The Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) is charged with offering advice on ethical issues regarding human health and to develop guidelines for human research.

One of the Chief Executive Officer's (CEO) functions under the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (NHMRC Act) is to inquire into, issue guidelines on, and advise the community on ethical issues relating to health. This function includes the issuing of human research guidelines. Under Section 10(2) of the NHMRC Act, the NHMRC Council may only provide human research guidelines to the CEO under Section 9(1) precisely as developed by AHEC.

Functions

The functions of AHEC, as set out in Section 35(3) of the NHMRC Act, are:

  • to advise the Council on the ethical issues relating to health
  • to develop and give the Council human research guidelines under subsection 10(2) of the NHMRC Act
  • any other functions conferred on the Committee in writing by the Minister after consulting the CEO
  • any other functions conferred on the Committee by the NHMRC Act, the regulations or any other law.

In the course of its activities, AHEC consults extensively with individuals, community organisations, health professionals and governments, and undertakes formal public consultation when developing guidelines. AHEC may also provide advice on international developments in health ethics issues.

Membership

AHEC's composition is specified in the NHMRC Act. Members draw on expertise in philosophy, the ethics of medical research, public health and social science research, clinical medical practice and nursing, disability, law, religion and health consumer issues.

Under Section 36(2) of the NHMRC Act, there must be included among members of AHEC individuals who collectively have membership of all the other Principal Committees.

Past Members

Committee members 2024-2027

Photo of Stephen-Adelstein

Chair,
Associate Professor
Stephen
Adelstein

Member with expertise in professional medical standards

Stephen Adelstein is a Clinical Immunologist and Allergist and an immunopathologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney where he also undertakes research in the development of novel tests for immune-mediated disorders.  He is one of the inaugural Co-Directors of Institute for Academic Medicine at the Hospital.  He completed his term as a practitioner member of the Medical Board of Australia and Chair of  the Steering Committee and the Consultative Forum of the Medical Training Survey of the Board in 2024, has served as a member of the Australian Health Ethics Committee for six years and has also been a Director of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia and Chief Examiner for their Fellowship program in Immunopathology and Principal Examiner for the Faculty of Science of the College.

Senior Professor
Annette
Braunack-Mayer

Member with knowledge of the ethics of medical research

Dr
Laine
Chilman

Member with expertise in nursing and allied health practices

Dr
Yvonne
Ho

Member with understanding of health consumer issues

Associate Professor
Michelle
Kennedy

Member with expertise in public health research

Dr
David
Kirchhoffer

Member with expertise in religion

Professor
Emma
Kowal

Member with expertise in social science research

Professor
Jackie
Leach Scully

Member with understanding of the concerns of people with a disability

Professor
Erwin
Loh

Member with expertise in clinical medical practice

Professor
Michael
Martin

Member with other expertise relevant to the functions of the committee

Professor
Ainsley
Newson

Member with expertise in philosophy

Associate Professor
Michelle
Taylor-Sands

Member with expertise in law

Associate Professor
Mark
Slee

Member with other expertise relevant to the functions of the committee

Associate Professor
Viet
Tran

Member with knowledge of the regulation of the medical profession

Professor
Steve
Webb

Member with expertise in medical research