Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am a medically-trained bioethicist and health social scientist. My approach to research might be referred to as “practical bioethics” in that it is deliberately oriented towards finding pragmatic solutions to morally complex and controversial real-world problems. My work aims to assist decision-makers in all spheres of practice (clinicians, researchers, policymakers, industry and educators) to manage uncertainty and moral complexity and to act in the face of disagreement.
Research interests
My work draws on a variety of methods—both empirical (qualitative and quantitative) and theoretical. It is also interdisciplinary and synthesises insights from ethics, law, sociology, policy, economics, epidemiology and other disciplines and involves engagement with all stakeholders to elicit the full range of perspectives and ensure legitimacy.
I am passionate about finding innovative ways to translate research into tools that help clinicians, researchers and policymakers to think about ethical issues. Of particular note, I have developed an online decision tool that helps people understand how to identify conflicts of interest (COIs), appraise them and generate justifiable management plans.
ACCESSING MY PUBLICATIONS:
For full-text access to my publications prior to November 2021, please see https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/discover?query=lipworth&submit=
Full-text versions of subsequent articles are included in the publications section below.
Teaching
I teach applied ethics units of study in the Department of Philosophy.
Research student supervision
I am currently co-supervising two postgraduate research students:
- Ms Miriam Wiersma: PhD on doctors' motivations to engage in clinical innovation
- Dr Sarah Heynemann: Phd on the ethics of ethics of novel oncology trial designs
Mentorship: I have formally mentored early career researchers through University mentoring schemes and students from other disciplines (medicine, law and public health) through ethics research projects.
Research training: Since 2018 I have been a Senior Associate of Praxis Australia, a not-for-profit research training organisation.
Research engagement
- Co-Director, Macquarie University Ethics and Agency Research Centre (2023-present; Co-Director since 2024)
- President, Australasian Association of Bioethics & Health Law (President since 2024)
- Associate Editor, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry (2012-)
- Advisory Board Member, Bioethics Open Research (2022-)
- Steering Committee member, Australian Ethical Health Alliance (AEHA) representing Praxis Australia (2019-)
- Steering Committee member, Brain Cancer Australia (2014-)
Education/Academic qualification
Bioethics, PhD, Rehabilitating the social in biomedical publication: embracing community and intersubjectivity in manuscript review, University of Sydney
Award Date: 10 Jun 2009
Bioethics, Master of Science (MSc), Refiguring of tissue banking consent through enrichment of a restricted debate, University of Sydney
Award Date: 4 Nov 2005
Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), The University of New South Wales
Award Date: 31 Dec 1999
Medical Science, Bachelor of Science (Medicine) Hons I, The University of New South Wales
Award Date: 31 Dec 1994
External positions
Honorary Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
1 Nov 2021 → …
Senior Associate, Praxis Australia
1 Jan 2018 → …
Adjunct Professor, University of Notre Dame
2016 → …
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
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MRFF Usyd Led: Development of a generalisable evaluation framework for high upfront-cost therapies: clinical, economic, ethico-legal, social and cultural considerations
Howard, K., De Abreu Lourenço, R., Watson, J., Mason, K., Lipworth, W., Kerridge, I., Ho, P. J., Norris, S., Viney, R., Rasko, J. E., Roberts, A. W., Stewart, C., Pierce, K., Lynch, G., de Feria Cardet, R., Karnon, J., Silva, D., Raghunandan, R., Rush, A., Upshur, R. & Sagnella, S.
11/04/24 → 31/01/26
Project: Research
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Supporting Australian Brain Cancer Research with an integrated network of platforms
Lipworth, W. & Jeffree, R. L.
1/06/23 → 1/08/28
Project: Research
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Addressing emerging ethical, legal and social issues in governance of clinical and genomic dataset to improve human health.
Newson, A., Ankeny, R., Baynam, G., Brion, M., Brown, A., Christodoulou, J., Dawson, A., Delatycki, M., Dive, L., Eckstein, L., Ferrie, M., Gaff, C., Gecz, J., Griffiths, K., Cyngell, C., Hansen, D., Hermes, A., Hofmann, O., Irving, D., Jorm, L., Keogh, L., Kerridge, I., Lipworth, W., MacArthur, D., McWhirter, R., Miller, S., Mumford, J., Nicol, D., Nielsen, J., Otlowski, M., Paterson, J., Peterson, A., Prictor, M., Renton, H., Rizzi, M., Savulescu, J., Leach Scully, J., Smith, M., Stark, Z., Stewart, C., Taylor, M., Vears, D. & Vidgen, M.
11/01/23 → 10/01/28
Project: Research
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Macquarie University Centre for Agency Values and Ethics (CAVE)
Mackenzie, C., Rogers, W., Meyerson, D., Kennett, J., Menary, R., Barrow, A., Bernal-Pulido, C., Deranty, J., Downey, G., Faulkner, J., Formosa, P., Hochman, A., Hutchison, K., Johnson, J., Levy, N., Lipworth, W., Lotz, M., Pugliese, J., Ross, R., Rossmanith, K., Schier, E., Sinnerbrink, R., Smith, N., Sorial, S., Sutton, J., Voyce, M., Gleeson, K. & MacDermott, T.
1/01/20 → 1/01/22
Project: Research
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A multidisciplinary model for the governance of clinical innovation: insights from a qualitative study of Australian doctors
Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I. & Lipworth, W., 20 Mar 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Evaluation and the Health Professions. 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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A Response to “Equipoise Is No Longer a Major Consideration in the Ethical Evaluation of Phase 3 Randomized Controlled Trials Involving Precision Oncology Approaches in NSCLC”
Heynemann, S., Lipworth, W., McLachlan, S-A., Philip, J., John, T. & Kerridge, I., Apr 2025, In: Journal of Thoracic Oncology. 20, 4, p. e51-e52 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review
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Understanding “interests”: historical insights for managing conflicts of interest in healthcare and biomedical science
Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I. & Lipworth, W., 22 Apr 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy. 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
Addressing the consequences of the corporatization of reproductive medicine
Attinger, S. A., Jackson, E., Karpin, I., Kerridge, I., Newson, A. J., Stewart, C., van de Wiel, L. & Lipworth, W., Nov 2024, In: Medical Law Review. 32, 4, p. 444-467 24 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile16 Downloads (Pure) -
Do doctors have a responsibility to challenge the distorting influence of commerce on healthcare delivery? The case of assisted reproductive technology
Stanbury, C., Kerridge, I., Newson, A. J., Ghinea, N. & Lipworth, W., 19 Nov 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Health Care Analysis. 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
Activities
- 2 Presentation
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Using institutional theory to explore disagreements about 'conflict of interest' in medicine
Wendy Lipworth (Speaker) & Kathleen Montgomery (Speaker)
2016Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
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The place of patient-centred care in medical culture: a qualitative study
Wendy Lipworth (Speaker), Miles Little (Speaker), Pippa Markham (Speaker), Jill Gordon (Speaker) & Ian H. Kerridge (Speaker)
Apr 2012 → …Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation