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Contact Details

Phone
64 3 471 6124
Email
simon.walker@otago.ac.nz
Position
Senior Lecturer
Department
Bioethics Centre
Qualifications
BA MA PhD PGDipArts(Otago)
Research summary
Moral philosophy, the nature of value, meaning, suffering, end of life care.
Teaching

Ethics to students of medicine, physiotherapy, pharmacy, and dentistry and oral health. BITC 301, BITC 401.

Research

Simon is familiar with a wide range of philosophical authors, and has a particular interest in the works of Kant, Wittgenstein, and Spinoza. While working as a palliative care researcher he became interested in the links between moral philosophy and our understanding of health, and began reading healthcare literature exploring this connection. He discovered a broad acceptance of the idea that a person's values will shape their experience of and response to suffering, and yet that this relationship is scarcely mentioned in contemporary ethical discourse.

He is currently developing a conception of ethics that shows the fundamental link between values and suffering, and which indicates how and to what extent life may retain value in the midst of suffering. This research draws on many different sources, including clinical experience, ancient and modern philosophy, and literature

Publications

Walker, S., Reid, P., Anderson, L., Bull, S., Jonas, M., Manning, J., … Pitama, S., Rennie, S., Snelling, J., Wilkinson, T., & Bagg, W. (2023). Informed consent for medical student involvement in patient care: An updated consensus statement. New Zealand Medical Journal/Te ara tika o te hauora hapori, 136(1579), 86-95. Retrieved from https://journal.nzma.org.nz/

Newton-Howes, G., Walker, S., & Pickering, N. J. (2023). Epistemic problems with mental health legislation in the doctor–patient relationship. Journal of Medical Ethics. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/jme-2022-108610

Rennie, S. C., Anderson, L., Merry, A. F., Pitama, S., Reid, P., Snelling, J., Walker, S., Wilkinson, T., & Bagg, W. (2022). Medical students and informed consent: Response to "Consent for teaching". New Zealand Medical Journal, 135(1566), 100-102. Retrieved from https://journal.nzma.org.nz/

Walker, S., Williams, O., Newton-Howes, G., & Pickering, N. (2022). Reformulating decision-making capacity. American Journal of Bioethics, 22(11), 92-94. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2022.2123995

Pickering, N. J., Newton-Howes, G., & Walker, S. (2022). Risk-relativity is still a nonsense. Journal of Medical Ethics, 48(12), 1056-1057. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2022-108379

Walker, S., & McMillan, J. (2021). Ethical concepts in clinical decision-making and ethics teaching. In M. Mant & C. Mounsey (Eds.), The history and bioethics of medical education: "You've got to be carefully taught". (pp. 130-146). New York, NY: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003107156-11

Chapter in Book - Research

Nie, J.-B., & Walker, S. (2015). Truth telling. In H. ten Have (Ed.), Encyclopedia of global bioethics. Springer International. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_427-1

Chapter in Book - Research

Walker, S., & McMillan, J. (2015). Memory, identity and dementia. In T. Schramme & S. Edwards (Eds.), Handbook of the philosophy of medicine. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-8706-2_64-1

Chapter in Book - Research

Newton-Howes, G., Walker, S., & Pickering, N. J. (2023). Epistemic problems with mental health legislation in the doctor–patient relationship. Journal of Medical Ethics. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/jme-2022-108610

Journal - Research Article

Walker, S., Reid, P., Anderson, L., Bull, S., Jonas, M., Manning, J., … Pitama, S., Rennie, S., Snelling, J., Wilkinson, T., & Bagg, W. (2023). Informed consent for medical student involvement in patient care: An updated consensus statement. New Zealand Medical Journal/Te ara tika o te hauora hapori, 136(1579), 86-95. Retrieved from https://journal.nzma.org.nz/

Journal - Research Article

Pickering, N. J., Newton-Howes, G., & Walker, S. (2022). Risk-related standards of competence are a nonsense. Journal of Medical Ethics, 48, 893-898. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2021-108107

Journal - Research Article

Donnelly, S., & Walker, S. (2021). Enabling first and second year doctors to negotiate ethical challenges in end-of-life care: A qualitative study. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002672

Journal - Research Article

Nie, L., Smith-Han, K., Iosua, E., & Walker, S. (2021). New Zealand medical students’ views of euthanasia/assisted dying across different year levels. BMC Medical Education, 21, 125. doi: 10.1186/s12909-021-02558-2

Journal - Research Article

Rutter, C., & Walker, S. (2021). Infant mortality inequities for Māori in New Zealand: A tale of three policies. International Journal for Equity in Health, 20, 10. doi: 10.1186/s12939-020-01340-y

Journal - Research Article

Thompson, O., Anderson, J., Chen, M., Haack, G., Mane, R., Stewart, T., … Walthert, J., Jutel, S., Mapusua, T., Schwenke, D., Sopoaga, F., Walker, S., & Richards, R. (2020). Use of bodily tissues in research: Pacific perspectives from Dunedin, New Zealand. Pacific Health Dialog, 21(5), 245-252. doi: 10.26635/phd.2020.624

Journal - Research Article

Walker, S., Egan, R., Young, J., Jaye, C., & Jackson, C. (2020). A citizens' jury on euthanasia/assisted dying: Does informed deliberation change people's views? Health Expectations, 23, 388-395. doi: 10.1111/hex.13008

Journal - Research Article

Young, J., Egan, R., Walker, S., Graham-DeMello, A., & Jackson, C. (2019). The euthanasia debate: Synthesising the evidence on New Zealander's attitudes. Kōtuitui, 14(1), 1-21. doi: 10.1080/1177083X.2018.1532915

Journal - Research Article

Lambie, D., Egan, R., Walker, S., & MacLeod, R. (2015). How spirituality is understood and taught in New Zealand medical schools. Palliative & Supportive Care, 13, 53-58. doi: 10.1017/S147895151300062X

Journal - Research Article

McHugh, H. M., & Walker, S. T. (2015). "Personal Knowledge" in medicine and the epistemic shortcomings of Scientism. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 12, 577-585. doi: 10.1007/s11673-015-9661-5

Journal - Research Article

Nie, J.-B., Walker, S. T., Qiao, S., Li, X., & Tucker, J. D. (2015). Truth-telling to the patient, family, and the sexual partner: A rights approach to the role of healthcare providers in adult HIV disclosure in China. AIDS Care, 27(Suppl. 1), 83-89. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2015.1071772

Journal - Research Article

McLennan, S., Walker, S., & Rich, L. E. (2014). Should health care providers be forced to apologise after things go wrong? Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 11, 431-435. doi: 10.1007/s11673-014-9571-y

Journal - Research Article

McMillan, J., Walker, S., & Hope, T. (2014). Valuing hope. Monash Bioethics Review, 32(1-2), 33-42. doi: 10.1007/s40592-014-0006-7

Journal - Research Article

Walker, S. T. (2014). Spinoza, Styron, and the ethics of healing. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 11(2), 153-160. doi: 10.1007/s11673-014-9526-3

Journal - Research Article

Gillett, G., & Walker, S. (2013). Immunisation and minimally informed consent. Journal of Law & Medicine, 20(4), 723-727.

Journal - Research Article

Gillett, G., & Walker, S. (2012). The evolution of informed consent. Journal of Law & Medicine, 19(4), 673-677.

Journal - Research Article

Janssen, A. L., MacLeod, R. D., & Walker, S. T. (2008). Recognition, reflection, and role models: Critical elements in education about care in medicine. Palliative & Supportive Care, 6(4), 389-395.

Journal - Research Article

Walker, S., & MacLeod, R. (2005). Palliative care knowledge of some South Island GPs. New Zealand Family Physician, 32(2), 88-93.

Journal - Research Article

Anderson, L., Walker, S., Zaharic, T., Kenrick, K., & Subramaniam, R. M. (2022). The responsibilities of medical students in providing advice on the COVID-19 vaccination programme. New Zealand Medical Journal, 135(1552), 136-138. Retrieved from https://journal.nzma.org.nz/

Journal - Research Other

Pickering, N. J., Newton-Howes, G., & Walker, S. (2022). Risk-relativity is still a nonsense. Journal of Medical Ethics, 48(12), 1056-1057. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2022-108379

Journal - Research Other

Rennie, S. C., Anderson, L., Merry, A. F., Pitama, S., Reid, P., Snelling, J., Walker, S., Wilkinson, T., & Bagg, W. (2022). Medical students and informed consent: Response to "Consent for teaching". New Zealand Medical Journal, 135(1566), 100-102. Retrieved from https://journal.nzma.org.nz/

Journal - Research Other

Walker, S., Williams, O., Newton-Howes, G., & Pickering, N. (2022). Reformulating decision-making capacity. American Journal of Bioethics, 22(11), 92-94. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2022.2123995

Journal - Research Other

Li, J.-r., Walker, S., Nie, J.-b., & Zhang, X. (2019). Experiments that led to the first gene-edited babies: The ethical failings and the urgent need for better governance. Journal of Zhejiang University: Science B, 20(1), 32-38. doi: 10.1631/jzus.B1800624

Journal - Research Other

McMillan, J., Malpas, P., Walker, S., & Jonas, M. (2018). Ethics education in New Zealand medical schools. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 27(3), 470-473. doi: 10.1017/S096318011700086X

Journal - Research Other

Tumilty, E., Walker, S., & Tumilty, S. (2014). Tainting by numbers: How the disadvantaged become invisible within evidence-based medicine. Physical Therapy Reviews, 19(5), 367-377. doi: 10.1179/1743288X14Y.0000000152

Journal - Research Other

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