Biography
Dr Rebekah McWhirter is an associate professor in health law and ethics in the School of Medicine. Her research interests include ethical and legal issues in health and health research, Indigenous genetics, and empirical research methods in ethical and legal research. She completed her PhD at the University of Tasmania on the history of compulsory vaccination legislation, and has a MSc in Public Health Research from the University of Edinburgh, investigating genetic risk factors for multiple sclerosis in the Orkney and Shetland Islands.
After working at the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin and the Menzies Institute for Medical Research on a range of cancer genetics projects, Rebekah joined the Centre for Law and Genetics, and retrained in law at the University of Melbourne and the ANU. Her work now brings together her multidisciplinary experiences to focus on how the law can be used to improve public health and health research.
Read more on Rebekah's profileResearch interests
Health and medical law, including public health law, vaccination laws, and human rights in health law
Research ethics
Ethical and legal issues in genomics
Affiliations
Board member of Women's Health Tasmania
Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law, co-theme leader for Empirical Ethics
Human Genetics Society of Australia
Public Health Association of Australia
Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases
Teaching interests
health law; bioethics; research ethics; empirical research methods
Units taught
HME941 Year 4 Research Scholar Program
HME922
Knowledge areas
health law; research ethics; regulation of genomics; genomics and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; empirical research in law and ethics; vaccination law; legal epidemiology
Media appearances
Donation of surplus oocytes for mitochondrial transfer research: with Mel Bush, Mornings on ABC Radio, 10 August 2022
'COVID safety at health and medical conferences: what more can be done?' interview with Alison Barrett, Croakey Health Media, 3 August 2022
Medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines 'very rare': with Alexia Attwood on ABC Radio National PM, 13 August 2021
Informed consent and legal issues in genomics, Now That's What I Call Science (Edge Radio and Podcast with Niamh Chapman), 21 October 2019
Bioethics and Health Law: with Helen Shield on ABC Hobart 936, 1 October 2019
Duty to disclose, MJA Podcast Episode 40, 7 August 2017
Projects
Rebekah is a CI on three MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission projects: 'Pathways to Benefit for Indigenous Australians in Genomic Medicine' (led by Prof Alex Brown); 'Addressing emerging ethical, legal and social issues in governance of clinical and genomic datasets' (led by Prof Ainsley Newson); and 'Returning Raw Genomic Data: Patient Autonomy or Legal Minefield?' (led by A/Prof Jane Nielsen), as well as an ARC Discovery Project, 'Genomic Data Sharing: Issues in Law, Research Ethics and Society' (led by Prof Dianne Nicol).
She is an AI on an NHMRC Partnership Grant, 'Improved cardiovascular Disease hEALth service delivery in Australia: IDEAL Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial' (led by Prof Jim Sharman) and on an NHMRC Synergy grant 'Respecting the Gift: empowering Indigenous communities in genomic medicine' (led by Prof Alex Brown).
In addition, she leads an SSN funded project 'Towards effective legal scrutiny of public health interventions' with a focus on vaccination laws, and contributes to a number of projects on research ethics and governance of health research.
Publications
L Eckstein, M Otlowski, M Taylor, R McWhirter
(2023), Vol. 46, pp. 498-534, University of New South Wales Law Journal, Sydney, N.S.W., C1-1
Book Review: Law and Healing: A History of a Stormy Marriage
Rebekah Mcwhirter, Margaret Brazier
(2023), pp. 1-5, Medical Law Review, Oxford, Eng., C1
They Can Have Our Cake - But Can We Eat It? Access to Raw Genomic Data under Australian Privacy Law
Carolyn Johnston, Jane Nielsen, Mark Cowley, Rebekah McWhirter, Margaret Otlowski
(2023), Vol. 30, pp. 616-640, Journal of Law and Medicine, Australia, C1-1
Vaccine Hesitancy: Public Trust, Expertise, and the War on Science
Rebekah McWhirter
(2022), Vol. 15, pp. 202-205, International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics, Toronto, Ont., C1
Holding human research ethics committees to account: A role for judicial review?
Rebekah McWhirter
(2022), Vol. 43, pp. 377-402, Adelaide Law Review, C1
V Warren, C Critchley, R McWhirter, J Walshe, D Nicol
(2022), Vol. 15, pp. 1-16, BMC medical genomics, London, Eng., C1
Rebekah McWhirter, Lisa Eckstein, Don Chalmers, Jane Kaye, Jane Nielsen, Margaret Otlowski, Megan Prictor, Mark Taylor, Dianne Nicol
(2022), Hobart, Tas., A6
N Chapman, R McWhirter, K Jose, M Schultz, D Ezzy, M Nelson, J Sharman
(2021), Vol. 27, pp. 1353-1360, Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, London, England, C1
N Chapman, R McWhirter, M Schultz, D Ezzy, M Nelson, J Sharman
(2021), Vol. 38, pp. 173-180, Family practice, England, C1
R Pysar, C Wallingford, J Boyle, S Campbell, L Eckstein, R McWhirter, B Terrill, C Jacobs, A McInerney-Leo
(2021), Vol. 29, pp. 1811-1818, European Journal of Human Genetics, London, Eng., C1
R McWhirter, L Eckstein, D Chalmers, C Critchley, J Nielsen, M Otlowski, D Nicol
(2020), Vol. 15, pp. 355-364, Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, United States, C1
Cerebral small vessel disease genomics and its implications across the lifespan
M Sargurupremraj, H Suzuki, X Jian, C Sarnowski, T Evans, J Bis, G Eiriksdottir, S Sakaue, N Terzikhan, M Habes, W Zhao, N Armstrong, E Hofer, L Yanek, S Hagenaars, R Kumar, E van den Akker, R McWhirter, S Trompet, A Mishra, Y Saba, C Satizabal, G Beaudet, L Petit, A Tsuchida, L Zago, S Schilling, S Sigurdsson, R Gottesman, C Lewis, N Aggarwal, O Lopez, J Smith, M Valdés Hernández, J van der Grond, M Wright, M Knol, M Dörr, R Thomson, C Bordes, Q Le Grand, M Duperron, A Smith, D Knopman, P Schreiner, D Evans, J Rotter, A Beiser, S Maniega, M Beekman, J Trollor, D Stott, M Vernooij, K Wittfeld, W Niessen, A Soumaré, E Boerwinkle, S Sidney, S Turner, G Davies, A Thalamuthu, U Völker, M van Buchem, R Bryan, J Dupuis, M Bastin, D Ames, A Teumer, P Amouyel, J Kwok, R Bülow, I Deary, P Schofield, H Brodaty, J Jiang, Y Tabara, K Setoh, S Miyamoto, K Yoshida, M Nagata, Y Kamatani, F Matsuda, B Psaty, D Bennett, P De Jager, T Mosley, P Sachdev, R Schmidt, H Warren, E Evangelou, D Trégouët, M de Andrade, S Basu, C Berr, J Brody, D Chasman, J Dartigues, A Folsom, M Germain
(2020), Vol. 11, Nature Communications, England, C1
N Chapman, R Fonseca, L Murfett, K Beazley, R McWhirter, M Schultz, M Nelson, J Sharman
(2020), Vol. 37, pp. 675-681, Family Practice, Oxford, Eng., C1
Equitable Expanded Carrier Screening Needs Indigenous Clinical and Population Genomic Data
S Easteal, R Arkell, R Balboa, S Bellingham, A Brown, T Calma, M Cook, M Davis, H Dawkins, M Dinger, M Dobbie, A Farlow, K Gwynne, A Hermes, W Hoy, M Jenkins, S Jiang, W Kaplan, S Leslie, B Llamas, G Mann, B McMorran, R McWhirter, C Meldrum, S Nagaraj, S Newman, J Nunn, L Ormond-Parker, N Orr, D Paliwal, H Patel, G Pearson, G Pratt, B Rambaldini, L Russell, R Savarirayan, M Silcocks, J Skinner, Y Souilmi, C Vinuesa, G Baynam
(2020), Vol. 107, pp. 175-182, American Journal of Human Genetics, Cambridge, Mass., C1
Self-directed multimedia process for delivering participant informed consent
N Chapman, R McWhirter, M Armstrong, R Fonseca, J Campbell, M Nelson, M Schultz, J Sharman
(2020), Vol. 10, BMJ Open, England, C1
Recurrence patterns identify aggressive form of human papillomavirus-dependent vulvar cancer
R McWhirter, P Otahal, D Taylor-Thomson, E Maypilama, A Rumbold, J Dickinson, J Thorn, J Boyle, J Condon
(2020), Vol. 60, pp. 231-237, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chichester, Eng., C1
R Jeanneret, C Spiranovic, L Eckstein, R McWhirter, A Arstein-Kerslake, J Scanlan, K Kirkby, P Watters, J Vickers
(2019), Vol. 31, pp. 60-74, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Abingdon, Eng., C1
R McWhirter, C Johnston, J Burke
(2019), Vol. 27, pp. 108-121, Journal of Law and Medicine, Rozelle, N.S.W., C1
Genetic and lifestyle risk factors for MRI-defined brain infarcts in a population-based setting
G Chauhan, H Adams, C Satizabal, J Bis, A Teumer, M Sargurupremraj, E Hofer, S Trompet, S Hilal, A Smith, X Jian, R Malik, M Traylor, S Pulit, P Amouyel, B Mazoyer, Y Zhu, S Kaffashian, S Schilling, G Beecham, T Montine, G Schellenberg, O Kjartansson, V Guðnason, D Knopman, M Griswold, B Windham, R Gottesman, T Mosley, R Schmidt, Y Saba, H Schmidt, F Takeuchi, S Yamaguchi, T Nabika, N Kato, K Rajan, N Aggarwal, P De Jager, D Evans, B Psaty, J Rotter, K Rice, O Lopez, J Liao, C Chen, C Cheng, T Wong, M Ikram, S van der Lee, N Amin, V Chouraki, A Destefano, H Aparicio, J Romero, P Maillard, C Decarli, J Wardlaw, M Del C. Valdés Hernández, M Luciano, D Liewald, I Deary, J Starr, M Bastin, S Maniega, P Slagboom, M Beekman, J Deelen, H Uh, R Lemmens, H Brodaty, M Wright, D Ames, G Boncoraglio, J Hopewell, A Beecham, S Blanton, C Wright, R Sacco, W Wen, A Thalamuthu, N Armstrong, E Chong, P Schofield, J Kwok, J van der Grond, D Stott, I Ford, J Jukema, M Vernooij, A Hofman, A Uitterlinden, A van der Lugt, K Wittfeld, H Grabe, N Hosten, B von Sarnowski, U Völker, C Levi, J Jimenez-Conde, Rebekah McWhirter
(2019), Vol. 92, pp. E486-E503, Neurology, Philadelphia, Pa., C1
Moving Forward on Consent Practices in Australia
R McWhirter, L Eckstein
(2018), Vol. 15, pp. 243-257, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, Netherlands, C1
Provenance and risk in transfer of biological materials
J Nielsen, T Bubela, D Chalmers, A Johns, L Kahl, J Kamens, C Lawson, J Liddicoat, R McWhirter, A Monotti, J Scheibner, T Whitton, D Nicol
(2018), Vol. 16, PLoS Biology, United States, C1
Australia: regulating genomic data sharing to promote public trust
L Eckstein, D Chalmers, C Critchley, R Jeanneret, R McWhirter, J Nielsen, M Otlowski, D Nicol
(2018), Vol. 137, pp. 583-591, Human Genetics, Germany, C1-1
Regulation of unregistered birth workers in Australia: Homebirth and public safety
R McWhirter
(2018), Vol. 31, pp. 134-142, Women and Birth, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
The complex genetics of gait speed: Genome-wide meta-analysis approach
D Ben-Avraham, D Karasik, J Verghese, K Lunetta, J Smith, J Eicher, R Vered, J Deelen, A Arnold, A Buchman, T Tanaka, J Faul, M Nethander, M Fornage, H Adams, A Matteini, M Callisaya, A Smith, L Yu, P De Jager, D Evans, V Gudnason, A Hofman, A Pattie, J Corley, L Launer, D Knopman, N Parimi, S Turner, S Bandinelli, M Beekman, D Gutman, L Sharvit, S Mooijaart, D Liewald, J Houwing-Duistermaat, C Ohlsson, M Moed, V Verlinden, D Mellström, J van der Geest, M Karlsson, D Hernandez, R McWhirter, Y Liu, R Thomson, G Tranah, A Uitterlinden, D Weir, W Zhao, J Starr, A Johnson, M Arfan Ikram, D Bennett, S Cummings, I Deary, T Harris, S Sharon, T Mosley, V Srikanth, B Windham, A Newman, J Walston, G Davies, D Evans, E Slagboom, L Ferrucci, D Kiel, J Murabito, G Atzmon
(2017), Vol. 9, pp. 209-246, Aging, United States, C1
Implementing values-based governance for a new bioresource model
D Nicol, R McWhirter, J Dickinson
(2017), Vol. 4, pp. 404-411, Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Oxford, Eng., C1
Performance data and informed consent: A duty to disclose?
R McWhirter
(2017), Vol. 207, pp. 100-101.e1, Medical Journal of Australia, Australia, C1
Identifying public expectations of genetic biobanks
C Critchley, D Nicol, R McWhirter
(2017), Vol. 26, pp. 671-687, Public Understanding of Science, London, Eng., C1
INFORMED CONSENT AND PERFORMANCE DATA: CLINICIAN EXPERIENCE AS A MATERIAL RISK
Rebekah McWhirter
(2017), Vol. 40, pp. 566-589, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES LAW JOURNAL, C1
Novel genetic loci underlying human intracranial volume identified through genome-wide association
H Adams, D Hibar, V Chouraki, J Stein, P Nyquist, M Rentería, S Trompet, A Arias-Vasquez, S Seshadri, S Desrivières, A Beecham, N Jahanshad, K Wittfeld, S Van Der Lee, L Abramovic, S Alhusaini, N Amin, M Andersson, K Arfanakis, B Aribisala, N Armstrong, L Athanasiu, T Axelsson, A Beiser, M Bernard, J Bis, L Blanken, S Blanton, M Bohlken, M Boks, J Bralten, A Brickman, O Carmichael, M Chakravarty, G Chauhan, Q Chen, C Ching, G Cuellar-Partida, A Braber, N Doan, S Ehrlich, I Filippi, T Ge, S Giddaluru, A Goldman, R Gottesman, C Greven, O Grimm, M Griswold, T Guadalupe, J Hass, U Haukvik, S Hilal, E Hofer, D Hoehn, A Holmes, M Hoogman, D Janowitz, T Jia, D Kasperaviciute, S Kim, M Klein, B Kraemer, P Lee, J Liao, D Liewald, L Lopez, M Luciano, C Macare, A Marquand, M Matarin, K Mather, M Mattheisen, B Mazoyer, D McKay, R McWhirter, Y Milaneschi, N Mirza-Schreiber, R Muetzel, S Maniega, K Nho, A Nugent, L Loohuis, J Oosterlaan, M Papmeyer, I Pappa, L Pirpamer, S Pudas, B Pütz, K Rajan, A Ramasamy, J Richards, S Risacher, R Roiz-Santiañez, N Rommelse, E Rose, N Royle, T Rundek, P Sämann, C Satizabal
(2016), Vol. 19, pp. 1569-1582, Nature Neuroscience, United States, C1
Understanding public reactions to commercialization of biobanks and use of biobank resources
D Nicol, C Critchley, R McWhirter, T Whitton
(2016), Vol. 162, pp. 79-87, Social Science and Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Regulation of non-consensual genetic testing in Australia: Use of samples from deceased persons
R McWhirter, M Otlowski
(2016), Vol. 24, pp. 150-165, Journal of Law and Medicine, Sydney, N.S.W., C1
Precision medicine: Drowning in a regulatory soup?
D Nicol, T Bubela, D Chalmers, J Charbonneau, C Critchley, J Dickinson, J Fleming, A Hewitt, J Kaye, J Liddicoat, R McWhirter, M Otlowski, N Ries, L Skene, C Stewart, J Wagner, N Zeps
(2016), Vol. 3, pp. 281-303, Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Oxford, Eng., C1
E Kowal, A Greenwood, R McWhirter
(2015), Vol. 10, pp. 347-359, Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, United States, C1
Genomics in research and health care with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
R McWhirter, D Nicol, J Savulescu
(2015), Vol. 33, pp. 203-209, Monash bioethics review, United States, C1
Genetic and epigenetic variation in vulvar cancer: Current research and future clinical practice
R McWhirter, J Marthick, J Boyle, J Dickinson
(2014), Vol. 54, pp. 406-411, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Australia, C1
Runs of homozygosity and a cluster of vulvar cancer in young Australian Aboriginal women
R Mcwhirter, R Thomson, J Marthick, A Rumbold, M Brown, D Taylor-Thomson, E Maypilama, J Condon, J Dickinson
(2014), Vol. 133, pp. 421-426, Gynecologic Oncology, United States, C1
D Chalmers, R McWhirter, D Nicol, T Whitton, M Otlowski, M Burgess, S Foote, C Critchley, J Dickinson
(2014), Vol. 1, pp. 321-328, Journal of Responsible Innovation, C1
Community Engagement for Big Epidemiology: Deliberative Democracy as a Tool
Rebekah McWhirter, Christine Critchley, Dianne Nicol, Don Chalmers, Tess Whitton, Margaret Otlowski, Michael Burgess, Joanne Dickinson
(2014), Vol. 4, pp. 459-474, JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE, Basel, Switzerland, C1
R McWhirter, D Nicol, D Chalmers, J Dickinson
(2013), Vol. 21, pp. 323-329, Journal of law and medicine, Australia, C1-1
Ethical genetic research in Indigenous communities: Challenges and successful approaches{star, open}
R McWhirter, D Mununggirritj, D Marika, J Dickinson, J Condon
(2012), Vol. 18, pp. 702-708, Trends in Molecular Medicine, England, C1
Genome-wide homozygosity and multiple sclerosis in Orkney and Shetland Islanders
R McWhirter, R McQuillan, E Visser, C Counsell, J Wilson
(2012), Vol. 20, pp. 198-202, European Journal of Human Genetics, England, C1
R McWhirter
(2012), Vol. 55, pp. 329-338, Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, United States, C1
Funded Projects at Deakin
No Funded Projects at Deakin found
Supervisions
No completed student supervisions to report