Dr David Hunter

• Biography/ Background

  My background is in philosophy, concentrating on political philosophy and ethics, both theoretical and applied, mainly in the context of medical practice, research ethics and other professional practices. Because I am interested in issues at the intersection of several areas of philosophy it is difficult to summarise my interests succinctly.

  However I am particularly interested in medical ethics with a focus on where ideas from political philosophy can be bought to bear on problems within medical ethics. In particular I believe that an excessive focus has been placed on clinical ethics in bioethics, and this has obscured important background issues such as organisational and structural issues. So I think that work in political philosophy can usefully inform approaches to a variety of issues in medical ethics. I'm broadly interested in ethical issues to do with regulation of human activities, particularly where these have broader implications for ethical theory and/or political philosophy. I've focused on three main areas within this broader topic thus far, Research Ethics, Ethics of New Technologies and Public Health Ethics. I also have an ongoing research interest in the pedagogy of medical ethics teaching. As such my research interests are broad, but common themes run throughout.

   

  I'm presently working on:

  1. Ethics of Regulation I've concentrated a lot on research ethics committees and the regulation of research. I'm particular interested where these topics raise broader underlying conceptual issues such as should we view research ethics committees as normative truth seeking devices, or instead as liberal consensus seeking devices? Similarly I have a longstanding interest in how we conceptualise risk and how we operationalise considering it. A continuing theme of my work in this area is efficient and effective ethical decision making in situations of fundamental uncertainty and disagreement.

   

  2. Public Health Ethics I am broadly interested in issues in public health ethics. My PhD thesis concentrated on one of these areas, distributive justice in health care. I'm particularly interested here in questions in the health care context since I think this provides a useful testing ground for claims in political philosophy. Likewise I am interested in how we ought to conceptualise the relationship between society and the individual and the role responsibility might or ought to play in health care decision making.

   

  3. Ethics of New Technology Arising from my interest in regulation more generally I've written about the ethics of new technologies. Here I have concentrated on questions about the effective regulation of these technologies given globalisation and questions about distributive justice and the implications of new technologies.

   

  4. Ethics teaching pedagogy Arising from my practices as a teacher I am particularly interested in how to teach ethics effectively and how to assess this. I have interests in the use of the community of inquiry methodology, how to use resources and time effectively & the use of real case studies as pedagogical hooks.

   

  I spent the previous six years at Flinders University, the eight years before that in the UK, and before that was based in New Zealand.

  In 2020 I joined the University of Adelaide as senior lecturer in ethics and professionalism within the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.

  2013 - 19 School of Medicine at Flinders University, AU.

  2011-13 Philosophy department at the University of Birmingham, UK.

  2008 -11 Centre for Professional Ethics at Keele University, UK.

  2005-08 School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.

  2004-05 School of History, Philosophy and Politics, Massey University, NZ.

  2000-04 I tutored in philosophy at the University of Auckland, NZ.

• Qualifications

  2008: Phd in Philosophy. Title: A Luck Egalitarian Account of Distributive Justice in Health Care, University of Auckland. Supervised by Professor Rosalind Hursthouse.

  2002: MA in Philosophy. Title God the Utilitarian? The Ethics of Theodicy. University of Auckland. First Class Honours. Supervised by Professor John Bishop.

  2001: BA (Hons) Philosophy. University of Auckland. First Class Honours. 

  2001: Diploma of Professional Ethics, University of Auckland. 

   1999: BA, Double Major: Philosophy/Politics. University of Auckland. 

• Teaching Interests

  I have a broad interest in teaching applied ethics, political philosophy and normative ethics. My present role involves supporting the teaching of ethics and professionalism across the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

• Research Interests

  1. Ethics of Regulation I've concentrated a lot on research ethics committees and the regulation of research. I'm particular interested where these topics raise broader underlying conceptual issues such as should we view research ethics committees as normative truth seeking devices, or instead as liberal consensus seeking devices? Similarly I have a longstanding interest in how we conceptualise risk and how we operationalise considering it. A continuing theme of my work in this area is efficient and effective ethical decision making in situations of fundamental uncertainty and disagreement.

   

  2. Public Health Ethics I am broadly interested in issues in public health ethics. My PhD thesis concentrated on one of these areas, distributive justice in health care. I'm particularly interested here in questions in the health care context since I think this provides a useful testing ground for claims in political philosophy. Likewise I am interested in how we ought to conceptualise the relationship between society and the individual and the role responsibility might or ought to play in health care decision making.

   

  3. Ethics of New Technology Arising from my interest in regulation more generally I've written about the ethics of new technologies. Here I have concentrated on questions about the effective regulation of these technologies given globalisation and questions about distributive justice and the implications of new technologies.

   

  4. Ethics teaching pedagogy Arising from my practices as a teacher I am particularly interested in how to teach ethics effectively and how to assess this. I have interests in the use of the community of inquiry methodology, how to use resources and time effectively & the use of real case studies as pedagogical hooks.

• Research Funding

  2019:   

  GMCA LifeLab Ethics Advisory Board – updating documentation & calibration session (May-June 2019) $3000.

  Praxis Research Ethics Course updating (May-June 2019) $5500

  GMCA LifeLab Ethics Advisory Board – 2 hour research ethics training (February 2019) $750

  Epigeum Research Skills Toolkit – Australian Research Ethics Author ( January - May 2019) £2500

  2018:

  Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law Teaching Ethics Stream Main conference workshop: Assessing Ethics. Townsville.

  2017:

  Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law Teaching Ethics Stream Satellite Workshop: Structure and Resourcing Ethics Teaching. Adelaide.

  2016:   

  SA Health HREC Training half day: Privacy - $1500

  2015:

  Arguing Against the Future – Brocher Foundation Residency Grant – Lead investigator provided one month of accommodation at the Brocher Centre in Geneva, 150 euros per diem for expenses & travel expenses for junior research partner (Nicholas Evans, University of Pennsylvania).

  Heads of University Centres of biomedical Sciences Travel Fellowship – £1000

  Top End Research Ethics Committee Training half day: Darwin.

  2014:

  ARC Discovery Project  - Risky business? Improving Human Research Ethics Systems’ understanding and undertaking of risk-proportional review. $627957 – Outcome: Not Funded.

  SA Health HREC Training half day: Consent - $1500

  2012:

  University of Birmingham College of Arts & Law Undergraduate Research Scholarship - Arguing against the Future project. Provided funding for an undergraduate student to be a full time research assistant to me over the summer to develop this grant application.          

  Wellcome Trust 3 year research fellowship - Killing me softly with his informed consent: the ethical and epistemological implications of the Nocebo effect for clinical research and practice – outcome – shortlisted and recommended for funding.

  2011:

  Wellcome Trust Symposium on Political Philosophy & Public Health – Keele University. Funded £1235

  Wellcome Trust 3 year research fellowship - Evidence based research ethics: Cognitive biases and their impact on research ethics committee decision making – shortlisted, not recommended for funding.

  2010:

  The concept of community in bioethics – Wellcome Trust Satellite Conference of the International Association of Bioethics 2010 Congress – Singapore

  Research Ethics in the EU: What is done and how it could be done better two day            conference – Keele University

  Philosophy and Research Ethics Workshop – Leeds, Funding Body: Wellcome Trust

  Funded: £1845

  Ethical Issues in Infectious Disease Control Workshop, Funding Body: Wellcome Trust,    Funded: £2345

  2009:

  Justice and Human Enhancement workshop, Manchester Political Theory   Workshops

  2008:

  Networking and capacity building for academic research ethics committees, Funding            Body: FP7 ,Bid: €973400 – Outcome not funded.

  2007:

  BIOETHICS 2.0: Bespoke E-Learning Solutions for Embedding Ethics in Science and          Medicine, Funding Body: Wellcome Trust, E-Learning grants programme. Bid: £97300 –       Outcome not funded.

       

  The Elderly and Cancer Research Participation, Funding Body: ESRC: New Dynamics     of Aging programme, Bid amount: £352000 – Outcome not funded.

  2006: Forward Thinking Project, Northern Ireland, Granting Body & Scheme: Wellcome    Trust,    Engaging Science grants programme. Funded: £155877.

   

• Publications

  Books:

  Hughes, J. Hunter, D. Sheehan, M. Wilkinson, S. Wrigley, A. European Textbook on Ethics in Research. European Commission, Directorate-General for Research Science, Economy and Society, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010. http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/textbook-on-ethics-report_en.pdf

   

  Hughes, J. Hunter, D. Sheehan, M. Wilkinson, S. Wrigley, A. Syllabus on Ethics in Research. European Commission, Directorate-General for Research Science, Economy and Society, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010.

  http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/document_library/pdf_06/syllabus-on-ethics_en.pdf

  
  Journal Articles:

  Carter, D. Hunter, D. Merlin, T. (2019) An Ethical Analysis of Coverage with Evidence Development. Value in Health. 22(8): 878-83.

  Benson, S. Hunter, D. (2018) Is there a nocebo response that results from disease awareness campaigns and advertising in Australia, and can this effect be mitigated? Journal of Medical Ethics. 44:621-625.

  Hunter, D.L. (2016). Response to:‘We could be heroes: ethical issues with the pre-recruitment of research participants’ by D. Hunter. Journal of Medical Ethics, 42(3) pp. 206-206. 

  Hunter, D. (2015) We could be heroes: ethical issues with the pre-recruitment of research participants, Journal of Medical Ethics. 41: pp.557-558.

  Hunter, D. (2015) Is Research Ethics Regulation Really killing People? Medical Journal of Australia. 202 (6): 338-339.

  Hunter, D. (2014) Can Significant Difference in Regulating Medical and Non-medical Research be Justified? Monash Bioethics Review, Sep-Dec;32(3-4):254-67.

  Hunter, D. (2013) Can the Regulatory Response to SUPPORT be Supported? American Journal of Bioethics, Open peer commentary. 13(12):37-9.

  Hunter, D.L.H. (2013). How to Object to Radically New Technologies on the Basis of Justice: The Case of Synthetic Biology. Bioethics, 27(8) pp. 426-434.

  Hunter, D.L.H. (2013). How not to argue against mandatory ethics review. Journal of Medical Ethics, 39(8) pp. 521-524.

   Hunter, D. (2012) 'Are New Genetic Technologies Unlucky for Luck Egalitarianism?' Ethical Perspectives, 19(1):33-54.

  Hunter, D. (2012) 'Why even inappropriate parental consent might be enough to justify minimal risk pediatric research without clinical benefit' American Journal of Bioethics, Open peer commentary. 12(1):35-36.  

  Hunter, D. (2011) 'A hands-on guide on obtaining research ethics approval ' Postgraduate Medical Journal;87:509-513.

  Hunter, D. Oultram, S. (2010) 'The ethical & policy implications of Rogue Medical Tourism' Global Social Policy, 10, 297-299.

  Hunter, D. Wilson, J. (2010) 'Response to open peer commentaries on 'Research Exceptionalism' American Journal of Bioethics;10:8:W4-6.

  Wilson, J. Hunter, D. (2010) 'Research Exceptionalism' American Journal of Bioethics Target Article;10:8:45-54.

  Hunter D. (2010) ' Is there a case for a distinction between Ethics & Policy?' American Journal of Bioethics Open Peer Commentary;10:6:24-25.

  Hunter, D. (2008) ‘Teaching Skills and Bioethics, the use of the Community of Inquiry' Monash Bioethics Review;27:1:33-41.

  Hunter, D. (2008) ‘Tower of Babel rebuilt: The ESRC research ethics framework and research ethics review at UK universities.’ Journal of Medical Ethics;34:815-820.

  Hunter, D. Oultram, S. (2008) 'The Challenge of Sperm Ships: The need for global regulation of medical technology' Journal of Medical Ethics;34:552-556.

  Elliott, L. Hunter, D. (2008) ‘The experiences of Ethics Committee Members: Contradictions between Individuals and Committees’ Journal of Medical Ethics;34:489-494.

  Hunter, D. (2007) 'Efficiency and the Proposed Reforms to the NHS Research Ethics System' Journal of Medical Ethics;33:651-654.

  Hunter, D. (2007) ‘The roles of research ethics committees: implications for membership.’ Research Ethics Review; 3(1): 24-26.

  Hunter, D. (2007) 'Proportional Ethical Review and the Identification of Ethical Issues' Journal of Medical Ethics.;33:241-245.

  Hunter, D. (2007) 'Am I my Brother's Gatekeeper? Professional Ethics & the Prioritisation of Health Care' Journal of Medical Ethics;33:522-526.

  Hunter, D. Pierscionek, B. 'Children, Gillick Competency and Consent for Research' Journal of Medical Ethics. (2007);33:659-662.

  Hunter, D. (2006) 'An alternative model for research ethics review at UK universities' Research Ethics Review; 2(2): 47-51.

  Hunter, D. (2006) 'Placebos, and moral perils for participants' Research Ethics Review; 2(2): 71-72.

   

  Book Chapters:

  Hunter, D. (2019) ‘Clinical Ethics for Emergency Healthcare” Emergency and Trauma Care for Nurses and Paramedics. 3^rd Ed. Elsevier.

  Hunter, D. (2018) ‘Research Ethics Committees – What are They Good for?’ The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research Ethics. in Ron Iphofen and Martin Tolich, ed. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research Ethics. 1 ed. London: Sage, pp. 289-300. 

  Hunter, D. Dawson, A. (2011)  'Is there a need for global health ethics?  Pros and cons' Global Health and Global Health Ethics edited by Gillian Brock & Soloman Benatar, Cambridge University Press, 77 -88. 

  Hunter, D. (2006) 'Forward Thinking: A Teaching Project'  Pp 309-316. in Clements, Belinda (Ed) Probing the Boundaries: Environmental Justice and Global Citizenship, The Inter-Disciplinary Press. ISBN: 978-1-904710-38-7 

  

  Conference Proceedings:

  Hunter, D. 'Bioethics and Vulnerability: A Latin American View' by F. Luna, Amsterdam/NY: Rodopi. Developing World Bioethics. (2008) 8;3:242-243

  Hunter, D. 'Rethinking informed consent in bioethics' by N. C. Manson and O. O’Neill, Cambridge University Press, 2007. Research Ethics Review. (2008) 4;1:42-43.

  Hunter, D 'Bioethics: An Introduction for the biosciences by Ben Mepham, Oxford University Press, 2005'  Metapsychology on Jan 23rd 2006, Volume: 10, Number: 4

  http://mentalhelp.net/books/books.php?type=de&id=2983 

   

  Others:

  Hunter, D. (2017) Non-negligent harm, clinical trials and the NHS: Should Research ethics committees be activists? Research Ethics, 13(1), 2-3.

  Hunter, D.L. and Evans, N. (2016). Facebook emotional contagion experiment controversy. Research Ethics, 12(1) pp. 2-3. 

  Hunter, D.L. (2016). Response to:‘We could be heroes: ethical issues with the pre-recruitment of research participants’ by D. Hunter. Journal of Medical Ethics, 42(3) pp. 206-206. 

  Hunter, D.L. (2015). The ethics of not researching. Research Ethics, 11(4) pp. 176-177. 

  Hunter, D.L. (2015). Research on aggression in the hospital setting. Research Ethics, 11(3) pp. 173-174.

  Hunter, D.L. (2015). Native bush regeneration–post-fire photo project. Research Ethics, 11(1) pp. 61.

  Hunter, D.L. (2015). Eyes wide shut: Ethical issues in avoiding the need for disclosure of incidental findings in research. Research Ethics, 11(3) pp. 122-123. 

  Hunter, D.L. (2015). An Apple a day keeps the research ethics committee away? Research Ethics, 11(1) pp. 2-3. 

  Hunter, D.L.H. (2013). Case alert: A petition to investigate the death of Dan Markingson and possible research misconduct at the University of Minnesota. Research Ethics, 9(2) pp. 91-92. 

  Hunter, D.L.H. (2012). Why Even Inappropriate Parental Consent Might Be Enough to Justify Minimal Risk Pediatric Research Without Clinical Benefit. American Journal of Bioethics, 12(1) pp. 35-36. 

  Hunter, D & Wilson, J. Invited Editorial. 'The role of local government in promoting health equity' British Medical Journal, 345:e4881. (2012).

  Hunter, D & Wilson, J.  briefing paper on Ethical Issues in Hyperexpensive Treatments and the Prioritisation of R&D Nuffield Council on Bioethics (2011)

  Hunter, D. & Leveridge, J. Invited Editorial 'Concept of Community in Bioethics' Public Health Ethics. (2011) 4;1: 12-13.

  Hunter, D. 'Emergency medicine case study: Commentary' Research Ethics Review. (2009) 5;3:125-126.
  Hunter, D. 'Emergency medicine case study' Research Ethics Review. (2009) 5;2:83-84.

  Hunter, D 'In response to "Developing commensurate review"' Journal of Medical Ethics. (2008); Eletter: 14th January 2008.
  Hunter, D 'In response to "Is Triage Incoherent?"' Journal of Medical Ethics. (2008); Eletter: 14th January 2008.
  Hunter, D. L. H. 'Web Note: Philosophy and Bioethics Universe' Research Ethics Review. (2008); 4:2:75.

  Hunter, D. 'Conference Report: Who Cares? AREC Conference, Birmingham, March, 2008' Research Ethics Review. (2008); 4:2:83-4.

  Hunter, D. 'A decidedly non-ideal REC: A response to 'An idealised REC' Research Ethics Review. (2007);3:4:139-140.

• Community Engagement

  I firmly believe that philosophy ought to be a public activity and thus have actively sought opportunities to do this and to provide service to my communities. 

   

  I frequently am asked to comment on ethical issues in local and national media - a partial list is available: here

   

  I have had considerable involvement with philosophy for children and teaching philosophy in schools. I currently serve as a judge for the annual Philosothon's and Ethics Olympiad's held here in South Australia. 

   

  I also am a member of the South Australian Policy Advisory Committee on Technology (SAPACT), Australasian Ethics Network Steering Committee & the Coordinator of Australasian Association for Bioethics and Health Law teaching stream.

   

  Finally I provide consultancy on ethical issues - particularly in research ethics. 

• Media Expertise

  Categories	Ethics, Social Issues & Public Policy
  Expertise	Medical Ethics; Research Ethics; Justice; Resource Allocation; Clinical Ethics, Research Ethics Committees; Research Regulation; Ethics of Research; Bioethics; Ethics of New Technologies; Political Philosophy
  Mobile	0447 040 418

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 29 Mar 2022

To link to this page, please use the following URL:  https://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/david.hunter