Stephen Wilkinson, Distinguished Professor of Bioethics at Lancaster University, has been appointed to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the UK’s leading independent body for bioethics and policy research.

Professor Wilkinson, from the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, will take up this prestigious appointment in April 2024. As a Council member, he will play a key role in advising on strategic direction and topic identification, and will support the critical review of ongoing work and key projects.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which recently launched its new strategy Making Ethics Matter, has a world-leading reputation for tackling some of the most complex and controversial bioethical issues facing societies across the globe.

“I am delighted to be joining the Nuffield Council on Bioethics at such an exciting time”, said Professor Wilkinson. “The Council identifies, analyses and advises on ethical issues in biomedicine and health for the benefit of people and society. I look forward to contributing to that work and to collaborating with other members of the Council, and with the Executive team, to support the delivery of the ambitious goals outlined in the new strategy.”

Professor Wilkinson is a leading expert on reproductive ethics and the regulation of reproductive technologies. He is currently Principal Investigator of a £1m Wellcome-funded grant, The Future of Human Reproduction: transformative agendas and methods for the Humanities and Social Sciences. This innovative, interdisciplinary research programme explores the cultural, ethical, legal and social challenges that will emerge as technological advances fundamentally change the possibilities for human reproduction.

Professor Sarah Cunningham-Burley, Chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, said: “I am delighted that Stephen is joining us as a Council member. His knowledge and expertise, especially in the field of reproductive ethics, will be of huge value to us as we make this a priority area of focus in our new strategy.”

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics was established in 1991 and is jointly funded by the Nuffield Foundation, The Medical Research Council and Wellcome.

Professor Wilkinson was appointed to the Council following an open recruitment process.