mccradden@adelaide.edu.au
Dr. Melissa McCradden is the Artificial Intelligence Director and Deputy Research Director with the Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN). She is a Deputy Director and The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF) Group Fellow at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (University of Adelaide). Her expertise is in the development of ethical frameworks derived from clinical and technical knowledge grounded in policy, law, and moral theory. She has published on algorithmic bias, responsible clinical evaluation of healthcare machine learning, and clinical integration of AI in journals such as Nature Medicine, JAMA, Lancet Digital Health, JAMIA, and NEJM-AI.
Education
PhD, McMaster University
MHSc, University of Toronto
BA(Hons), York University
Research interests
Machine learning
Novel technologies
Empirical bioethics
Dr David Hunter
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide
david.hunter@adelaide.edu.au
David’s background is in philosophy, concentrating on political philosophy and ethics, both theoretical and applied, mainly in the context of medical practice, research ethics and other professional practices. David spent the previous six years coordinating and delivering the medical ethics teaching within the medical school at Flinders University. Prior to that he spent eight years in the UK, and before that was based in New Zealand.
Education
PhD, University of Auckland
MA, University of Auckland
BA, University of Auckland
Research interests
Political philosophy
Medical ethics
Research ethics
Dr Pei-hua Huang
Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Adelaide
pei-hua.huang@adelaide.edu.au
Pei-hua is a lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, Adelaide University. Her research primarily lies at the intersection of bioethics and political philosophy. She is especially interested in the ethical and philosophical issues raised by human enhancement technologies. While most of her publications address moral bioenhancement (i.e. the use of biomedical means to improve morality), she is also interested in issues related to the treatment of morally relevant psychiatric conditions, philosophy of medicine, philosophy of science, philosophy of education, and Chinese Philosophy.
Education
PhD, Monash University
MPhil, University of Cambridge
BA, National Taiwan University
Research interests
Moral enhancement
Digital health
Diagnostics
Concepts of disease and disability
Prof. Carolyn Semmler
Professor, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide
carolyn.semmler@adelaide.edu.au
Carolyn leads the Applied Cognition and Experimental Psychology (ACEP) research group, focusing on the application of theories and models of cognition, judgement and decision-making to legal and medical contexts. We are interested in understanding human interaction with AI and the development of human-machine interfaces for defence and national security. Our work is driven by human rights and the value of reducing harm to humans through technology and innovation.
Education
PhD, Flinders University
B. Psyc. (Hons), Flinders University
Research interests
Neuroscience and behaviour
Technology ethics
Decision making
Experimental psychology
Dr Lauren Cortis
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy Practice, Clinical & Health Sciences, University of South Australia
Lauren.Cortis@unisa.edu.au
Education
PhD, Flinders University
BPharm(Hons), University of South Australia
Research interests
Medication and harm reduction
Voluntary assisted dying
Ms Tess Penglis
Associate Director, UniSA Research Office (Ethics & Compliance), University of South Australia
tess.penglis@unisa.edu.au
Tess is responsible for the leadership and operational management of UniSA’s research ethics and compliance functions, including human ethics, animal ethics, biosafety, and research integrity. She co-leads the Research Ethics and Innovation Stream for the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law (AABHL) and brings national experience in research ethics across industry and higher education.
Education
Grad Cert in Business Law, University of Adelaide
BHSc, University of Adelaide
Associate, Governance Institute of Australia
Company Directors Course, Australian Institute of Company Directors (Nov 2025)
Research interests
Research ethics
Research integrity
Research governance
Research compliance
Dr James Scheibner
Lecturer in Law, School of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University
james.scheibner@flinders.edu.au
James conducts research in data privacy, copyright, patent and open licensing in health technology and information technology. James has also carried out research on anti-discrimination and global health law. James teaches health law, legal technology and legal research skills.
Education
PhD, University of Tasmania
Grad Dip of Legal Practice, University of Tasmania
Grad Cert of Research, University of Tasmania
B.Comp/LLB (Hons), University of Tasmania
Research interests
Data privacy
Open licensing
Discrimination
Commissioner Dr Maeghan Toews
Commissioner, Australian Law Reform Commission
Lecturer, University of Adelaide Law School
maeghan.toews@alrc.gov.au
Maeghan is a full-time Commissioner with the Australian Law Reform Commission, appointed to lead the ALRC’s national review of human tissue laws. She is also a legal academic specialising in the law pertaining to human biomaterials. Her work spans both research and therapeutic uses for human tissue, examining legal and ethical regulatory frameworks. She has contributed to interdisciplinary collaborations on projects related to personalised medicine, genomics, stem cells, prenatal testing, biobanking, and transplantation, and led the development of international legislative consensus guidelines for the donation of human tissue.
Education
PhD, University of Alberta
LLM, Leiden University
JD, University of Toronto
BA, University of Western Ontario
Research interests
Human tissue
Transplantation
Research ethics
Genomics
Dr Liz Sutton
Adjunct Associate Professor, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia
Director, Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network
liz.sutton@sa.gov.au
Liz works in the areas of health services research with her academic interest being in reproductive technologies including mitochondrial donation, pain relief in childbirth, and patient agency. Liz works with health partners to bring together their various skills, resources and knowledge to provide research opportunities that leads to better patient outcomes as the Director, Research at South Australia’s largest health network. She is on Twitter (@belivemeithurt) and engages in academic writing in the areas of reproductive justice, reproductive technologies and patient consent in childbirth. She has worked in a number of settings including at Executive level in health services, in policy positions for government, and also as a health care management consultant.
Education
GAICD –Australian Institute of Company Directors
PhD, Monash University
MA, Murdoch University Grad BLitComm, Murdoch University
BA, University of Melbourne
Cert Gen Nsg – St Vincent’s Hospital
Research interests
Reproductive technologies
Patient agency
Pain relief in childbirth
Evidence based models of care
Dr Drew Carter
Senior Research Fellow (Ethics), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide
drew.carter@adelaide.edu.au
Drew is a moral philosopher and health policy researcher who specialises in health technology assessment (HTA), reporting to the Commonwealth on ethical complexities of new health technologies being considered for public funding. The primary focus of his work is equity, which means trying to ensure that people are treated fairly and given what they are owed, say when they need admission to the ICU or when they need some other treatment funded by the government. He tries to challenge simplistic utilitarian thinking and expand some of the views of what matters when those views are unduly constrained by, say, orthodox health economics.
Education
PhD, Australian Catholic University
BA(Hons), University of Melbourne
Research interests
Health technology assessment
Distributive justice
Dr Michael Zhou
Lecturer in Health Law and Professional Ethics, School of Medicine, Flinders University
michael.zhou@flinders.edu.au
Michael commenced at Flinders University initially with the law school and the College of Nursing and Health Science in 2019. Subsequently, he was appointed as a lecturer in the College of Medicine and Public Health in 2021. Michael is a socio-legal academic who researches and teaches in the areas of medical law and ethics.
Education
PhD, RMIT
LLB/BMus, Monash University
Research interests
Regulation of biomedical science
Medical negligence
Mandatory reporting
End of life care
Grace Ferencz
PhD Candidate, University of South Australia
grace.ferencz@mymail.unisa.edu.au
Grace is a physiotherapist and PhD candidate whose research focuses on menstrual pain in adolescents, including how definitions of ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ pain are shaped in literature and practice. Using qualitative methods, she explores how young people, caregivers, and clinicians understand and respond to menstrual pain. Alongside her thesis, Grace has contributed to projects on musculoskeletal pain, pain education, online pain communication, and systematic reviews, developing expertise in qualitative content and thematic analysis, with the goal of improving healthcare for people with persistent pain.
Education
B.Physio(Hons), University of South Australia
Research interests
Persistent pain
Women’s health
Qualitative methods
Health communication