Ethics Expertise

Ethics projects at the London IDEAS Knowledge Park are being implemented by Dr Richard Ashcroft and Dr Ainsley Newson.
Dr Richard Ashcroft is Levehulme Senior Lecturer in Medical Ethics and Head of the Medical Ethics Unit at Imperial College London. Richard holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science from Cambridge University, in which he examined the ethical theory of scientists' behaviour.

Richard became interested in medical ethics whilst undertaking a post-doctoral fellowship in Health Technology at Liverpool University. Since then, he has researched across a broad range of topics, notably those involving issues around clinical ethics, medical education, biotechnology and genetic research. He has secured a significant number of research grants, investigating issues such as epidemiological genetics, alternative approaches to bioethics and teaching medical ethics.

Dr Ainsley Newson is a post-doctoral research associate with the London IDEAS Knowledge Park, in conjunction with the Medical Ethics Unit at Imperial College. Ainsley holds a PhD in bioethics and a Bachelor of Science (genetics) from The University of Melbourne. She is also in the final stages of a Bachelor of Laws.

Ainsley's role with London IDEAS involves working with clinicians, counsellors and researchers to develop educational materials in clinical ethics, an ethics resource centre, a workshop program and a clinical ethics support service. Outside of this role, her research interests centre around clinical and reproductive decision-making in genetics, genetic policy-making and the non-medical uses of genetic information.

Richard and Ainsley are receiving expert assistance in their London IDEAS ethics projects from an Ethics Advisory Committee. Members of this committee comprise ethicists, clinical geneticists, genetic counsellors and bioethics educators.