The Olivieri Case and its lessons for Australasia
May 12, 2005
Dr Jocelyn Downie, Faculties of Law and Medicine, Dalhousie University Canada, presented a special seminar at the University of Wollongong in association with Associate Professor Susan Dodds from UOW’s Faculty of Arts, focused on key issues in contemporary health research.
The seminar, “The Olivieri Case: Lessons for Australasia”, was hosted by UOW’s Legal Intersections Research Centre (Faculty of Law) and UOW’s Centre for Canadian-Australian Studies (Faculty of Arts).The case of Dr Nancy Olivieri, the Hospital for Sick Children, the University of Toronto, and Apotex Inc. is critically important in understanding key issues in contemporary health research and the safety of research participants.
First, the case illustrates the huge stakes in such research -- not only huge profits but also enormous health impacts. Second, the case played out at a crucial time in the history of the regulation of health research. It challenges the ways in which research is governed at the local and national levels.
Seminar participants highlighted some of the most significant lessons to be learned of relevance in Australasia.
The seminar, “The Olivieri Case: Lessons for Australasia”, was hosted by UOW’s Legal Intersections Research Centre (Faculty of Law) and UOW’s Centre for Canadian-Australian Studies (Faculty of Arts).The case of Dr Nancy Olivieri, the Hospital for Sick Children, the University of Toronto, and Apotex Inc. is critically important in understanding key issues in contemporary health research and the safety of research participants.
First, the case illustrates the huge stakes in such research -- not only huge profits but also enormous health impacts. Second, the case played out at a crucial time in the history of the regulation of health research. It challenges the ways in which research is governed at the local and national levels.
Seminar participants highlighted some of the most significant lessons to be learned of relevance in Australasia.
They argued that this case could happen in Australia too because, as in Canada, Australian and New Zealand universities face increasing fiscal pressure to seek private funding for research. The questions raised by the Olivieri case include: |
Pictured (from left to right) at the Olivieri Case seminar are Associate Professor Susan Dodds (Faculty of Arts, UOW), Dr Jocelyn Downie (Faculties of Law and Medicine, Dalhousie University, Canada) and Associate Professor Luke McNamara (Faculty of Law, UOW) |
