University of Bristol

Faculty Member, School of Social and Community Medicine

Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Ethics

About

I am Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Ethics at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol. I have degree qualifications in Medical Ethics, Law and Science, all of which were obtained from the University of Melbourne in Australia.  My PhD research focused on moral issues in behavioural genetic research and its applications.

Research Interests and activities
My research focuses on the ethical aspects of clinical genetics, reproductive decision-making, and the emerging technology of synthetic biology. I have published on these and other topics in a range of bioethics and medical journals and books.

Current Grants: I am the coordinator of the SYBHEL project (http://www.sybhel.org), funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework (€803,000). This project: “Synthetic Biology for Human Health: Ethical and Legal Aspects” is the first of its kind to systematically evaluate the issues arising from an application of this emerging technology. The partners comprise experts from a number of European countries. Also in synthetic biology, I am a network member and a member of the management committee of the research-councils funded Synthetic Components Network

In July 2009, I began work on the RAPID project, together with my part-time post-doc Dr Zuzana Deans, This project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research and led by Professor Lyn Chitty at University College Hospitals Trust in London (£2,000,000). This project is providing a quality and acceptability evaluation of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. Ainsley is working on ethical aspects, together with colleague Dr Zuzana Deans. 

Previous Grants:  I recently concluded the SAFE Ethics Project, a sub-contract under the EU-funded SAFE Network of Excellence (Framework 6); in which I and Dr Zuzana Deans investigated some of the ethical aspects arising from non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD).  In 2004 I was funded by the British Academy to study US mechanisms of clinical ethics support.

Additional areas of research interest include:
• Genetic responsibility
• Family communication in genetics
• Whole genome sequencing
• Clinical Ethics and mechanisms of ethics support
• Public Health (particularly genetic screening)

I am Editor of the Case Studies Section and a member of the Editorial Committee for Clinical Ethics (RSM Press). I am also a member of the Editorial Board of The Application of Clinical Genetics (Dove Press).

Teaching and Professional Training Activities:
I am heavily involved in in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in medical ethics and law at Bristol. In the undergraduate MBChB, I am Element Lead for Ethics in Year 3 and also delivers lectures to students in Years 1 & 2. I also teach and supervises students on the Centre’s BSc in Bioethics. In 2007 I received the Rising Star Teaching Prize in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. At postgraduate level I am Programme Director of the Certificate and MSc in Health Care Ethics and Law and also coordinate a number of Units on this course. I am currently supervising five PhD students. I have been involved in professional training activities, such as providing training for members of clinical ethics and research ethics committees. and regularly provides training on the research provisions of the Mental Capacity Act via the National Research Ethics Service.

Other activities:
I am a member of numerous policy and ethics committees, including the BMJ Ethics Committee, the European Clinical Ethics Network, and the Clinical Ethics Committee of the Royal United Hospital, Bath. She is an active contributor to print, radio and television media, including: The Times, The Guardian, BBC News Online, Venue (Bristol), News24, Radio 4 and the BBC World Service. She was a BA Media Fellow in 2005. Ainsley also participates in public engagement activities around ethics and genetics, including Science Cafés, and acting as an advisor to exhibitions such as “Inside DNA: A Genomics Revolution”.

Contact Information