Infectious Disease Ethics

Infectious disease ethics is a central topic of public health ethics, which has been one of the fastest-growing subdisciplines of bioethics during recent decades. It is concerned with a wide range of ethical issues associated with infectious diseases and their control, including questions regarding the obligation of individuals to avoid infection of others; relevant professional obligations of healthcare and public health professionals; infectious disease control policy matters; infectious disease research and surveillance; and global health.

Core aims of this research program are to provide philosophically-rigorous, empirically-informed, practically-relevant guidance regarding the ethical conduct of infectious disease research and ethically sound infectious disease control policy-making in particular.

Human challenge studies in endemic settings: Ethical and regulatory issues

Investigating the key ethical and regulatory considerations regarding human infection challenge studies in endemic settings

Gain-of-function research: Ethical analysis

A National Institutes of Health (NIH) commissioned project to exploring the ethical issues surrounding GOH

Building a sustainable capacity in dual-use bioethics

Collaborative on research into the use of the products of biological research in warfare and bioterrorism

Infectious diseases, security and ethics

Investigating links between infectious diseases, national security and human ethics

Research Team