The beginning and end of life 

Leads: Samantha Halliday (Law) and Emily Tupper (Sport and Exercise Sciences) 

Does recognition of the role of human dignity in determining the limits of acceptable medical science demand that individuals be empowered to make decisions about their own reproductive capacity or the way they die? To what extent are pregnant people subject to different ‘rules’ or held to higher standards of behaviour because of the public interest in the foetus they carry? Should end of life decision-making be constrained by the need to protect the vulnerable? 

This research strand brings researchers from different disciplines and sector backgrounds together to explore some of the key questions for medicine, law, ethics and society raised by the beginning and the end of life.