ACHLR Deputy Director, Professor Shih-Ning Then (QUT School of Law) and ACHLR Adjunct, Professor Dominique Martin (Deakin University, School of Medicine) are internationally recognised experts in their respective fields of law and ethics in the area of organ and tissue donation, transplantation and research. Their impact domestically and internationally has been highlighted by recently introduced policy and moves to reform Australian laws and international guidelines. This month, the NHRMC’s Ethical Guidelines for Cell, Tissue and Organ Donation and Transplantation in Australia (2025) was released. Authored by Professor Martin and Professor Then, the comprehensive ethical guidance replaces guidelines from 2007 and 2016 and developed from initial work from the NHMRC Organ and Tissue Working Group and subsequent consultation. It addresses a range of current and emerging ethical questions relating to policy and practice in the donation and transplantation of human cells, tissues, and organs.
In the realm of legal reform, the Australian Law Reform Commission is currently reviewing Australia’s human tissue legal frameworks that govern donation and transplantation. Both Professors Then and Martin are invited members of the ALRC’s Advisory Committee for this important national review. Details of the review and public consultation can be found on the Australian Law Reform Commision (ALRC) website.
The INTEGRITY project
Professor Martin is also leading the INTEGRITY project (INTernational Ethical Guidance for Research Involving deceased donation and Transplantation ActivitY) initiated by the European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT) in partnership with the International Society of Organ Donation Professionals (ISODP) and the Transplantation Society, (TTS). The project aims to develop an international framework to ethically guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of research involving deceased donation and transplantation activities. Professor Then is the only legal scholar member of the core team for this international project.
