Dr Aisling McMahon was invited to give the inaugural seminar of the “Health Law and Ethics” seminar series at Queens University Belfast on 27th February 2020. Dr McMahon presented a paper on “Biotechnology, Patents and Licensing for ‘Ethical Use’: A Regulatory Opportunity?”. This paper is based on her current Irish Research Council, New Foundations funded project which examines the role of licensing conditions in the downstream use of patented biotechnologies.
Dr McMahon writes primarily on medical law and patent law, and particularly, on the relationship between health and patent law. Her recent work in the patent field includes an article in the European Intellectual Property Review (2019) (pre-print version available here) which examines the marginalisation of ethical issues within legal approaches to gene patenting and the potential effects of such patents on the access and delivery of genetic testing. This is based on research conducted for a British Academy funded project on the topic. Her 2017 article in in the International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law examines the role of the morality provisions in the planned European unitary patent system.
Dr McMahon is an Assistant Professor in Maynooth University Department of Law where her teaching includes a module on Contemporary Issues in Medicine and the Law and a new module on Patents, Health and Biotechnologies.