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Dutch professor is new Chair of Ethics in Medicine

Press release issued: 29 September 2005

The new Chair of Ethics in Medicine at the University of Bristol is Professor Ruud ter Meulen, formerly Professor in Philosophy and Director of the Institute for Bioethics at the University of Maastricht.

The new Chair of Ethics in Medicine at the University of Bristol is Professor Ruud ter Meulen, formerly Professor in Philosophy and Director of the Institute for Bioethics at the University of Maastricht.

Professor ter Meulen succeeds Professor Alastair Campbell, the University's Foundation Chair, who was one of the first people to put Ethics in Medicine on the map in the UK.

Professor ter Meulen is a psychologist by training and has been working for more than 15 years in the ethics of medicine. His research areas include the respect for autonomy in the care of persons with chronic diseases, the ethical issues of resource allocation in health care and the ethical issues of medical decision-making at the end of life, such as withdrawal of treatment and euthanasia.

He has widespread international experience and has directed many European projects including 'Solidarity and care in the European Union (1998-2000)' and 'Ethical Issues of Evidence Based Practice in Medicine and Health Care (EVIBASE)'.

He recently acquired a grant from the European Commission for ENHANCE, a multi-centre, European project which will deal with the ethical issues of new medical and biological technologies that may be used to enhance our human capacities in the fields of cognition, mood, sport and life span.

He is also involved in the BIOTETHED project, co-ordinated by the University of Genoa, which aims to combine research and training in ethical issues in the field of biotechnology.

Professor ter Meulen said: "I am greatly looking forward to building on the pioneering work of Professor Campbell.

"I've always been eager to promote interdisciplinary approaches to the study of ethical issues in medicine and biotechnology by bringing together philosophers, lawyers, physicians, and social scientists in research projects. It's my intention to continue this interdisciplinary approach in Bristol by setting up interdisciplinary networks involving researchers in the medical faculty and other faculties of the University.

"Important areas of research will be the ethical issues in the care for chronic diseases, ethical issues of health policy particularly regarding elderly care, ethical issues in end-of-life care and decision-making and the ethical assessment of new, biomedical technologies. I will definitely continue my work in international settings and will try to involve the Centre for Ethics in Medicine and other departments of the University in European projects."

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