Assistant/Associate Professor Centre for Biomedical Ethics

Overview

Assistant or Associate Professor, Centre for Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore.

The Centre for Biomedical Ethics (CBmE) was established in September 2006 in the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine through a generous gift by the Chen Su Lan Trust. We work to develop understanding, capacity for good judgement, and sound ethical practice in the context of healthcare provision, biomedical science and health-related policy development. CBmE, headed by Prof Julian Savulescu, is a thriving centre for learning, teaching and research relating to ethical and legal aspects of healthcare and biomedical sciences. We are responsible for the development and delivery of the Health Ethics, Law and Professionalism programme through all five years of the undergraduate medical curriculum in addition to the postgraduate and continuing professional education courses in bioethics. You can find out more about CBmE here: Prof Savulescu’s goal is to make CBmE a world leading Centre of medical ethics with a vibrant culture and strong international, particularly Asian, presence.

We are looking to appoint a talented, collegial, committed and enthusiastic bioethicist to join our faculty. We are particularly keen to develop our strengths in research and teaching in medical ethics generally with possible specialisms in empirical bioethics, experimental bioethics, reproductive ethics, genethics, neuroethics, longevity, AI ethics or clinical and healthcare ethics (including work on health systems and public health). The person appointed will have sufficient experience and standing to strengthen and support the development of our research portfolio, and to make significant educational contributions as we enhance our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. We will consider medically qualified applicants who are eligible and keen to maintain some clinical responsibilities, but they must be able and willing to take on (proportionately) the full range of teaching and research responsibilities of the position.

This is a full-time academic faculty appointment and will be made on tenured or tenure track basis, depending on experience and track record. The role requires residency in Singapore.

• Undertake and publish research of international interest and standing in medical ethics and bioethics, working collaboratively to strengthen and support the development of CBmE’s research portfolio.
• Contribute to undergraduate teaching on the Health ethics, Law and Professionalism (HeLP) programme.
• Contribute to the postgraduate teaching of bioethics, including via course development and module co-ordination of an upcoming Masters programme.
• Provide academic support to other CBmE activities, for example by facilitating organisation of international conferences, workshops, lectures, and contributing to responses to public consultations issued by the Ministry of Health.
• Serve on relevant university and policy committees (commensurate with rank) and participate collegially in the academic life of CBmE, the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the National University of Singapore.
• Provide mentorship and staff development for doctoral, junior and mid career Centre staff.

• A PhD in a field relevant to bioethics, e.g. philosophy, bioethics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, etc.
• A thorough grounding in ethics, including the development of normative arguments, to the level expected for a formal postgraduate qualification, preferably a PhD in ethics or bioethics from a reputable university. (If you do not have a Master’s level qualification specifically in bioethics, ethics or moral philosophy, we need demonstrable evidence that you have acquired an equivalent level of understanding otherwise).
• A knowledge of and ability to bring to bear a range of methodologies and disciplines relevant to critical reasoning in practical ethics, including philosophy.
• Demonstrated experience of university-level teaching in ethics or a closely related field, and evidence of commitment to excellence in education.
• Strong track record (relative to career opportunity) of good quality research and publication in bioethics and/or fields relevant to this position.
• For appointment at Associate Professor level, a track record in securing grant income will generally also be essential.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Strong organization and management skills.
• Demonstrated aptitude for collaborative as well as independent working.

• A PhD degree or postgraduate medical qualification recognised by the Singapore Medical Council.
• Experience of broader aspects of academic work e.g. doctoral supervision, doctoral examination, peer reviewing, contributions to professional networks/organisations.
• Capacity to conduct empirical research, including qualitative research involving interviews and questionnaires.

An attractive remuneration package, commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience, will be offered with this position. For more information about NUS Medicine, please visit

Interested parties should submit their letter of application, along with a full curriculum vitae, a soft copy of a recent paper or chapter (published or accepted for publication) online.

For informal discussions about the role please contact Prof Julian Savulescu, Head of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics:

Application deadline: 15 October 2025

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