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Nursing professor appointed to national ethics committee

12 July 2006

Professor Margaret O'Connor has been appointed to the Australian Health Ethics Committee.

Palliative care expert Professor Margaret O'Connor has been appointed to the Australian Health Ethics Committee -- a principal committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Professor O'Connor, who holds the inaugural Vivian Bullwinkel Chair in Nursing, Palliative Care, in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Monash, is one of two new members appointed to the committee.

"It is a great challenge and a privilege to be involved at a national level in contributing to the research agenda," Professor O'Connor said.

"It is also an honour to be representing the nursing profession in research and ethical issues at that level."

Professor O'Connor was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2005 for her commitment to the development of palliative care services in Victoria and received the Nina Buscombe Award from the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Victoria in 2003.

The Australian Health Ethics Committee consists of 14 members from across Australia and provides support to Professor Warwick Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the NHMRC.

The committee sets and maintains standards of ethical conduct in health and medical research.

The appointment, from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2009, was announced by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Mr Tony Abbott, at the end of June.