Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Biography
Dr Rebekah (Bek) McWhirter is a senior lecturer in health and medical law and Director of Education in the College of Law. Her research uses empirical and theoretical methods to address legal and ethical aspects of health, and aims to identify how law can support health. Her work focuses on the regulation of genomic research, particularly in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and research ethics governance. She maintains an interest in the history of health law, building upon her doctoral research into legislative responses to smallpox vaccination. She is a CI on competitive research funding (NHMRC, MRFF and ARC) and consultancies worth more than $15 million.
Bek has nine years' experience on human research ethics committees, including two as deputy chair. She is co-chair of the Education, Ethics and Social Issues Committee for the Human Genetics Society of Australasia, and a member of the executive of the Australasian Association for Bioethics and Health Law, holding the role of treasurer. She was a director of Women's Health Tasmania for six years. She is admitted as a legal practitioner in the ACT.
Research Interests
Health and medical law
Ethical, legal and social issues in genomics
Regulation of research and research ethics governance
Regulation of emerging health technologies
Risk and public trust in health
History of health law
Qualifications
BA(Hons), PhD, MSc(Public Health Research), JD, GCHELT, GDLP
Research student supervision
- Registered to supervise
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Empowering human research ethics committees to review genomics applications: evaluating the utility of a custom online education resource
McGahan, E., Berkman, J., Milne, D., Terrill, B., Gear, R., Gardiner, S., Eckstein, L., Nicol, D., Taylor, N., Winship, I., McWhirter, R., Nisselle, A., Lodge, J. & McInerney-Leo, A., Jul 2025, In: European Journal of Human Genetics. 33, p. 945-955 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Opportunities for a national genomic data governance framework in Australia: a systematic review
Cannizzo, F., Vidgen, M. E., McWhirter, R., Petersen, A., Otlowski, M., Rizzi, M., Hensley, J. & Newson, A. J., 14 Aug 2025, In: BMC Medical Ethics. 26, 1, 15 p., 111.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
The Australian LINEAGE Study: advancing and implementing international guidance on genomic data within local governance frameworks
Lysaght, T., Ankeny, R., Brown, A., Mcwhirter, R., Nicol, D., Otlowski, M., Richards, B. & Newson, A. J., 30 Apr 2025, In: npj Genomic Medicine. 10, 5 p., 34.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
1 Citation (SciVal) -
Utility of Germline, Somatic and ctDNA Testing in Adults With Cancer
DeBortoli, E., McGahan, E., Yanes, T., Berkman, J., Aoude, L. G., Smit, A. K., Gokoolparsadh, A., Hermes, A., Newett, L., Bourke, M., Hanson, S., Hughes, H., Hofmann, O., Goranitis, I., Mcwhirter, R., Milch, V., Steinberg, J. & McInerney-Leo, A., 1 Aug 2025, In: Cancer Medicine. 14, 15, p. 1-17 17 p., e71080.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
Australian Attitudes Towards Waivers of Consent Within the Context of Genomic Data Sharing
Newett, L., McWhirter, R., Eckstein, L., Warren, V. & Nicol, D., Jul 2024, In: Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics. 19, 3, p. 113-123 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
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Improving First Nations Experiences of Genetic Health Services Through Two-way Learning
Hermes, A. (PI), Barclay, J. (CoI), Boughtwood, T. F. (CoI), Freeman, L. (CoI), Goranitis, I. (CoI), Hodgson, J. (CoI), Lyons, L. (CoI), McCarthy, A. (CoI), McClaren, B. (CoI), McClaren, B. (CoI), McWhirter, R. (CoI), Newett, L. (CoI), Patel, H. (CoI) & Taylor, M. (CoI)
1/12/24 → 30/11/26
Project: Research
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Ethical governance for clinical and genomic data
Hermes, A. (PI), Newson, A. J. (PI), Ankeny, R. (CoI), Baynam, G. (CoI), Brion, M.-J. (CoI), Brion, M.-J. (CoI), Brown, A. (CoI), Dawson, A. (CoI), Dawson, A. (CoI), Delatycki, M. B. (CoI), Delatycki, M. B. (CoI), Dive, L. (CoI), Dive, L. (CoI), Eckstein, L. (CoI), Gaff, C. (CoI), Gecz, J. (CoI), Griffiths, K. (CoI), Gyngell, C. (CoI), Hansen, D. (CoI), Hofmann, O. (CoI), Irving, D. (CoI), Jorm, L. (CoI), Keogh, L. (CoI), Kerridge, I. (CoI), Kerridge, I. (CoI), Lipworth, W. (CoI), Macarthur, D. (CoI), McWhirter, R. (CoI), Miller, S. (CoI), Newett, L. (CoI), Nicol, D. (CoI), Nielsen, J. (CoI), Otlowski, M. (CoI), Paterson, J. (CoI), Petersen, A. (CoI), Prictor, M. (CoI), Richards, B. (CoI), Richards, B. (CoI), Rizzi, M. (CoI), Savulescu, J. (CoI), Savulescu, J. (CoI), Scully, J. (CoI), Smith, M. (CoI), Stark, Z. (CoI), Stark, Z. (CoI), Stewart, C. (CoI), Stewart, C. (CoI), Taylor, M. (CoI), Vears, D. (CoI), Vears, D. (CoI), Vidgen, M. (CoI) & Vidgen, M. (CoI)
1/06/22 → 31/05/27
Project: Research
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Procurement of services to undertake an evidence review to inform development of the National Framework for Genomics in Cancer Control
McInerney-Leo, A. (PI), McInerney-Leo, A. (PI), McWhirter, R. (PI), Aoude, L. G. (CoI), Hermes, A. (CoI), Newett, L. (CoI), Newson, A. J. (CoI), Steinberg, J. (CoI) & Yanes, T. (CoI)
10/08/23 → 31/03/24
Project: Research