Prof Aisling McMahon

    Law, ALL Institute

    Professor

    New House
    46
    (01) 4747508

    Biography

    Aisling McMahon is an Professor of Law, Maynooth University. Aisling joined Maynooth University in September 2018 from Durham University where she was an Assistant Professor in Biolaw and Co-Director of the Centre for Ethics Law and the Life Sciences (CELLS). Prior to that, she was a lecturer in law at Newcastle University and previously an AHRC research fellow on the 'Banking (On) the Brain' project at the University of Edinburgh.

    Aisling is a specialist in health and intellectual property law. She is particularly interested in the regulation of emerging health-technologies and biotechnologies, and the relationship between intellectual property law and bioethics in the context of health-related technologies.     She has published widely in leading international specialist and generalist law journals on these issues including: Medical Law Review, Legal Studies, International and Comparative Law Quarterly, the International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law (IIC) and the Intellectual Property Quarterly. Her work is informed by novel interdisciplinary approaches to develop policy solutions to ethical issues posed by intellectual property rights, and around the regulation of emerging health-technologies. She has also published in leading international journals in other disciplines including: the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, New Genetics and Society, and the Journal of Medical Ethics.

    Aisling's work has been funded by sources including: the British Academy/Leverhulme, the Irish Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, and the Society of Legal Scholars.     In 2022, she was awarded a European Research Council Starting Grant (1.5million) for a 5-year project 'PatentsInHumans' which will examine the role of bioethics in the patenting and licensing of technologies related to the human body in Europe.

    Aisling is regularly invited to participate in policy workshops, and has presented her research to leading international organisations, including: the World Health Organisation and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.  She has provided expert legal advice, particularly, on the role and operation of intellectual property rights in the health context to a range of government, policy and civil society groups. Her work has been cited widely, including in the UK House of Commons and Irish Parliament in recent debates around patents and access to COVID-19 vaccines and other health-technologies.

    In 2018, she co-founded the UK and Ireland Patent Scholars Network (with Prof Naomi Hawkins and Dr Karen Walsh) which currently has over 40 members drawn from patent practice and academia in the UK and Ireland.      Aisling has been a visiting researcher at the University of Oxford (Caroline Miles Visiting Scholar), the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, and the Hastings Center. She was Managing Editor (2012-2013) and Editor-in-Chief (2013-2015) of SCRIPTed Journal of Law, Technology and Society, and was the Book Reviews Editor for Medical Law International  (2017-2021).

    She holds a PhD in Law (University of Edinburgh), Bachelor of Civil Law and LLM (Law, Technology and Governance) (first class honours) degrees from the National University of Ireland Galway. Aisling currently teaches modules on medical law and intellectual property in Maynooth University. She would welcome enquiries from applicants for PhD supervision in topics related to patent law, copyright law, medical law or on the regulation of emerging technologies.

    Research Interests

    Aisling’s research specialises in medical and intellectual property law. She is particularly interested in the regulation of emerging health technologies and the relationship between intellectual property and bioethical concerns relating to emerging health-related technologies. Recent projects include work funded by the British Academy examining the divergent legal approaches to gene patentability that have emerged in the EU, US, and Canada. This research adopts a comparative institutional approach to highlight the influences shaping these legal approaches, the practical consequences of their adoption, and the factors underlying their disjunction with social expectations on access to diagnostic testing. Aisling’s PhD from the University of Edinburgh examined the morality provisions in the European patent system for biotechnological inventions.

    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    The Legal & Ethical Impacts of Emerging Reproductive Technologies: A Human Rights-Based Analysis of Complete Ectogenesis from an Irish Perspective (GOI PhD Alanna Kells) PI Irish Research Council (IRC) / Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship 01-SEP-22 31-AUG-26 110000
    Law, Ethics and the Patient Experience of Advanced Cancer Therapies: A focus on CAR-T PI Irish Research Council (IRC) / New Foundations The project is currently at an early stage.The PI is exploring partnership with Breakthrough Cancer Research Ireland to work on the legal/ethical framework for access/delivery of advanced cancer therapies to Irish patients (focusing on CAR-T therapies as a case study). The project aims to work in conjunction with Breakthrough Cancer Research Ireland to examine Irish patients' experience of accessing such therapies in Ireland or abroad, and lessons which can be drawn from such experiences to feed into an evaluation of how current legal/ethical principles and reforms necessary to facilitate best interests of patients involved. 01-MAR-21 01-DEC-21 11997.8
    EI Supports for ERC StG 2021 PI EU Horizon 2020 National Support Network / Proposal Preparation Support for European Research Council Awards 16-JUN-20 15-JUN-21 15612
    Social and Sustainability Bonds –Funding a more sustainable future for healthcare? Co-Investigator MU Internal Funding Schemes / Government State Bodies 01-MAR-21 31-AUG-21 2984
    SLS Small Projects and Events Fund: Patent Scholars Network Co-Investigator / 20-MAY-20 1880
    Maynooth University Conference Support Fund Co-Investigator MU Internal Funding Schemes / Government State Bodies 20-JUN-19 21-JUN-19 1500
    Patents, Biotechnology and Licensing for Ethical Consdierations PI Irish Research Council (IRC) / New Foundations Patents on health-related biotechnologies give rise to significant ethical issues. Patents give the patent holder control over the use of an invention for the duration of patent grant, facilitated through licensing. They can refuse licensing creating a monopoly over the technology or impose restrictions on licensing of patents for particular uses. The gives rise to three main ethical issues: (1) questions around access and quality of patented health technologies for individual patients and researchers; (2) ethical issues around whether certain types of biotechnologies, related to living material, should be patentable including questions of commodification of living, dignity etc; (3) questions around the role of patent holders as drivers/shapers of technology, and the appropriateness of this role, exacerbated by the fact that recently licensing is being used to include ‘ethical’ restrictions dictated by patent holders, e.g., in the Broad Institute’s licensing of CRISPR-Cas9 technologies it made licensees agree not to use the technologies for specific uses including gene drives. Limited attention has been given to the third category which is the core focus of this project, and relatedly, how rather than divesting such control to patent holders, instead overarching regulatory restrictions on patent-holder’s licensing practices for ethically contentious technology could address broader ethical issues. 01-MAY-19 31-JAN-20 4360
    Caroline Miles Fellowship - Ethox Centre Oxford University Awardee / Government State Bodies 01-APR-17 30-APR-17 2213
    Gene Patentablity: A comparative institutional analysis of the US, Canadian and European Approaches. Principal Investigator British Academy / Government State Bodies 01-APR-17 01-APR-18 9810
    ESRC Impact Accelerator Award - Public Law Reform Now Co-Investigator Economic and Social Research Council / ESRC / Government State Bodies 24-JUN-16 6470
    Newcastle University Seed Award - Gene Editing Law and Regulation Co-Investigator / Government State Bodies 01-JAN-16 1213

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2022 'An Analysis of the Institutional Landscape and Proliferation of Proposals for Global Vaccine Equity for COVID-19: Too Many Cooks or Too Many Recipes?'
    Susi Geiger & Aisling McMahon (2022) 'An Analysis of the Institutional Landscape and Proliferation of Proposals for Global Vaccine Equity for COVID-19: Too Many Cooks or Too Many Recipes?'. Journal of Medical Ethics, [Details]
    2022 '‘Addressing Vaccine Inequity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The TRIPS Intellectual Property Waiver Proposal & Beyond’'
    Siva Thambisetty, Aisling McMahon, Luke McDonagh, Hyo Yoon Kang & Graham Dutfield (2022) '‘Addressing Vaccine Inequity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The TRIPS Intellectual Property Waiver Proposal & Beyond’'. The Cambridge law journal, [Details]
    2022 'Should States Restrict Recipient Choice Amongst Relevant and Available COVID-19 Vacccines?'
    Emma Cave & Aisling McMahon (2022) 'Should States Restrict Recipient Choice Amongst Relevant and Available COVID-19 Vacccines?'. Medical Law Review, [DOI] [Details]
    2022 'Patents, Healthcare & Engaged Shareholders: A Pathway to Encourage Socially Responsible Patent Use?'
    Aisling McMahon & Edana Richardson (2022) 'Patents, Healthcare & Engaged Shareholders: A Pathway to Encourage Socially Responsible Patent Use?'. Legal Studies, Forthcoming [Details]
    2021 'Patents, Companies and Control: Ethics and the Patenting of Advanced Biotechnologies & Novel Beings?'
    Aisling McMahon (2021) 'Patents, Companies and Control: Ethics and the Patenting of Advanced Biotechnologies & Novel Beings?'. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 30 (3) [Details]
    2021 'Global equitable access to vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for Covid-19: The role of patents as private governance'
    Aisling McMahon (2021) 'Global equitable access to vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for Covid-19: The role of patents as private governance'. Journal of Medical Ethics, 47 (3):142-148 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'Patents, access to health and COVID-19: The role of compulsory and government-use licensing in Ireland'
    Aisling McMahon (2020) 'Patents, access to health and COVID-19: The role of compulsory and government-use licensing in Ireland'. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 71 (3):331-359 [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'RESPONSIVENESS AND THE ROLE OF RIGHTS IN MEDICAL LAW: LESSONS FROM MONTGOMERY'
    Arvind, TT;McMahon, AM (2020) 'RESPONSIVENESS AND THE ROLE OF RIGHTS IN MEDICAL LAW: LESSONS FROM MONTGOMERY'. Medical Law Review, 28 :445-477 [DOI] [Details]
    2020 'De-Extinction, Regulation and Nature Conservation'
    J. Allen, D.M. Doyle, S. McCorristine and A. McMahon (2020) 'De-Extinction, Regulation and Nature Conservation'. Journal of Environmental Law, 32 :309-322 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'Biotechnology, Health and Patents as Private Governance Tools: The Good, the Bad and the Potential for Ugly?'
    Aisling McMahon (2020) 'Biotechnology, Health and Patents as Private Governance Tools: The Good, the Bad and the Potential for Ugly?'. Intellectual Property Quarterly, (3):161-179 [Details]
    2020 'Genome editing: the dynamics of continuity, convergence, and change in the engineering of life'
    Martin P.;Morrison M.;Turkmendag I.;Nerlich B.;McMahon A.;deSaille S.;Barlett A. (2020) 'Genome editing: the dynamics of continuity, convergence, and change in the engineering of life'. New Genetics and Society, 39 (2):2019-252 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2020 'Patentability and De-extinct Animals in Europe: The Patented Woolly Mammoth'
    Aisling McMahon, David M Doyle (2020) 'Patentability and De-extinct Animals in Europe: The Patented Woolly Mammoth'. Journal of Law and the Biosciences, [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'Gene Patents and the Marginalisation of Ethical Issues'
    Aisling McMahon (2019) 'Gene Patents and the Marginalisation of Ethical Issues'. European Intellectual Property Review, 41 (10):608-620 [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'Big data governance needs more collective responsibility: The role of harm mitigation in the governance of data use in medicine and beyond'
    Aisling McMahon; Alena Buyx, Barbara Prainsack (2019) 'Big data governance needs more collective responsibility: The role of harm mitigation in the governance of data use in medicine and beyond'. Medical Law Review, 28 (1):155-182 [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'Access to Abortion in Cases of Fatal Fetal Abnormality: A New Direction for the European Court of Human Rights?''
    Bríd Ní Ghráinne & Aisling McMahon (2019) 'Access to Abortion in Cases of Fatal Fetal Abnormality: A New Direction for the European Court of Human Rights?''. Human Rights Law Review, 19 (3):561-584 [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'Abortion in Northern Ireland and the ECHR: Reflections from the UK Supreme Court'
    Bríd Ní Ghráinne & Aisling McMahon (2019) 'Abortion in Northern Ireland and the ECHR: Reflections from the UK Supreme Court'. International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 68 (2):477-494 [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'Brexit and the Unitary Patent Package: A Further Compromised Future?'
    Aisling McMahon (2018) 'Brexit and the Unitary Patent Package: A Further Compromised Future?'. SCRIPted, 15 (2):175-208 [full-text] [Details]
    2017 'A Public International Law Approach to Safeguard Nationality for Surrogate-Born Children'
    Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2017) 'A Public International Law Approach to Safeguard Nationality for Surrogate-Born Children'. Legal Studies, 37 (2):324-342 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2017 'An Institutional Examination of the Implications of the Unitary Patent Package for the Morality Provisions: A Fragmented future too Far?'
    Aisling McMahon (2017) 'An Institutional Examination of the Implications of the Unitary Patent Package for the Morality Provisions: A Fragmented future too Far?'. IIC International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 48 (1):42-70 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2014 'Banking (on) the Brain: From Consent to Authorisation and the Transformative Potential of Solidarity'
    Shawn Harmon & Aisling McMahon (2014) 'Banking (on) the Brain: From Consent to Authorisation and the Transformative Potential of Solidarity'. Medical Law Review, 22 (4):572-605 [DOI] [Details]

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2022 'Institutions, Interpretive Communities and Legacy in Decision-Making'
    Aisling McMahon (2022) 'Institutions, Interpretive Communities and Legacy in Decision-Making' In: Edward S Dove & Niamh Nic Shuibhne (eds). Law and Legacy in Medical Jurisprudence: Essays in Honour of Graeme Laurie. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. [DOI] [Details]
    2022 'The ‘Ethical’ Regulation of Novel Being Technologies: The Potential Role for Patents as Drivers, Blockers and Ethical Guiders'
    Aisling McMahon (2022) 'The ‘Ethical’ Regulation of Novel Being Technologies: The Potential Role for Patents as Drivers, Blockers and Ethical Guiders' In: David Lawrence & Sarah Morley (eds). Novel Beings: Regulatory Approaches for a Future of New Intelligent Life. United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. [Details]
    2022 'Accounting for Ethical Considerations in the Licensing of Patented Biotechnologies and Health-Related Technologies: A Justification'
    Aisling McMahon (2022) 'Accounting for Ethical Considerations in the Licensing of Patented Biotechnologies and Health-Related Technologies: A Justification' In: Naomi Hawkins (eds). Patenting Biotechnological Innovation: Eligibility, Ethics and Public Interest. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. [Details]
    2021 'Regulatory Authorities and Decision-Making in Health Research: The Institutional Dimension'
    Aisling McMahon (2021) 'Regulatory Authorities and Decision-Making in Health Research: The Institutional Dimension' In: Graeme Laurie, Edward Dove, Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra, Catriona McMillan, Emily Postan, Nayha Sethi, and Annie Sorbie (eds). Cambridge Handbook of Health Research Regulation. London: Cambridge University Press. [Details]
    2020 'Contractual Enforceability and Surrogacy Arrangements: Mapping the moral limits'
    Aisling McMahon (2020) 'Contractual Enforceability and Surrogacy Arrangements: Mapping the moral limits' In: TT Arvind & Jenny Steele (eds). Contract Law and the Legislature: Autonomy, Expectations and the Making of Legal Doctrine. London: Hart Publishing. [Details]
    2020 'Commodification, control, and the contractualisation of the human body'
    TT Arvind and Aisling McMahon (2020) 'Commodification, control, and the contractualisation of the human body' In: Elodie Bertrand, Marie-Xavière Catto, Alicia Mornington (eds). The limits of the market: commodification of nature and body. Paris: Mare&Martin. [Details]
    2016 '‘Patents, Human Biobanks and Access to Health Benefits: Bridging the Public–Private Divide’'
    Aisling McMahon (2016) '‘Patents, Human Biobanks and Access to Health Benefits: Bridging the Public–Private Divide’' In: Jessica Lai and Antoinette Maget Dominicé (eds). Intellectual Property and Access to Im/Material Goods. UK: Edward Elgar. [Details]
    2014 'Children and Social Networking : An Irish Perspective'
    Aisling McMahon (2014) 'Children and Social Networking : An Irish Perspective' In: Paul Lambert (eds). Social Networking: Law, Rights and Policy. Dublin: Clarus Press. [Details]

    Working Paper

      Year Publication
    2021 The TRIPS Intellectual Property Waiver Proposal: Creating the Right Incentives in Patent Law and Politics to end the COVID-19 Pandemic.
    Siva Thambisetty, Aisling McMahon, Luke McDonagh, Hyo Yoon Kang, Graham Dutfield (2021) The TRIPS Intellectual Property Waiver Proposal: Creating the Right Incentives in Patent Law and Politics to end the COVID-19 Pandemic. LSE, London: Working Paper [Details]
    2021 Too Many Cooks or too many Recipes? An analysis of the institutional landscape and proliferation of proposals for Global Vaccine Equity for COVID-19.
    Susi Geiger & Aisling McMahon (2021) Too Many Cooks or too many Recipes? An analysis of the institutional landscape and proliferation of proposals for Global Vaccine Equity for COVID-19. Geary Institute, UCD Working Paper Series, Dublin: Working Paper [Details]

    Other Journals

      Year Publication
    2022 'Editorial: Special Issue: Patents in a Changing Europe'
    Naomi Hawkins, Aisling McMahon, Karen Walsh (2022) 'Editorial: Special Issue: Patents in a Changing Europe' European Intellectual Property Review, . [Details]
    2019 'After the 8th: Ireland, Abortion and International Law'
    Aisling McMahon & Bríd Ní Ghrainne (2019) 'After the 8th: Ireland, Abortion and International Law' Medico-Legal Journal of Ireland, 25 (1) :22-40. [full-text] [Details]
    2011 'The Legal Status of Embryos in vitro in Ireland- A ‘precarious’ position'
    Aisling McMahon (2011) 'The Legal Status of Embryos in vitro in Ireland- A ‘precarious’ position' Medico Legal Journal of Ireland, :17-7. [Details]
    2010 'Journalists' Privilege in light of Mahon v. Keena'
    Aisling McMahon (2010) 'Journalists' Privilege in light of Mahon v. Keena' Irish Law Times, 28 . [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2012 Banking (On) the Brain: A Report on the Legal and Regulatory Concerns.
    A McMahon and S H E Harmon (2012) Banking (On) the Brain: A Report on the Legal and Regulatory Concerns. SCRIPTed Journal of Law and Society, Edinburgh. [Details]

    Newspaper Articles

      Year Publication
    2021 Opinion: To solve Covid-19 vaccine inequity Ireland should support the TRIPS waiver.
    Luke McDonagh & Aisling McMahon (2021) Opinion: To solve Covid-19 vaccine inequity Ireland should support the TRIPS waiver. Ireland: Newspaper Articles [Details]

    Blog

      Year Publication
    2022 Securing a future without COVID-19: The need to prioritise concerted global action on global access to vaccines.
    Aisling McMahon & Susi Geiger (2022) Securing a future without COVID-19: The need to prioritise concerted global action on global access to vaccines. Blog [DOI] [Details]
    2021 Why global access to vaccines is essential to end the pandemic.
    Aisling McMahon (2021) Why global access to vaccines is essential to end the pandemic. Blog [Details]
    2020 How patents will affect pandemic vaccines and treatments.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) How patents will affect pandemic vaccines and treatments. Blog [Details]
    2020 Patents, private governance and access to vaccines and treatments for Covid-19.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) Patents, private governance and access to vaccines and treatments for Covid-19. Blog [Details]
    2019 How big data can affect your bank account – and life.
    Aisling McMahon, Alena Buyx and Barbara Prainsack (2019) How big data can affect your bank account – and life. UK: Blog [Details]
    2019 Will a new policy mean more organ donations in Ireland?.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) Will a new policy mean more organ donations in Ireland?. Ireland: Blog [DOI] [Details]
    2018 Ireland’s 8th amendment is a breach of its own human rights commitments.
    Aisling McMahon & Bríd NíGhráinne (2018) Ireland’s 8th amendment is a breach of its own human rights commitments. Blog [Details]
    2020 Access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines: patents and compulsory licensing in the spotlight.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) Access to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines: patents and compulsory licensing in the spotlight. Blog [Details]
    2020 Covid-19, Patents & Healthcare: The Need for A (Bio)ethics Space within Patent Law.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) Covid-19, Patents & Healthcare: The Need for A (Bio)ethics Space within Patent Law. Blog [Details]
    2017 Gene Patents and Access to Health: Speaking At But Not To Each Other?.
    Aisling McMahon (2017) Gene Patents and Access to Health: Speaking At But Not To Each Other?. Ethox Centre, University of Oxford: Blog [Details]

    Editorial

      Year Publication
    2013 Editorial: SCRIPTed: News and Reflection.
    Aisling McMahon and Laura Downey (2013) Editorial: SCRIPTed: News and Reflection. Edinburgh: Editorial [Details]

    Electronic Article

      Year Publication
    2020 Are social bonds an option for Ireland's coronavirus recovery?.
    Edana Richardson and Aisling McMahon (2020) Are social bonds an option for Ireland's coronavirus recovery?. Electronic Article [Details]

    Report

      Year Publication
    2012 Banking (On) the Brain: A Report on the Legal and Regulatory Concerns.
    Aisling McMahon & Shawn Harmon (2012) Banking (On) the Brain: A Report on the Legal and Regulatory Concerns. Report [Details]

    Book Review

      Year Publication
    2017 Book Review: Surrogacy, Law and Human Rights.
    Aisling McMahon (2017) Book Review: Surrogacy, Law and Human Rights. Book Review [Details]
    2012 Law and the Regulation of Medicines.
    Aisling McMahon (2012) Law and the Regulation of Medicines. Book Review [Details]
    2012 Uma Suthersan, Graham Dutfield & Kit Boey Chen (Eds), Innovation without Patents: Harnessing the Creative Spirit in a Diverse World.
    Aisling McMahon (2012) Uma Suthersan, Graham Dutfield & Kit Boey Chen (Eds), Innovation without Patents: Harnessing the Creative Spirit in a Diverse World. Book Review [Details]

    Policy Contribution

      Year Publication
    2021 The Role of Patents and Licensing in the Governance of Human Genome Editing: A White Paper.
    Response to the WHO Expert Advisory Committee on Developing Global Standards for Governance and Oversight of Human Genome Editing Reports Human Genome Editing: A Framework for Governance and Recommendations (2021) The Role of Patents and Licensing in the Governance of Human Genome Editing: A White Paper. Policy Contribution [DOI] [Details]
    2021 Opening Statement Oireachtas Committee - Equitable Access to Covid-19 Vaccines for Low and Middle Income Countries: Access to Medicines Ireland.
    Aisling McMahon, Kieran Harkin, Access to Medicines Ireland (2021) Opening Statement Oireachtas Committee - Equitable Access to Covid-19 Vaccines for Low and Middle Income Countries: Access to Medicines Ireland. Policy Contribution [Details]
    2020 Position Paper: Ireland should support the World Health Organization's Covid-19 Technology Access Pool (CTAP).
    Aisling McMahon & Access to Medicines Ireland (2020) Position Paper: Ireland should support the World Health Organization's Covid-19 Technology Access Pool (CTAP). Policy Contribution [Details]
    2018 Ireland is Likely to Liberalise Abortion Laws.
    Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2018) Ireland is Likely to Liberalise Abortion Laws. Policy Contribution [Details]

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2021 Panel Discussion on Intellectual Property Law Scholarship and Pedagogy in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic.
    Aisling McMahon (2021) Panel Discussion on Intellectual Property Law Scholarship and Pedagogy in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic. [Invited Oral Presentation], Intellectual Property Law Scholarship and Pedagogy in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic, Virtual - Center for Social Critiques of Law, Kent Law School and International Society for the History and Theory of Intellectual Property (ISHTIP) , 01-JUL-21 - 01-JUL-21 [Details]
    2020 Solidarity and justice treatments & vaccines for COVID19: Intellectual Property.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) Solidarity and justice treatments & vaccines for COVID19: Intellectual Property. [Invited Oral Presentation], Comhlámh November First Wednesdays: Solidarity and justice treatments & vaccines for COVID19, Virtual Event , 05-NOV-20 - 05-NOV-20 [Details]
    2021 Patents, Corporate Decision-Making & the Engaged Shareholder: A Pathway to Encourage Socially Responsible Patent Use in Healthcare.
    Aisling McMahon & Edana Richardson (2021) Patents, Corporate Decision-Making & the Engaged Shareholder: A Pathway to Encourage Socially Responsible Patent Use in Healthcare. [Oral Presentation], SASE Conference - Mini Conference Stream: Regulatory Stakeholders and Medicines Valuation, Virtual - SASE Annual Conference 2021 , 03-JUL-21 - 03-JUL-21 [Details]
    2021 The Use of Social and Sustainability Bonds in the Context of COVID-19 – Funding a More Sustainable Future for Healthcare?.
    Edana Richardson and Aisling McMahon (2021) The Use of Social and Sustainability Bonds in the Context of COVID-19 – Funding a More Sustainable Future for Healthcare?. [Oral Presentation], SASE: Conference - Mini Conference Stream: Financial Markets in Times of Instability and Authoritarianism, Virtual - SASE Annual Conference 2021 , 03-JUL-21 - 03-JUL-21 [Details]
    2021 How can pro bono support  the right to Health and promote universal health coverage?.
    Aisling McMahon (2021) How can pro bono support  the right to Health and promote universal health coverage?. [Invited Oral Presentation], Global Health and Pro Bono: The Universal Right to Health for COVID-19, Virtual - Advocates for International Development (A4ID) , 25-JUN-21 - 25-JUN-21 [Details]
    2021 Panel Discussion - Patents on Covid-19 Vaccines: A need for State intervention?.
    Aisling McMahon (2021) Panel Discussion - Patents on Covid-19 Vaccines: A need for State intervention?. [Invited Oral Presentation], Patents on Covid-19 Vaccines: A need for State intervention?, Virtual - Amnesty International University Group, University of Passau, Germany , 09-JUN-21 - 09-JUN-21 [Details]
    2021 Global Health Matters – Live Event Series - Global inequity in COVID-19 vaccination.
    Aisling McMahon (2021) Global Health Matters – Live Event Series - Global inequity in COVID-19 vaccination. [Invited Oral Presentation], Global inequity in COVID-19 vaccination, Virtual Recording Panel - Co hosted with Access to Medicines Ireland, SafetyNet Primary Care, Oxfam Ireland and Concern Worldwide , 19-MAR-21 - 19-MAR-21 [Details]
    2021 Oireachtas Hearing: Access to Covid-19 vaccines for low and middle-income countries.
    Aisling McMahon & Kieran Harkin (2021) Oireachtas Hearing: Access to Covid-19 vaccines for low and middle-income countries. [Invited Oral Presentation], Oireachtas Joint Committee of Foreign Affairs and Defence - Committee Hearing, Appeared via video link - Oireachtas Committee, Dáil Chamber , 09-FEB-21 - 09-FEB-21 [Details]
    2020 Webinar 20: Conversations on COVID-19 – Vaccines: the end of the Covid-19 Pandemic?.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) Webinar 20: Conversations on COVID-19 – Vaccines: the end of the Covid-19 Pandemic?. [Invited Oral Presentation], WEBINAR SERIES – Irish Global Health Network and ESTHER Alliance for Global Health Partnerships, Virtual Event: Live Streamed , 27-NOV-20 - 27-NOV-20 [Details]
    2020 Patents, Access to Healthcare and Covid-19: The Role, Limits and Case for Reform of Compulsory Licensing Laws.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) Patents, Access to Healthcare and Covid-19: The Role, Limits and Case for Reform of Compulsory Licensing Laws. [Invited Oral Presentation], UK and Ireland Patent Scholars Network, Virtual Event , 05-NOV-20 - 05-NOV-20 [Details]
    2020 Panel Discussion: Solidarity and justice in developing and delivering vaccines for COVID19.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) Panel Discussion: Solidarity and justice in developing and delivering vaccines for COVID19. [Oral Presentation], Comhlamh First Wednesday - Solidarity and justice in developing and delivering vaccines for COVID19, Virtual Recorded Event - Co-hosted by Cómhlamh and the Department of International Development Maynooth University , 04-NOV-20 - 04-NOV-20 [Details]
    2020 Mitochondrial Donation, CRISPR Gene Editing: Blurred Lines & Regulatory Boundaries.
    Aisling McMahon and Ilke Turkmendag (2020) Mitochondrial Donation, CRISPR Gene Editing: Blurred Lines & Regulatory Boundaries. [Oral Presentation], Society of Legal Scholars Conference 2020, Virtual Conference , 01-SEP-20 - 04-SEP-20 [Details]
    2020 Biotechnology, Patents and Licensing for ‘Ethical Use’: A Regulatory Opportunity?.
    Aisling McMahon (2020) Biotechnology, Patents and Licensing for ‘Ethical Use’: A Regulatory Opportunity?. [Invited Oral Presentation], Health law and ethics (Inaugural Seminar – Invited), Queen’s University Belfast , 27-FEB-20 - 27-FEB-20 [Details]
    2019 ‘Patents and Ethically Contentious Biotechnologies: A Global Regulatory Approach via International Patent Law.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) ‘Patents and Ethically Contentious Biotechnologies: A Global Regulatory Approach via International Patent Law. [Oral Presentation], American Society of International Law, Brooklyn University New York , 07-NOV-19 - 09-NOV-19 [Details]
    2019 ‘Biotechnology and Patent Licensing for ‘Ethical’ Use’.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) ‘Biotechnology and Patent Licensing for ‘Ethical’ Use’. [Invited Oral Presentation], Durham CELLS Research Seminar, Durham University , 30-OCT-19 [Details]
    2019 Biotechnology & Patent Licensing for ‘Ethical’ Use: A Proposal for Regulatory Intervention.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) Biotechnology & Patent Licensing for ‘Ethical’ Use: A Proposal for Regulatory Intervention. [Invited Oral Presentation], Patents and Emerging Technologies Workshop, Wellcome Trust, London , 19-NOV-19 - 20-NOV-19 [Details]
    2019 Contractualisation, commodification and the human body.
    TT Arvind and Aisling McMahon (2019) Contractualisation, commodification and the human body. [Oral Presentation], World Interdisciplinary Network for Institutional Research, University of Lund, Sweden , 21-SEP-19 [Details]
    2019 “Patent licensing for ‘ethical’ use: A missed regulatory opportunity?”.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) “Patent licensing for ‘ethical’ use: A missed regulatory opportunity?”. [Oral Presentation], ATRIP, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee , 26-AUG-19 [Details]
    2019 Patents and De-extinction.
    Aisling McMahon and David Doyle (2019) Patents and De-extinction. [Oral Presentation], Patent Scholars Network Workshop, Maynooth University , 20-JUN-19 - 21-JUN-19 [Details]
    2019 Gene Patents and the Marginalisation of Ethical Issues.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) Gene Patents and the Marginalisation of Ethical Issues. [Invited Oral Presentation], RIBS/CEBIL Symposium, Centre for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation Law (CEBIL), University of Copenhagen Faculty of Law , 12-JUN-19 - 12-JUN-19 [Details]
    2019 Patent Licensing for ‘Ethical’ Use: A missed regulatory opportunity?.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) Patent Licensing for ‘Ethical’ Use: A missed regulatory opportunity?. [Invited Oral Presentation], Regulation and Innovation in the Biosciences(RIBS), Centre for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation Law at the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Law , 10-JUN-19 - 11-JUN-19 [Details]
    2019 Biotechnology and Patents as Private Governance Tools?.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) Biotechnology and Patents as Private Governance Tools?. [Oral Presentation], Patent Scholars Network Workshop, University of Exeter, United Kingdom , 11-APR-19 - 12-APR-19 [Details]
    2019 ‘Contracts and the Human Body: Mapping the moral limits’.
    Aisling McMahon (2019) ‘Contracts and the Human Body: Mapping the moral limits’. [Invited Oral Presentation], Contract Law and the Legislature Workshop, University of York, United Kingdom , 11-JAN-19 - 12-JAN-19 [Details]
    2018 ‘Emerging Biotechnologies, Morality & Overlapping Supra-national frameworks in the ‘European Patent System’.
    Aisling McMahon (2018) ‘Emerging Biotechnologies, Morality & Overlapping Supra-national frameworks in the ‘European Patent System’. [Refereed Abstracts], American Society of International Law Research Forum, UCLA, Los Angeles , 09-NOV-18 - 11-NOV-18 [Details]
    2018 Patents as Private Governance Tools: The Good, The Bad and The Potential for Ugly?.
    Aisling McMahon (2018) Patents as Private Governance Tools: The Good, The Bad and The Potential for Ugly?. [Invited Oral Presentation], Regulating the Tyrell Corporation: Company Law and the emergence of Novel Beings, Wellcome Trust, London , 25-OCT-18 - 26-OCT-18 [Details]
    2018 Commodification, control, and the contractualisation of the human body.
    TT Arvind and Aisling McMahon (2018) Commodification, control, and the contractualisation of the human body. [Oral Presentation], The Limits of the Market: Commodification of nature and body (Interdisciplinary Workshop), University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne , 13-SEP-18 - 14-SEP-18 [Details]
    2018 Emerging Biotechnologies, Morality and Overlapping Supra-national frameworks in the “European Patent System”: Too Many Cooks?.
    Aisling McMahon (2018) Emerging Biotechnologies, Morality and Overlapping Supra-national frameworks in the “European Patent System”: Too Many Cooks?. [Oral Presentation], Society of Legal Scholars Conference, Queen Mary University of London , 04-SEP-18 - 04-SEP-18 [Details]
    2018 Gene Patents and Access to Health: A Critical Comparative Analysis.
    Aisling McMahon (2018) Gene Patents and Access to Health: A Critical Comparative Analysis. [Oral Presentation], Works in Progress Intellectual Property Law Colloquium, Case Western University Ohio , 16-FEB-18 [Details]
    2018 Gene Patents and Access to Health: Bridging an Institutional Divide’.
    Aisling McMahon (2018) Gene Patents and Access to Health: Bridging an Institutional Divide’. [Invited Oral Presentation], Oxford Intellectual Property Invited Speakers’ Series, St Peters College Oxford University , 01-FEB-18 [Details]
    2018 Montgomery and the Limits of Autonomy.
    Aisling McMahon and TT Arvind (2018) Montgomery and the Limits of Autonomy. [Invited Oral Presentation], Durham CELLS Seminar, Durham University , 29-JAN-18 [Details]
    2017 Patents, the Human Body, and the Biotechnology Directive 98/44EC’.
    Aisling McMahon (2017) Patents, the Human Body, and the Biotechnology Directive 98/44EC’. [Invited Oral Presentation], The Everyday Cyborg: Mapping Legal, Ethical, & Conceptual Workshop, Newcastle University , 08-DEC-17 [Details]
    2017 Gene Patents and Access to Medicines’.
    Aisling McMahon (2017) Gene Patents and Access to Medicines’. [Invited Oral Presentation], World Interdisciplinary Network for Institutional Research, Utrecht University , 15-SEP-17 [Details]
    2017 Montgomery and the Limits of Autonomy’.
    Aisling McMahon & TT Arvind (2017) Montgomery and the Limits of Autonomy’. [Oral Presentation], Society of Legal Scholars Conference, University College Dublin , 07-SEP-17 [Details]
    2016 Ireland, Abortion and the European Convention on Human Rights’.
    Aisling McMahon; Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2016) Ireland, Abortion and the European Convention on Human Rights’. [Invited Oral Presentation], Sheffield Law School Research Seminar, Sheffield Law School , 23-NOV-16 [Details]
    2016 Ireland, Abortion, and International Law.
    Aisling McMahon; Bríd Ní Ghráinne (2016) Ireland, Abortion, and International Law. [Oral Presentation], American Society of International Law, Mid-Year Meeting,, University of Washington, Seattle , 12-NOV-16 [Details]
    2016 The Limits of Judicial Review for Transnational Governance: A Case Study of the European Patent Office.
    Aisling McMahon (2016) The Limits of Judicial Review for Transnational Governance: A Case Study of the European Patent Office. [Oral Presentation], Public Law Reform Now Conference, University of Sussex , 21-SEP-16 [Details]
    2016 Embryonic Stem Cells, Morality and Overlapping Supra-national frameworks in the European Patent System: Too many cooks?.
    Aisling McMahon (2016) Embryonic Stem Cells, Morality and Overlapping Supra-national frameworks in the European Patent System: Too many cooks?. [Oral Presentation], International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP) Law Congress, Jagiellonian University, Kraków , 28-JUN-16 [Details]
    2016 The Myriad Gene Patent Cases and Controversy: Balancing Public and Private Interests in the patentability of health-related inventions’.
    Aisling McMahon (2016) The Myriad Gene Patent Cases and Controversy: Balancing Public and Private Interests in the patentability of health-related inventions’. [Oral Presentation], International Association of Bioethics (IAB) World Congress, University of Edinburgh , 15-JUN-16 [Details]
    2015 Whose Subjects, and Subject to Whose Laws? Stateless Children’.
    Aisling McMahon & Bríd Ní Ghráínne (2015) Whose Subjects, and Subject to Whose Laws? Stateless Children’. [Oral Presentation], American Society of International Law, Research Forum, American University Washington College of Law , 24-OCT-15 [Details]
    2015 International Surrogacy Agreements: Statelessness and the Concept of the 'Family' in Transnational Contexts.
    Bríd Ní Ghráinne; Aisling McMahon (2015) International Surrogacy Agreements: Statelessness and the Concept of the 'Family' in Transnational Contexts. [Oral Presentation], Transnational Law and Social Justice, London School of Economics, UK [Details]
    2015 Stateless Children in the Context of International Surrogacy Agreements’.
    Aisling McMahon (2015) Stateless Children in the Context of International Surrogacy Agreements’. [Oral Presentation], Society of Legal Scholars Conference, University of York , 03-SEP-15 [Details]

    Honours and Awards

      Year Title Awarding Body
    2017 British Academy/Leverhulme Grant British Academy/Leverhulme
    2016 ESRC Impact Accelerator Fund, Newcastle University (Co-Investigator) Economic Social and Research Council (ESRC) (UK)
    2016 Faculty Research Fund, Newcastle University (Co-Investigator) Newcastle University
    2017 Caroline Miles Visiting Scholarship Ethox Centre, University of Oxford
    2014 Principal's Career Development Scholarship University of Edinburgh
    2008 Michael MacNamara Scholarship for LLM Law, Technology & Governance (NUIG) RDJ Glynn Solicitors, Galway

    Reviews

      Journal Role
    Scripted Editor-in-Chief

    Teaching Interests

    Aisling has taught law for over 14 years, and in this time has taught a range of law modules including: medical law, intellectual property law, contract law, advanced legal methods, criminal law and equity and trusts at both postgraduate and undergraduate level. She has also taught law in several institutions prior to joining Maynooth, including, Edinburgh University, Newcastle University and Durham University.  She holds a Newcastle Teaching Award (2015) a teaching qualification comprising 40 credits at Masters level and she is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). Aisling was nominated for Taught Supervisor of the Year and Innovative Teaching Methods awards in Newcastle University’s Teaching Excellence Awards. 

    In Maynooth University, Aisling teaches: LW469 Contemporary Issues in Medical Law, LW499 Intellectual Property Law and Disruptive Technologies, and LW610 Patents, Health and Biotechnologies. She has also previously taught: LW351 Equity and Trusts in Maynooth University. She has supervised research projects on a range of topics in the medical law, intellectual property and regulation of emerging technologies fields, and would welcome enquires from applicants considering Master by research, and PhD study in these fields.