Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Simon Woods is Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of the Policy Ethics and Life Sciences Research Centre(PEALS). PEALS is engaged in research teaching and outreach on the ethical and social implications of the life sciences and Simon's contribution is across this range but with special responsibility for teaching and learning. Simon has 10 years clinical experience as a cancer nurse and holds bachelor and doctoral degrees in philosophy. He has conducted empirical and conceptual research and has taught and published widely in the health care ethics field.

Simon has responsibility for directing PEALS teaching and learning strategy which emphasises the recruitment of post-graduate students for M.Phil/ PhD as well as offering a continuing professional development programme (CPD) including short courses and bespoke training events for health professionals and other professions with an interest in the social and ethical implications of the biosciences.

Qualifications

PhD Bioethics (Manchester)
B.A. (Hons) Philosophy

Previous Positions

Lecturer in Bioethics, Institute of Medicine Law and Bioethics/ Centre for Social ethics and Policy, School of Law, University of Manchester.
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, University of Manchester. Lecturer in Nursing (Feb. 1998 – Oct 1999).
Department of Nursing, University of Liverpool: Macmillan Lecturer in Cancer Nursing (1993 –1998).

Research Interests

Interdisciplinary research on social, ethical, and legal aspects of the life sciences, with particular reference to human embryonic and fetal tissue, genetic and other medical technologies; translational research, research ethics and governance, social philosophy and bioethics; palliative care and end of life issues.

Other Expertise

Reviewer for the following Journals: Journal of Medical Ethics, Bioethics, Medicine Philosophy and Healthcare, Sociology, Reproductive Biomedicine Online, Human Fertility.
Board Member: Blackwells Journal of Nursing philosophy.
Academic reviewer:
Macmillan Publishers.
Oxford University Press
Open University Press

Assessor for National/ International Research Panels:
Wellcome Trust
ESRC
NSC Northern Ireland

Current Work

Ethics of human foetal tissue research, social and ethical implications of medical nano-biotechnology, social and ethical aspects of neuromuscular disease research.

Future Research

Clinical decision-making: genetics, human stem-cell research.

Research Roles

Work package leader on 3 EU FP6 projects.

Postgraduate Supervision

Sarah Skyrme

Esteem Indicators

National Ethics Advisors' Panel Member, (NHS) National Research Ethics Service.
Chair: Project Ethics Council, TREAT-NMD EU FP6 Network of Excellence

NHS Research Ethics Committee Vice-Chair (Newcastle and North Tyneside 1)

University of Northumbria Research Ethics Committee Lay Member (2003 -2008)

Funding

EU FP6 DGEMap (formerly GeneExpress) Ethics work package - £94,419.05
EU FP6 SmartHEALTH Ethics work package - £179,000
EU FP6 TREAT-NMD Ethics work package - €250,000

Projects

• Developmental Gene Expression Map (DGEMap)
  Project Leader(s): Susan Lindsay
• RD Connect
  Project Leader(s): Hanns Lochmüller and Kate Bushby
• SmartHEALTH: Smart Integrated Bio-diagnostics Systems for Healthcare
  Project Leader(s): Calum McNeil
• TREAT-NMD Network
  Project Leader(s): Kate Bushby and Volker Straub

Postgraduate Teaching

• McCormack P, Woods S. Disputing the ethics of research: the challenge from bioethics and patient activism to the interpretation of the Declaration of Helsinki in clinical trials. Bioethics 2013, (epub ahead of print).
• Hagger EL, Woods S, ed. Good Death?: Law and Ethics in Practice. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2013.
• McCormack P, Woods S, Aartsma-Rus A, Hagger L, Herczegfalvi A, Heslop E, Irwin J, Kirschner J, Moeschen P, Muntoni F, Ouillade M-C, Rahbek J, Rehmann-Sutter C, Rouault F, Sejersen T, Vroom E, Straub V, Bushby K, Ferlini A. Guidance in social and ethical issues related to clinical, diagnostic care and novel therapies for hereditary neuromuscular rare diseases: "translating" the translational. 2013. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/currents.md.f90b49429fa814bd26c5b22b13d773ec.
• Woods S, Hagger LE, McCormack P. Therapeutic Misconception: Hope, Trust and Misconception in Paediatric Research. Health Care Analysis 2013, (epub ahead of print).
• Woods S. Writing on the body: The modern morality of the tattoo. In: Arp, R, ed. Tattoos – Philosophy for Everyone: I Ink, Therefore I Am. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. In Press.
• Woods S, McCormack P. Ethical issues in bio-marker research. In: TREAT-NMD International. 2011, Geneva, Switzerland: TREAT-NMD.
• McCormack P, Woods S. Ethics at the edge of translation: the work of the TREAT-NMD Project Ethics Council. In: TREAT-NMD International. 2011, Geneva, Switzerland: TREAT-NMD.
• Woods S. Law and Ethics in Intensive Care. Medical Law Review 2011, 19(3), 495-504.
• McCormack P, Woods S. Patient activism and the ethics of clinical trials: a perspective from neuromuscular disorders. In: TREAT-NMD International. 2011, Geneva, Switzerland.
• Aartsma-Rus A, Cosigned by, Furlong P, Vroom E, van Ommen GJ, Niks E, Straathof C, Verschuuren J, Ferlini A, Hagger L, Heslop E, Karcagi V, Kirschner J, McCormack P, Moeschen P, Muntoni F, Ouillade MC, Rahbeck J, Rehmann-Sutter C, Rouault F, Sejersen T, Woods S. The risks of therapeutic misconception and individual patient (n = 1) “trials” in rare diseases such as Duchenne dystrophy. Neuromuscular Disorders 2011, 21(1), 13-15.
• McCormack P, Woods S, Hagger L. The therapeutic misconception, decision making and informed consent: the ethics of trial participation for neuromuscular disorders. Neuromuscular Disorders 2011, 22(2), 191-192.
• McCormack P, Woods S. Ethical issues with the development of personalised medicines for rare, childhood, genetic disease: the case of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In: Is Medical Ethics Really in the Best Interests of the Patient?. 2010, Uppsala, Sweden.
• Woods S, Scully JL, McCormack P, Turkmendag I. Response to report by Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Give and take? Human bodies in medicine and research: consultation summary. London: Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 2010. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/7m3bl7d.
• Muntoni F, Contributors include, Bushby K, Heslop E, McCormack P, Woods S. The development of antisense oligonucleotide therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Report on a TREAT-NMD workshop hosted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), on September 25th 2009. Neuromuscular Disorders 2010, 20(5), 355-362.
• Woods S. Dignity: yet another look. In: Takala, T; Herrisone-Kelly, P; Holm, S, ed. Cutting through the surface: philosophical approaches to bioethics. Amsterdam and New York: Editions Rodopi B.V, 2009, pp.69-80.
• Woods S. Best interests: puzzles and plausible solutions at the end of life. Health Care Analysis 2008, 16(3), 279-287.
• Henderson A, Bushby KMD, Shakespeare TW, Woods S. Consent, Choice and Children in Genetic Research. In: Journal of Medical Genetics: British Human Genetics Conference. 2008, University of York, UK: BMJ Group.
• Henderson RA, Shakespeare TW, Bushby KMD, Woods S. Consent, choice and children in research: Exploring decision making by parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy considering participation in genetic research projects. In: Neuromuscular Disorders: 13th International Congress of the World Muscle Society. 2008, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Elsevier Ltd.
• Woods S, Taylor K. Ethical and governance challenges in human fetal tissue research. Clinical Ethics 2008, 3(1), 14-19.
• Woods S. Stem Cell Stories: from bedside to bench. Journal of Medical Ethics 2008, 34(12), 845-848.
• Woods S. Death's dominion: ethics at the end of life. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press, 2007.
• Woods S. Patients' obligations?. In: Ashcroft, R.E.; Dawson, A.; Draper, H.; McMillan, J.R, ed. Principles of health care ethics. Chichester: Wiley, 2007, pp.719-727.
• Woods S. Saving the anthropomorphic person. In: Holm, S.; Takala, T.; Hayry, M, ed. Life of value: John Harris, his arguments, and his critics. 2007.
• Woods S. The bureaucracy of ethics? The ethical challenges of research ethics committees. In: Porz, R.C.; Rehmann-Sutter, C.; Scully, J.L.; Zimmermann-Acklin, M, ed. Gekauftes Gewissen?: zur Rolle der Bioethik in Institutionen. Paderborn: Mentis, 2007.
• Woods S. The social and ethical challenge of body dysmorphia. The Philosopher 2007, LXXXXV(2), 9-12.
• Hagger L, Woods S. Children and research: a risk of double jeopardy?. In: Michael Freeman, ed. Children's health and children's rights. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2006, pp.51-72.
• Hagger L, Woods S. Children and research: a risk of double jeopardy?. The International Journal of Children's Rights 2005, 13(1-2), 51-72.
• Hagger L, Woods S. Law and ethics support for health professionals: an alternative approach. Journal of Medical Ethics 2005, 31(2), 111-111.
• Woods S. Moral progress. In: Hayry, M.; Takala, T.; Herrissone-Kelly, P, ed. Bioethics and social reality. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2005, pp.137-143.
• Woods S. PEALS. International Humanist News 2005, (2005.3), 14-14.
• Woods S. Respect for persons, autonomy and palliative care. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 2005, 8(2), 243-253.
• Woods S. Is terminal sedation compatible with good nursing care at the end of life?. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 2004, 10(5), 244-247.
• Woods S. Terminal sedation: a nursing perspective. In: Torbjörn Tännsjö, ed. Terminal sedation: euthanasia in disguise?. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004, pp.43-56.
• Woods S, Hagger L, Barrow P. Autonomy and audit: striking the balance. Medical Law International 2003, 6(2), 105-116.
• Woods S. Confidentiality and consent when working with young people. Healthcare Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal 2003, 3(1), 39-41.
• Sandman L, Woods S, ed. God palliativ vård : etiska och filosofiska aspekter. Lund: Studentlitteratur, 2003.
• Woods S, Elstein M. Infertility and bioethics. Biological Sciences Review 2003, 16(1), 2-5.
• Sandman L, Woods S. Introduktion. In: Sandman, L.; Woods, S, ed. God palliativ vård: etiska och filosofiska aspekter. Lund: Studentlitteratur, 2003, pp.9-27.
• Woods S. Respekt för personer, autonomi och palliativ vård. In: Sandman, L.; Woods, S, ed. God palliativ vård : etiska och filosofiska aspekter. Lund: Studentlitteratur, 2003, pp.99-121.
• Woods S, Elstein M. What is bioethics?. Biological Sciences Review 2003, 40-41.
• Woods S, Elstein M. Care home ethics. In: Humber, J.; Almedar, R, ed. Care of the aged. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 2002, pp.103-128.
• Woods S, Sandman L. Continental philosophy and nursing ethics. In: Tadd, W, ed. Ethics in nursing, education, research and management: perspectives from Europe. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002, pp.14-34.
• Woods S. Respect for autonomy and palliative care. In: Ten Have, H.; Clark, D, ed. The ethics of palliative care. Buckingham: Open University Press, 2002, pp.145-165.
• Moore J, Pender A, Woods S, Sutton R. Ethical dilemmas in anaesthesia: a case study. Clinician in Management 2001, 10(3), 161-169.
• Woods S, Webb P, Clark D. Palliative care in the United Kingdom. In: Ten Have, H.; Janssens, R, ed. Palliative care in Europe. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2001, pp.85-98.
• Woods S. The contribution of nursing to the development palliative care. In: Ten Have, H.; Janssens, R, ed. Palliative care in Europe. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2001, pp.133-142.
• Woods S. Good life, good death: ethics and axiology. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 2000, 6(4), 160-160.
• Woods S. Persons and personal identity. Nursing Philosophy 2000, 1(2), 169-172.
• Beaver K, Luker K, Woods S. Primary care services received during terminal illness. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 2000, 6(5), 220-227.
• Woods S, Beaver K, Luker K. User’s views of palliative care services: ethical implications. Nursing Ethics 2000, 7(4), 314-326.
• Harris J, Woods S. What are the responsibilities of the individual when participating in medical research?. In: Doyal, L.; Tobias, J, ed. Informed consent in medical research. London: BMJ Books, 2000, pp.286-292.
• Beaver K, Luker K, Woods S. Conducting research with the terminally ill: challenges and considerations. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 1999, 1(5), 13-17.
• Beaver K, Luker K, Woods S. The views of terminally ill people and lay carers on primary care services. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 1999, 5(6), 266-274.
• Woods S. Holism. In: S.D. Edwards, ed. The Philosophy of Nursing. London: Macmillan, 1998, pp.67-88.