Wendy Lipworth

Phone+61 2 9850 8865
Emailwendy.lipworthmq.eduau

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Research activity per year

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 research sits at the intersection of bioethics and professional ethics, with a particular focus on the ethics of biomedical research, innovation and translation.

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 have received over $5 million in research funding from the NHMRC, ARC and Medical Research Future Fund.

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 → …

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1 Similar Profiles

1 Finished
4 Active

MRFF (Usyd led): Enhancing pluripotent stem cell derived heart muscle grafts for future clinical trials
Chong, J. (Chief Investigator), Reyes, L. (Chief Investigator), Clayton, Z. (Chief Investigator), Nguyen, Q. (Chief Investigator), Porrello, E. (Chief Investigator), Lipworth, W. (Primary Chief Investigator), Kerridge, I. (Chief Investigator), Lewis, N. (Chief Investigator), Dingwall, S. (Chief Investigator), Owen, D. (Chief Investigator), Prowse, A. (Associate Investigator), Ramialison, M. (Associate Investigator), Sahyoun, J. (Associate Investigator), Cumberland, M. (Associate Investigator) & Gray, P. (Associate Investigator)
1/04/25 → 31/03/27
Project: Research
MRFF Usyd Led: Development of a generalisable evaluation framework for high upfront-cost therapies: clinical, economic, ethico-legal, social and cultural considerations
Howard, K. (Chief Investigator), De Abreu Lourenço, R. (Chief Investigator), Watson, J. (Chief Investigator), Mason, K. (Chief Investigator), Lipworth, W. (Primary Chief Investigator), Kerridge, I. (Chief Investigator), Ho, P. J. (Chief Investigator), Norris, S. (Chief Investigator), Viney, R. (Chief Investigator), Rasko, J. E. (Chief Investigator), Roberts, A. W. (Chief Investigator), Stewart, C. (Chief Investigator), Pierce, K. (Chief Investigator), Lynch, G. (Chief Investigator), de Feria Cardet, R. (Chief Investigator), Karnon, J. (Associate Investigator), Silva, D. (Associate Investigator), Raghunandan, R. (Associate Investigator), Rush, A. (Associate Investigator), Upshur, R. (Associate Investigator) & Sagnella, S. (Associate Investigator)
11/04/24 → 31/01/26
Project: Research
Supporting Australian Brain Cancer Research with an integrated network of platforms
Lipworth, W. (Chief Investigator) & Jeffree, R. L. (Primary Chief Investigator)
1/06/23 → 1/08/28
Project: Research

File
Addressing emerging ethical, legal and social issues in governance of clinical and genomic dataset to improve human health.
Newson, A. (Chief Investigator), Ankeny, R. (Chief Investigator), Baynam, G. (Chief Investigator), Brion, M.-J. (Chief Investigator), Brown, A. (Chief Investigator), Christodoulou, J. (Chief Investigator), Dawson, A. (Chief Investigator), Delatycki, M. (Chief Investigator), Dive, L. (Chief Investigator), Eckstein, L. (Chief Investigator), Ferrie, M. (Chief Investigator), Gaff, C. (Chief Investigator), Gecz, J. (Chief Investigator), Griffiths, K. (Chief Investigator), Cyngell, C. (Chief Investigator), Hansen, D. (Chief Investigator), Hermes, A. (Chief Investigator), Hofmann, O. (Chief Investigator), Irving, D. (Chief Investigator), Jorm, L. (Chief Investigator), Keogh, L. (Chief Investigator), Kerridge, I. (Chief Investigator), Lipworth, W. (Primary Chief Investigator), MacArthur, D. (Chief Investigator), McWhirter, R. (Chief Investigator), Miller, S. (Chief Investigator), Mumford, J. (Chief Investigator), Nicol, D. (Chief Investigator), Nielsen, J. (Chief Investigator), Otlowski, M. (Chief Investigator), Paterson, J. (Chief Investigator), Peterson, A. (Chief Investigator), Prictor, M. (Chief Investigator), Renton, H. (Chief Investigator), Rizzi, M. (Chief Investigator), Savulescu, J. (Chief Investigator), Leach Scully, J. (Chief Investigator), Smith, M. (Chief Investigator), Stark, Z. (Chief Investigator), Stewart, C. (Chief Investigator), Taylor, M. (Chief Investigator), Vears, D. (Chief Investigator) & Vidgen, M. (Chief Investigator)
11/01/23 → 10/01/28
Project: Research
Macquarie University Centre for Agency Values and Ethics (CAVE)
Mackenzie, C. (Primary Chief Investigator), Rogers, W. (Centre Deputy Director), Meyerson, D. (Centre Member), Kennett, J. (Centre Member), Menary, R. (Centre Member), Barrow, A. (Centre Member), Bernal-Pulido, C. (Centre Member), Deranty, J.-P. (Centre Member), Downey, G. (Centre Member), Faulkner, J. (Centre Member), Formosa, P. (Centre Member), Hochman, A. (Centre Member), Hutchison, K. (Centre Member), Johnson, J. (Centre Member), Levy, N. (Centre Member), Lipworth, W. (Centre Member), Lotz, M. (Centre Member), Pugliese, J. (Centre Member), Ross, R. (Centre Member), Rossmanith, K. (Centre Member), Schier, E. (Centre Member), Sinnerbrink, R. (Centre Member), Smith, N. (Centre Member), Sorial, S. (Centre Member), Sutton, J. (Centre Member), Voyce, M. (Centre Member), Gleeson, K. (Centre Member) & MacDermott, T. (Centre Member)
1/01/20 → 1/01/22
Project: Research

Addressing value tensions in the design of technologies to support older persons (AgeTech) using responsible research and innovation and value sensitive design
Felber, N. A., Lipworth, W., Tian, Y. J. A., Duong, V. & Wangmo, T., Aug 2025, In: Science and Engineering Ethics. 31, 4, p. 1-23 23 p., 17.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
37 Downloads (Pure)
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
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
Beyond barriers and facilitators: a qualitative study of the interests driving physician-led innovation
Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I. & Lipworth, W., Sept 2025, In: Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 31, 6, p. 1-14 14 p., e70274.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
4 Downloads (Pure)
Commercial impacts on assisted reproductive technology: a scoping review
Wiersma, M., Kerridge, I., Gallagher, S., Hammarberg, K., Norman, R. J., Rombauts, L., Savulescu, J., Stewart, C., Yazdani, A. & Lipworth, W., 11 Sept 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. 21 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access

4 Presentation

Reconciling different understandings of 'conflict of interest' in medicine
Lipworth, W. (Speaker) & Montgomery, K. (Speaker)
2017
Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
Using institutional theory to explore disagreements about 'conflict of interest' in medicine
Lipworth, W. (Speaker) & Montgomery, K. (Speaker)
2016
Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
The persistence of professional boundaries: a re-examination using Little's theory of foundational values
Lipworth, W. (Speaker), Montgomery, K. (Speaker) & Fitzgerald, L. (Speaker)
Apr 2014
Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation
The place of patient-centred care in medical culture: a qualitative study
Lipworth, W. (Speaker), Little, M. (Speaker), Markham, P. (Speaker), Gordon, J. (Speaker) & Kerridge, I. H. (Speaker)
Apr 2012 → …
Activity: Talk or presentation › Presentation

Wendy Lipworth

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