Rate My Professor Annette Braunack-Mayer

Annette Braunack-Mayer is Professor of Health Ethics and Head of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Wollongong. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Bioethics with special commendation from the University of Adelaide in 1999, with a thesis titled 'General Practitioners Doing Ethics: An Empirical Perspective on Bioethical Methods.' She also holds a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours 2A in Community Medicine) from the University of Adelaide in 1984, with a thesis on 'Teaching Ethics to Nurses: The Design and Analysis of a Short Course in the Ethics of Neonatal Intensive Care,' and a Certificate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the same institution in 1984. Her career began in 1985 as a Research Assistant and Project Officer with the South Australian Health Commission, followed by roles as Research Officer, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Associate Professor in the Discipline of Public Health at the University of Adelaide from 1987 to 2009. She served as Head of the School of Public Health at the University of Adelaide from 2010 to 2015 and Professor of Health Ethics there from 2010 to 2018. In 2018, she joined the University of Wollongong as Professor of Health Ethics and Head of the School of Health and Society, later transitioning to Head of the School of Social Sciences in 2024. She is also a Professorial Fellow at the Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values.

Annette Braunack-Mayer is an empirical bioethicist whose research combines rigorous ethical analyses with qualitative methods to examine health systems, policies, and practices. Her work includes citizens' juries and deliberative engagement on topics such as communicable disease surveillance, AI ethics in health research, and responses to child sexual behaviour concerns. Key publications include the books 'Practical Ethics for General Practice' (Oxford University Press, 2004 and 2009, co-authored with Wendy Rogers) and highly cited articles such as 'What do we know about men’s help-seeking and health service use?' (Medical Journal of Australia, 2006), 'Who drinks sugar sweetened beverages and juice?' (Public Health Research & Practice, 2019), and 'Ethical issues in big data' (PLOS ONE, 2023). She has authored over 130 refereed publications and secured funding from NHMRC, ARC, and other agencies, including a $2.25 million project on AI ethics in health research (2025) and a $1 million national project on child sexual behaviour (2026). Awards include Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year (University of Adelaide, 2006) and Finalist for the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics (2004). She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Medical Ethics, NHMRC ethics committees, and Human Research Ethics Committees.