The backgrounds of the academic staff provide a variety of perspectives in the humanities and health, which helps students to reflect on current ethical issues in medicine, biology, health care, and the broader issues of environmental ethics.
Department of Bioethics staff are also responsible for teaching one of the most extensive programs in medical ethics of any medical school in the world, and also ethics courses in pharmacy, physiotherapy, oral health, and midwifery.
Academic staff
Staff are available for consultation, particularly on matters relating to their research interests.
Dr Lynley Anderson – Emeritus Professor
Ethics in sports medicine, reproductive ethics, clinical bioethics, professional development, codes of ethics.
Email lynley.anderson@otago.ac.nz
Dr Angela Ballantyne – Professor
Global health policy and justice, ethical frameworks in research, genetics and ethics.
Tel +64 4 918 5090
Email angela.ballantyne@otago.ac.nz
Dr Sarah Bush – Professional Practice Fellow
Public health ethics, bioethics and health law.
Tel +64 3 479 4341
Email sarah.bush@otago.ac.nz
Ms Alison Douglass – Honorary Senior Lecturer
Clinical ethics, research ethics, mental capacity, assisted reproductive technology.
Tel +64 3 477 3488
Email alison.douglass@barristerschambers.co.nz
Dr Elizabeth Fenton – Senior Lecturer
Public health ethics, global health, resource prioritization, and health policy.
Tel +64 3 471 6128
Email elizabeth.fenton@otago.ac.nz
Ms Josephine Johnston – Associate Professor, Head of Department
Bioethics, law and policy relating to human reproduction, psychiatry, genetics, and neuroscience
Tel +64 3 471 6123
Email josephine.johnston@otago.ac.nz
Dr Mike King – Associate Professor
Animal and environmental ethics, scientific responsibility, ethics of assisted reproductive technologies.
Tel +64 3 471 6130
Email mike.king@otago.ac.nz
Dr Taryn Knox – Lecturer
Philosophy of psychiatry and medicine, mental health ethics, sports ethics.
Tel +64 3 556 5583
Email taryn.knox@otago.ac.nz
Dr John McMillan – Professor
Prioritisation, reproductive ethics, the philosophy and ethics of mental health, research ethics, methods of bioethics.
Tel +64 3 471 6135
Email john.mcmillan@otago.ac.nz
Dr Tania Moerenhout – Senior Lecturer
Ethics and philosophy of (new) medical technologies, digital health ethics, clinical ethics and the patient‑doctor relationship.
Tel +64 3 556 5449
Email tania.moerenhout@otago.ac.nz
Dr Jing-Bao Nie – Professor
Cross-cultural and international bioethics, medical ethics in China / Asia.
Tel +64 3 471 6129
Email jing-bao.nie@otago.ac.nz
Dr Neil Pickering – Professor
Philosophy and ethics of mental health, medical humanities (particularly the use of literature in ethics teaching), alternative medicine, cultural issues in bioethics, environmental ethics.
Tel +64 3 471 6126
Email neil.pickering@otago.ac.nz
Dr Simon Walker – Senior Lecturer
Moral philosophy, the nature of value, meaning, suffering, end of life care.
Tel +64 3 471 6124
Email simon.walker@otago.ac.nz
Dr Andrew Moore – Honorary Associate Professor
Philosophy of Well-being, Ethics, Public Philosophy.
Email andrew.moore@otago.ac.nz
Dr Janine Winters – Honorary Senior Lecturer
End of life ethical issues for both adults and children, high stakes decision making for children.
Tel +64 3 471 6120
Email janine.winters@otago.ac.nz
Support staff
Maria Guerrero – Administrator
Tel +64 3 556 5045
Email maria.guerrero@otago.ac.nz