Debra Wilson (born 1977) is a New Zealand legal academic, and is a full professor at the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury (UC; ; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was founded in 1873 as Canterbur ...

. She specialises in law and medicine, particularly law around surrogacy and the use of genetic testing.

Academic career

Wilson completed a Master's degree at the University of Canterbury followed by a

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

titled'' The legality of human cloning: an analysis of the legal arguments for and against a ban on reproductive cloning from a eugenics/human rights viewpoint'' at

Monash University Monash University () is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Named after World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the ...

. Her thesis topic stemmed from an interest in how law deals with new medical technologies. She was awarded the Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal for Excellence for 2009 in the Faculty of Law. Wilson then joined the faculty of the University of Canterbury, teaching in intellectual property, competition law and law and medicine. She was appointed full professor in 2024. Wilson held an Erskine Fellowship at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, where she was Rutherford Visiting Fellow at

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, and another Erskine Fellowship at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

. Wilson was also a

Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the peopl ...

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

. In 2014 Wilson was awarded a Teaching Award by the University of Canterbury. Wilson is particularly interested in how law responds to changes in technology. She led a three-year multidisciplinary research project around surrogacy law in New Zealand, examining public opinions on existing surrogacy law, and the experiences of legal professionals advising clients. Wilson wrote a book, published in 2015, on the legal issues with the use of genetic testing in criminal investigations and trials.

Selected works

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References

External links

Debra Wilson, RNZ Interview on surrogacy law in New Zealand
18 June 2020, via YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Debra New Zealand academics New Zealand women academics Academic staff of the University of Canterbury Monash University alumni University of Canterbury alumni New Zealand legal scholars Living people Year of birth missing (living people) University of Canterbury Faculty of Law alumni