Jan Helge Solbakk

Academic interests

• Philosophy of medicine
• Foundational problems in medical ethics
• Clinical ethics
• Research ethics and science ethics
• Bioethics and new emerging technologies
• Bioethics and (human) development
• Bioethics and human rights
• Bioethics and public policy making
• Biopolitics
• Bioethics and global health
• Bioethics and the arts
• Bioethics, ancient philosophy and literature

Courses taught

• Undergraduate study, medicine
• PhD study, medicine
• Master in International Community Health

Positions held

• Professor in medical ethics, Center for Medical Ethics, Faculty of  Medicine, University of Oslo, 01.09.96-
• Adjunct Professor, Philosophy of medicine and medical ethics, Centre for International Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, 15.02.96-31.03.11
• Chief of Bioethics, UNESCO, Paris, 15.02.07-15.08.08
• Head of  Centre for medical ethics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 01.09.96-14.02.07
• Secretary, Council of Medical Sciences’ Ethics Committee, 15.06.87-14.06.9
• Director, The National Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (NEM), 15.06.90-31.08.96
• Dr. philos, University of Oslo (Ancient Greek philosophy), September 1993
• PhD research fellow (Norwegian Research Council) 1988-89
• ThM (Protestant theology), University of Oslo, June 1989
• MD, University of Oslo, December 1987
• Student research fellowship, medical ethics, 1987-88
• Student research fellowship, theology (the French Government),15.10.85-15.07.86, University of Strasbourg, France
• Student research fellowship, theology, 1.01.84-31.12.84, Maison Albert Schweitzer, Gunsbach, France
• Studies in Chemistry and Mathematics, Norges Lærerhøyskole, Trondheim, August 1976-June 1978

CV (pdf)

Membership of national and international advisory boards and scientific committees

• 2016- Member of the Editorial Board of Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy.
• 2016- Member of the Editorial Board of La Revista Brasilera de Bioética.
• 2012-: Member of the International Advisory Board of Revista Redbioética, UNESCO .
• 2012-: Member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Ethics Education.
• 2008-: Member of the International Advisory Board of Journal of Medical Ethics.
• 2008-: Member of the Editorial Board of Basic Bioethics Series, The MIT Press.
• 2006-: Member of an Ethics Review Committee set up by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trial Partnership.
• 2010–2013: Chair of International Society of Stem Cell Research’s (ISSCR) Ethics and Public Policy Committee, member in 2007 and from January 2009-June 2010.
• 2008-2009: Member of a round table set up by the European Commission to issue a report on nanomedicine, Nano Med – a report on the nanomedicine environment, Brussels 2010.
• 2007–2011: Member of the Biomedical Ethics Funding Committee of the Wellcome Trust, London, UK.
• 2006–2007: Member of an International task force on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Guidelines set up by the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).
• 2002–2004: Member of an Expert STRATA Group set up by the European Commission to issue a report on Ethical, legal and social aspects of genetic testing: research development and clinical applications, Brussels 2004.
• 2000: Member of a consensus panel on Treatment of depression in general practice, set up by The Norwegian Research Council: Behandling av depresjon i allmennpraksis [Treatment of depression in general practice]. Consensus report nr. 14 , Norwegian Research Council, 2000].
• 2000: Member of an expert group set up by The Norwegian Health Technology Assessment Authorities to issue a report on Genetic therapy: Genterapi. Status og fremtidige muligheter innen klinisk medisin [Gene therapy. Status, future possibilities in clinical medicine, Oslo 2000].
• 1999-2004: Member of The Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board.
• 1998–2003: Member of a working party set up by the Council of Europe to provide a protocol for the chapter on medical genetics of the Convention of Biomedicine and Human Rights.
• 1999-2000: Chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by the Norwegian Health Ministry to issue a report on stem cell research and development: Stamceller fra aborterte fostre og befruktede egg – medisinsk forskning, klinisk anvendelse og mulige alternativer [Stemcells from aborted fetuses and fertilized eggs – medical research, clinical application and possible alternatives], Oslo 2000].
• 1992-2003: Member of the Norwegian Medical Associations Committee on Human Rights.
• 1993-1998: Member of the Executive Committee of The Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), Geneva, Switzerland.

More information: CV (pdf)