Rate Professor Rosalind McDougall

Professional Summary: Professor Rosalind McDougall

Professor Rosalind McDougall is a distinguished academic at the University of Melbourne, Australia, with a focus on bioethics and health ethics. Her work bridges philosophy, medicine, and public health, contributing significantly to ethical discourse in healthcare practices and policy. Below is a detailed overview of her academic journey, research focus, and contributions to the field.

Academic Background and Degrees

Professor McDougall holds advanced qualifications in philosophy and bioethics, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to health ethics:

• PhD in Philosophy, focusing on bioethics, from the University of Melbourne.
• Master of Bioethics, Monash University.
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Philosophy, University of Melbourne.

Research Specializations and Academic Interests

Professor McDougall specializes in bioethics, with particular emphasis on:

• Ethical issues in reproductive medicine, including assisted reproductive technologies.
• Health professional ethics and decision-making in clinical settings.
• Public health ethics, particularly concerning resource allocation and policy.
• Ethical challenges in pediatric care and parental decision-making.

Career History and Appointments

Professor McDougall has held several significant academic and research positions:

• Associate Professor in Health Ethics, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne.
• Research Fellow at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford (previous appointment).
• Honorary Fellow, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne.

Major Awards, Fellowships, and Honors

Her contributions to bioethics have been recognized through various accolades:

• Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) for research on ethical issues in reproductive medicine.
• Recipient of multiple research grants for projects in health ethics from national and international funding bodies.

Key Publications

Professor McDougall has authored numerous influential works in bioethics. A selection of her key publications includes:

• “Ethics of fertility preservation for prepubertal children: should clinicians offer procedures where efficacy is largely unproven?” – Journal of Medical Ethics, 2018.
• “Parental virtues: A new way of thinking about the morality of reproductive actions” – Bioethics, 2007.
• “Too much safety? Safeguards and equal access in child protection” – Child Abuse & Neglect, 2019 (co-authored).
• Multiple book chapters and edited volumes on health ethics and reproductive technology.

Influence and Impact on Academic Field

Professor McDougall’s research has had a profound impact on the field of bioethics, particularly in shaping ethical guidelines for reproductive technologies and pediatric care. Her work informs clinical practice and policy, offering frameworks for navigating complex moral dilemmas in healthcare. She is widely cited in academic literature and contributes to public and professional understanding of ethical challenges in medicine.

Public Lectures, Committees, and Editorial Contributions

Beyond research, Professor McDougall is actively engaged in the academic and public spheres:

• Regular speaker at international bioethics conferences and public seminars on health ethics.
• Member of ethics committees and advisory boards for healthcare policy in Australia.
• Editorial board member and peer reviewer for leading bioethics journals, including the Journal of Medical Ethics.