Maeghan Toews

Dr Maeghan Toews

Lecturer

Adelaide Law School

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.

I am a Lecturer at the University of Adelaide Law School where I teach Tort Law and Medical Law and Ethics.

I entered academia as a full-time researcher, having worked at the prestigious Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta from 2013 to 2016 on a wide range of health law projects pertaining to precision medicine, rare diseases, research ethics, non-invasive prenatal testing, regenerative medicine, biobanking, and genetics and genomics. I completed a 2-year, $150,000 research fellowship examining legal and ethical issues associated with organ donation and transplantation, which has become a central focus of my work. Following the Fellowship, I commenced my doctorate (completed Dec 2023), examining the regulation of human biomaterials and the struggle between institutional and individual control. This entailed a deep examination of statutory frameworks, property theory and case law, and privacy torts and statutes. My work is inherently interdisciplinary and international in scope, with collaborations with clinicians, ethicists, social scientists, and patient partners from all corners of the globe.

Prior to entering the field of health law, I graduated cum laude from the esteemed Advanced Master's Programme in Public International Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands, where I specialised in Peace, Justice and Development and completed my dissertation examining the interoperability provision in the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Prior to that, I spent several years in private legal practice as a commercial litigator after completing my Juris Doctor at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, and my Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Ontario.

My research interests are in the fields of health and medical law, with a focus on the legal and ethical regulation of human biomaterials. My work is inherently multi-disciplinary, involving collaborations with scientists, clinicians, bioethicists, and communications scholars. I have been involved in a wide range of projects on topics such as precision medicine, rare diseases, research ethics, non-invasive prenatal testing, regenerative medicine, biobanking, and genetics and genomics. I completed a 2-year research fellowship examining legal and ethical issues associated with organ donation and transplantation, which has become a central focus of my work. My work encompasses a range of methodologies, including traditional doctrinal legal scholarship, media studies, public surveys, and consensus-building. 

 

  • 2024: $4992 - M Toews, The Future of Biobanking in South Australia: Exploring the Promise and Pitfalls of Digital Technologies (internal funding, ABLE Faculty, University of Adelaide)
  • 2023: $1800 - M Toews, Clarifying the Scope of Decision-making Authority for Deceased Tissue Donation in the Evolving Field of End-of-Life Law (internal funding, ABLE Faculty, University of Adelaide)
  • 20214-2016: $150,000 CAD - M Toews, Legal and Policy Strategies to Optimize Organ Donation in Alberta (James Kreppner Fellowship, Canadian Blood Services)

I teach a range of compulsory and elective courses and have extensive experience in curriculum design and delivery, having coordinated many courses at the Adelaide Law School. Given the size of my first-year Tort Law course (300+ students), I am also an experienced team leader, and pride myself on managing courses effectively and fostering a collegial teaching environment. My success has been recognised in the following achievements: 

  • Awarded status as Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2024)
  • Recipient of the Law School Dean's Excellence Award, Learning and Teaching (Early Career) (2022)
  • Recipient of the Faculty of Professions Executive Dean Award, First-Year Curriculum - Tort Law Teaching Team (2021)

The following chart summarises my teaching experience at the University of Adelaide:

Subject

Role

Years

Tort Law (LAW 1507)

  • First-year compulsory subject

Course Coord./Lecturer/Seminar Leader

2019-present
  Lecturer/Seminar Leader 2018
  Seminar Leader 2017

Medical Law & Ethics (LAW 2516)

  • Upper-year elective taught as 2-week intensive 2 x per year

Course Coord./Lecturer/Seminar Leader

2021 (summer); 2022 (summer & Tri 3); 2023 (summer & Tri 3); 2024 (summer)
  Lecturer/Seminar Leader 2017 & 2018

Law and the Body (LAW2574)

  • Upper-year elective I designed from scratch

Course Coord./Lecturer/Seminar Leader

2021

Medical Professional & Personal Development (MEDIC ST 1103B)

  • Course for Medical Students 

Seminar Co-Leader

2021

Evidence & Advocacy (LAW 3502)

  • Final-year compulsory subject

Lecturer & Seminar Leader

2019
  Seminar Leader 2017-2018

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Legal Impossibility or Public Policy?: Revisiting the Validity of Wrongful Life Claims in Light of Australia’s Legal and Policy Developments Following Harriton v Stephens The University of Adelaide - Honours - Monique Blight
    2023 - 2023 Principal Supervisor A Doctor's Duty to Follow-up in Australia: A Review of the Law and Impact of a Duty to Follow-up Risk Factors on Modern Medical Practice The University of Adelaide - Other - Zoe Tammita
    2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Liability for the Publication of Third-Party Material: Confusion in the Context of Social Media and the Internet University of Adelaide - Honours - Lachlan Dorey
    2022 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The Need for Greater Regulation of Genetic Databases in Australia The University of Adelaide - Honours - Claudia Floreani

  • Board Memberships
    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2024 - ongoing Vice-Chair Student Misconduct Tribunal The University of Adelaide Australia
    2014 - 2016 Board Member Biomedical Research Ethics Board University of Alberta Canada
    2014 - 2015 Board Member Advisory Board for Organ Donation after Cardio-circulatory Death of Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit University of Alberta Hospital -

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2024 - ongoing Member Southern Adelaide Clinical Human Research Ethics Committee Southern Adelaide Local Health Network Australia
    2024 - ongoing Member Wellbeing Champions Network University of Adelaide Australia
    2024 - ongoing Member Student Staff Liaison Committee University of Adelaide, Law School Australia
    2024 - ongoing Member People and Culture Committee (ABLE Faculty) University of Adelaide Australia
    2023 - 2024 Member Learning and Teaching Committee University of Adelaide, Law School Australia
    2021 - 2021 Member Academic Programs Committee University of Adelaide, Law School Australia
    2018 - 2021 Member Lex Salus University of Adelaide, Law School Australia
    2017 - 2018 Member Academic Programs Committee University of Adelaide, Law School Australia
    2015 - 2016 Board Member Clinical Ethics Committee University of Alberta Hospital Canada

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2024 - ongoing Member Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program Canada
    2024 - ongoing Member Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand Australia
    2024 - ongoing Member Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law Australia
    2024 - ongoing Member The Transplantation Society Canada
    2009 - ongoing Member Law Society of Alberta Canada

  • Offices Held
    Date Office Name Institution Country
    2023 - 2024 Academic Integrity Officer University of Adelaide Australia
    2022 - 2023 Dissertation Coordinator University of Adelaide, Law School Australia

  • Presentation
    Date Topic Presented at Institution Country
    2023 - 2023 Evaluating the Strength of Australian Donation and Transplantation Law against International Legal Norms Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting TSANZ Australia
    2021 - 2021 Regulating Biomaterials in the Age of Datafied Bodies: Reforming the Discourse Australasian Association of Bioethics & Health Law Annual Conference AABHL Australia
    2021 - 2021 Legal Foundations: Recommendations for Donation & Transplantation Legislation International Donation and Transplantation Legislative Policy Forum Transplant Quebec Canada
    2021 - 2021 Media Representations of Public Solicitation for Organ Donors Key Policy Issues in Organ Donation & Transplantation University of Ottawa Canada
    2019 - 2019 Law of the Body: A New Body of Law? Ethics and Technology Studies Research Circle University of Macau China
    2018 - 2018 The Law of Buying, Selling, and Trafficking Human Organs Australian Medical Students Society EdForum: Organ Trafficking: Would You Sell Your Kidney? University of Adelaide Australia
    2017 - 2017 Organ Donation in the Public Eye: Donor Solicitation in the Media Renal Unit Royal Adelaide Hospital Australia
    2017 - 2017 Models of Consent for Deceased Donation Public Forum: Ethical Issues in Donation and Transplantation Deakin University Australia
    2017 - 2017 Public Solicitation of Living Donors Ethical Issues in Donation and Transplantation – Professional Education Symposium Deakin University -
    2017 - 2017 Organ Donation: Legal Controversies and Conundrums Continuing Professional Development Program University of Adelaide Law School Australia
    2017 - 2017 Deceased Donation in Canada: Is it Time to move to Opt-Out Consent? Canadian National Transplant Research Program CNTRP Canada
    2016 - 2016 Public Discussion of "Vital Bonds: The Nature of Things", Documentary Film Premiere Royal Alberta Museum CBC Canada
    2016 - 2016 Is Family Override Illegal? Critical Care Canada Forum CCCF Canada
    2016 - 2016 Family Veto of Consent for Deceased Donation: Law, Policy, and Practice Canadian Society for Transplantation/Canadian National Transplant Research Program Joint Annual Scientific Meeting CST/CNTRP Canada
    2016 - 2016 Consent for Deceased Donor Intervention Research: Law and Ethics Emerging Research Methods and the Consent Challenge University of Alberta Canada
    2016 - 2016 Physicians as Resource Allocators: The Legal and Ethical Norms that Impact Physician Decision-making in Canada World Association of Medical Law WAML United States
    2016 - 2016 Family Override of Consent for Deceased Donation: The Law and Policy in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America Ethical, Legal, and Psychosocial Aspects of Transplantation (ELPAT), 4th Congress ELPAT Italy
    2016 - 2016 Organ Donation Dilemmas: Assessing the Framework of Consent for Donation Rotary Club of Edmonton West Rotary Club Canada
    2016 - 2016 Payment for Organs? Legal and Ethical Limits on Strategies to Increase Organ Donation Edmonton Nerd Nite, Telus World of Science Nerd Nite Canada
    2016 - 2016 Decision-making and Deceased Donation: Whose Wishes Matter? Canadian Transplant Association CTA Canada
    2015 - 2015 Consent for Deceased Donation in Canada: To Opt In or Out? Multi-Organ Transplant Group, Grand Rounds University of Dalhousie -
    2015 - 2015 Donating Organs after Death: Who Decides? Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week University of Alberta Canada
    2015 - 2015 Family Override: From Legal Analysis to Practice Change Deceased Donation Advisory Committee and the Donation & Transplant Administrators Advisory Committee Canadian Blood Services Canada
    2015 - 2015 Family Override of Consent for Deceased Organ Donation: The Disconnect between Law and Policy Canadian Society of Transplantation Annual Scientific Meeting CST Canada
    2015 - 2015 Family Override of Consent for Deceased Donation: Law, Policy and Practice Alberta Transplant Institute, Seminar Series ATI Canada
    2015 - 2015 Family Override of Consent for Deceased Organ Donation Canadian National Transplant Research Program, Second Annual Scientific Meeting CNTRP Canada
    2015 - 2015 Implications of Commercialization Pressure in Genomic Research Heath Research Ethics Group Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Canada
    2015 - 2015 Time to Consider Financial Incentives for Deceased and Living Donation The Kidney Foundation, Transplant Summit The Kidney Foundation Canada
    2015 - 2015 Genetic Research under Pressure: Implications of the Drive to Commercialize Research Findings Biological Speaker Series MacEwan University Canada
    2015 - 2015 Consent for Deceased Organ Donation under Canadian Law Health Law Institute Seminar Series University of Alberta Canada
    2014 - 2014 Stem Cell Science: Ethics 101 StemCellTalks The Stem Cell Network Canada
    2014 - 2014 Quick Policy Fixes Canadian National Transplant Research Program, First Annual Scientific Meeting CNTRP Canada
    2014 - 2014 Policy Pitfalls and NIPT: Regulation, Return of Results and Media Representations 22nd Annual Symposium: New Developments in Prenatal Diagnosis and Medical Genetics Sinai Health Canada
    2014 - 2014 Patient Safety and the Law SafetyNET Annual Project Meeting SafetyNET Canada
  • Position: Lecturer
  • Phone: 83135936
  • Email: maeghan.toews@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 831 34344
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Ligertwood, floor 2
  • Org Unit: Adelaide Law School
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