Biography
Dr Cynthia Forlini is Lecturer in Health Ethics and Professionalism in the School of Medicine (Faculty of Health) at Deakin University. Her research explores the neuroethical issues that arise as we redefine the boundaries between treatment, maintenance, and enhancement of cognitive performance. She has examined these issues conceptually and empirically as they relate to the use of neurotechnology (e.g. neuropharmaceuticals and non-invasive brain stimulation) in different contexts such as competitive academic environments, research, healthy cognitive ageing, and dementia prevention. Her work on cognitive ageing was supported by a Australia Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award (2015-2017).
Cynthia completed her training in neuroethics at the Neuroethics Research Unit of the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (M.A., Université de Montréal; PhD, McGill University). Since, she has held research fellow positions at The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (Addiction Neuroethics Group) and The University of Sydney (Sydney Health Ethics). Cynthia has been awarded visiting fellowships at the Centre for Advanced Studies of the Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich (Germany), Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Ruhr Universität Bochum (Germany), the Institute of Social Medicine of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Read more on Cynthia's profileAffiliations
Leader of Student/Early Career Researcher Stream Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law
Elected member of the Nominating Committee of the International Neuroethics Society
Member of the Australian Brain Science Network Early and Mid-Career Researcher Steering Committee
Teaching interests
Health Ethics
Professionalism
Neuroethics
Units taught
HME931 Research Scholar Program (2021)
HME711 Health Law and Ethics (2020- Tri 2)
HME912 Medicine 1B- Ethics, Law and Professionalism Topic Coordinator (2019-20)
Knowledge areas
Biomedical ethics; Ageing; Neuroethics; Dementia; Enhancement; Teaching ethics; Research ethics
Professional activities
Editorial Board Member- Performance Enhancement & Health
Associate Editor- BMC Medical Ethics
Associate Editor- Journal of Bioethical Inquiry
Media appearances
Television and radio
SBS 'The Feed': "Nootropics- Do smart drugs reall make you more intelligent?". 4 June 2014.
ABC Radio National: "Do cognitive enhancing drugs actually make a person smarter?". 25 March 2018.
Awards
(Selected)
Sydney Dementia Network Travel Grant 2019. NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research Australian Dementia Forum 2019. 13-14 June 2019. Hobart, Australia. ($AUD 500) To enable attendance at the annual NNIDR ADF 2019.
Herrenhausen Conference Travel Grant Award 2018. “Lost in the maze? Navigating evidence and ethics in translational neuroscience”.14-16 February, 2018. Hanover, Germany.
International Neuroethics Society Travel Stipend 2017. International Neuroethics Society Annual Meeting.
People’s Choice Award for Best Presentation. 2017 Lifespan Research Day. Lifespan Research Network, The University of Sydney.
International Visiting Fellowship in Medical Ethics 2012from the Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Ruhr Universität Bochum. Bochum, Germany.
International Scholarship 2007-2008from the l’Institut International de Recherche en Éthique Biomédicale. Research Internship at the Institute of Social Medicine of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Projects
The neuroethics of cognitive ageing
Healthy cognitive ageing in the 1921-26 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health
Mapping the ethical landscape of dementia research in the ageing population
Publications
Examining the Ethics of Neuroscience in Contemporary Neuroethics
Cynthia Forlini
(2023), pp. 3-3, Neuroethics and Cultural Diversity, London, Eng., B1
Certainty, Science, and the Brain-Based Definition of Death
Dominique Martin, Cynthia Forlini, Emma Tumilty
(2023), Vol. 14, pp. 279-282, AJOB Neuroscience, London, Eng., C1
GIVING THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF ADDICTION NO MORE THAN ITS DUE
Wayne Hall, Adrian Carter, Cynthia Forlini
(2022), pp. 108-112, Evaluating the Brain Disease Model of Addiction, London, Eng., B1
Michael O'Leary, George Skowronski, Christine Critchley, Lisa O'Reilly, Cynthia Forlini, Linda Sheahan, Cameron Stewart, Ian Kerridge
(2022), Vol. 52, pp. 238-248, Internal Medicine Journal, London, Eng., C1
Problematic risk-taking involving emerging technologies: A stakeholder framework to minimize harms
T Swanton, A Blaszczynski, C Forlini, V Starcevic, S Gainsbury
(2021), Vol. 9, pp. 869-875, Journal of Behavioral Addictions, Hungary, C1
A Atkinson, K van de Ven, M Cunningham, T de Zeeuw, E Hibbert, C Forlini, V Barkoukis, H Sumnall
(2021), Vol. 95, International Journal of Drug Policy, Netherlands, C1
The pharmaceuticalisation of 'healthy' ageing: Testosterone enhancement for longevity
M Dunn, K Mulrooney, C Forlini, K van de Ven, M Underwood
(2021), Vol. 95, International Journal of Drug Policy, Netherlands, C1
A scoping review of the perceptions of death in the context of organ donation and transplantation
G Skowronski, A Ramnani, D Walton-Sonda, C Forlini, M O’Leary, L O’Reilly, L Sheahan, C Stewart, I Kerridge
(2021), Vol. 22, BMC Medical Ethics, England, C1
George Skowronski, Michael O'Leary, Christine Critchley, Lisa O'Reilly, Cynthia Forlini, Nancyz Ghinea, Linda Sheahan, Cameron Stewart, Ian Kerridge
(2020), Vol. 50, pp. 1192-1201, Internal Medicine Journal, Richmond, Vic., C1
M Gupta, C Forlini, L Laneuville
(2020), Vol. 3, pp. 80-92, Canadian Journal of Bioethics, C1
A Neuroethics Framework for the Australian Brain Initiative
J Kennett, A Carter, J Bourne, W Hall, N Levy, J Mattingley, A Lawrence, C Forlini, L Malcolm, N Vincent, L Richards, G Egan, M Breakspear, K Cornish, G Halliday, L Poole-Warren, S Sriram, T Soulis, B Fitzgibbon, I Kiral-Kornek, D Badcock, B Balleine, J Bekkers, M Berk, A Bradley, A Brichta, O Carter, A Castles, J Clements, J Cornish, G de Zubicaray, P Enticott, A Fornito, L Griffiths, J Gullifer, A Hannan, S Harrer, A Harvey, I Hickie, L Jazwinska, M Kiernan, T Kilpatrick, R Leventer, J Licinio, N Lovell, G Mackellar, S Medland, P Michie, J Nithianantharajah, J Parker, J Payne, S Rossell, P Sah, Z Sarnyai, P Schofield, D Shum, T Silk, M Slee, G Stuart, J Tapson, A van Schaik, B Vissel, A Waters, D Apthorp, S Cohen-Woods, S Conn, M Korgaonkar, A Mason, M Azghadi, O Shimoni, A Smith, M Thompson
(2019), Vol. 101, pp. 365-369, Neuron, United States, C1
R Thomas, R Sims, E Beller, A Scott, J Doust, D Le Couteur, D Pond, C Loy, C Forlini, P Glasziou
(2019), Vol. 22, pp. 475-484, Health expectations, Chichester, Eng., C1
J Lucke, C Jensen, M Dunn, G Chan, C Forlini, S Kaye, B Partridge, M Farrell, E Racine, W Hall
(2018), Vol. 18, BMC Public Health, England, C1
Public mental health ethics: helping improve mental health for individuals and communities
D Silva, C Forlini, C Meurk
(2018), Vol. 11, pp. 121-125, Public health ethics, Oxford, Eng., C1
A prospectus for ethical analysis of ageing individuals' responsibility to prevent cognitive decline
C Forlini, W Hall
(2017), Vol. 31, pp. 657-665, Bioethics, Chichester, Eng., C1
Patient preferences may be indicative of normative issues in dementia research
C Forlini
(2017), Vol. 59, pp. 11-12, Journal of alzheimer's disease, Amsterdam, Netherlands, C1
E Racine, J Aspler, C Forlini, J Chandler
(2017), Vol. 27, pp. 1-41, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, United States, C1
M Ricco, F Marchesi, F Tartamella, C Rapacchi, V Pattonieri, A Odone, C Forlini, L Roncoroni, C Signorelli
(2017), Vol. 29, pp. 440-452, Annali di igiene : medicina preventiva e di comunita, Italy, C1-1
The hidden ethics curriculum in two Canadian psychiatry residency programs: a qualitative study
M Gupta, C Forlini, K Lenton, R Duchen, L Lohfeld
(2016), Vol. 40, pp. 592-599, Academic psychiatry, Cham, Switzerland, C1
E Racine, C Forlini, J Aspler, J Chandler
(2016), Vol. 51, pp. 1-9, Journal of Alzheimer's disease, Amsterdam, Netherlands, C1
The is and ought of the ethics of neuroenhancement: Mind the gap
C Forlini, W Hall
(2016), Vol. 6, Frontiers in Psychology, Switzerland, C1
C Jensen, C Forlini, B Partridge, W Hall
(2016), Vol. 7, Frontiers in Psychology, Switzerland, C1
Adrian Carter, Philip Mosley, Cynthia Forlini, Wayne Hall
(2016), Vol. 19, pp. 163-188, Jahrbuch für Wissenschaft und Ethik, Berlin, Germany, C1
Ethical issues raised by a ban on the sale of electronic nicotine devices
W Hall, C Gartner, C Forlini
(2015), Vol. 110, pp. 1061-1067, Addiction, Chichester, Eng., C1
C Forlini, J Schildmann, P Roser, R Beranek, J Vollmann
(2015), Vol. 8, pp. 83-92, Neuroethics, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, C1
K Riggall, C Forlini, A Carter, W Hall, M Weier, B Partridge, M Meinzer
(2015), Vol. 5, pp. 1-10, Scientific reports, London, Eng., C1
N Lee, W Hall, J Lucke, C Forlini, A Carter
(2014), Vol. 6, pp. 5312-5326, Nutrients, Basel, Switzerland, C1
E Racine, T Martin Rubio, J Chandler, C Forlini, J Lucke
(2014), Vol. 17, pp. 325-337, Medicine, health care and philosophy, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, C1
L Wade, C Forlini, E Racine
(2014), Vol. 15, pp. 1-14, BMC medical ethics, London, Eng., C1
S Sattler, C Forlini, E Racine, C Sauer
(2013), Vol. 8, pp. 1-12, PLoS one, San Francisco, Calif., C1
C Forlini, W Hall, B Maxwell, S Outram, P Reiner, D Repantis, M Schermer, E Racine
(2013), Vol. 14, pp. 123-128, EMBO reports, Chichester, Eng., C1
C Forlini, E Racine
(2012), Vol. 21, pp. 606-625, Public understanding of science, London, Eng., C1-1
C Forlini, E Racine
(2012), Vol. 3, pp. 33-47, AJOB primary research, Abingdon, Eng., C1-1
E Racine, C Forlini
(2010), Vol. 3, pp. 1-4, Neuroethics, Cham, Switzerland, C1-1
C Forlini, E Racine
(2009), Vol. 10, BMC Medical Ethics, C1-1
C Forlini, E Racine
(2009), Vol. 2, pp. 163-177, Neuroethics, C1-1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Australian Competitive Grants
The neuroethics of cognitive ageing
Dr Cynthia Forlini
ARC DECRA - Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
- 2020: $42,217
Supervisions
No completed student supervisions to report