Professor Kathleen Liddell

Email

k.liddell@law.cam.ac.uk

Faculty Contact Details

Room: T12

Tel: 01223 330 086

Downing College

Professor of Intellectual Property and Medical Law; Director Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences; Chair of the Part IB Examiners

DPhil(Oxon), LLB (hons), BSc (Melb), MBioethics (Monash)

Interests

My research focuses on biotechnology and bio-information, with the aim of understanding and improving the legal frameworks that govern this field. This task has taken on special significance over the past two decades as advances in biotechnology, medicine, and information technology have dramatically increased the storage and use of human bodies, organs, tissues, and DNA. As part of my research, I examine the laws that control the development and commercialisation of biotechnology, as well as those that facilitate it. This includes information law (primarily trade secrets, confidentiality and data protection), patent law, artificial intelligence regulation, and other legislation and common law affecting medical research and technology. The research is informed by interdisciplinary perspectives, and where appropriate contributes to practical policy developments.

Expressions of interest to undertake research in these areas at Cambridge are welcomed. Twelve months lead time is recommended.

Research centres and interest groups

Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Law (CIPIL)

Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences (LML)

CV / Biography

Kathy Liddell is the Herschel Smith Professor of Intellectual Property and Medical Law.

She is also the Founding Director of the Cambridge Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences, and a member of the Cambridge Centre for IP and Information Law.

Kathy undertook her doctorate in law at the University of Oxford focusing on the regulation of controversial genetic technologies in morally pluralist societies. In addition to substantial experience in academia, Prof Liddell has worked in private legal practice and in public sector legal services for a health department. This work history has provided her with a solid knowledge of commercial realities and needs, as well as experience in legal policymaking. She has degrees in law and science from the University of Melbourne and bioethics from Monash University, and is a strong advocate of interdisciplinary research.

Professor Liddell's research focuses on innovations in health, medicine and society, with the aim of understanding and improving the legal frameworks that govern and support these fields. Her expertise spans a wide variety of areas in life science including regenerative technologies, genomics, precision medicine, repurposing pharmaceuticals, and antimicrobial resistance; also national and international regulation of clinical trials, machine-learning, medical negligence, biomaterials (including human tissue, cells, organs), pharmaceuticals, and diagnostics. She has published extensively in legal and medical journals (including Nature Biotechnology, Nature, BMJ, The Lancet and various law reviews) and contributed to policy reports for national health departments, national ethical advisory commissions, and the European Commission. She is the recipient of grants from (for example) the Wellcome Trust, the Philomathia Foundation, the Cambridge ESRC-Impact Acceleration Account, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Professor Liddell uses a wide range of legal methodologies in her research including in-depth statutory and case law analysis, normative analysis drawing on moral and political philosophy, policy development drawing on regulatory theory, empirical investigations (including interviews, surveys and patent mapping), and expert meetings. She has been a key member of research teams developing new empirical methodologies to evaluate the impact of patent protection on life sciences innovation.

Professor Liddell has taught a variety of courses including Law and Ethics of Medicine (tripos seminar); Law, Medicine and Life Sciences (LLM Paper 1); Intellectual Property (LLM Paper 12), Intellectual Property (tripos Paper 45) International Intellectual Property (LLM), Tort law supervisions (Downing College) and the Law PhD Research Methodologies course. She also supervises research theses at all levels including PhD students.

Professor Liddell is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne where she teaches 'Law and Emerging Health Technologies' (intensive LLM course).

Selected publications

Books

The Law and Ethics of Data Sharing in Health Sciences (ed) (Springer, 2024)

Co-editor(s):

Marcelo Corrales Compagnucci, Timo Minssen, Mark Fenwick & Mateo Aboy

Publisher:

Springer

Link:

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6540-3

ISBN 13:

978-981-99-6539-7

The Limits of Consent (ed) (Oxford University Press, 2009)

Co-editor(s):

O Corrigan, J McMillan, M Richards and C Weijer

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Link:

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-limits-of-consent-9780199231461?cc=gb&lang=en&#

ISBN 13:

ISBN 9780199231461

Articles

'Mapping the Patent Landscape of Cancer Diagnostics' Nature Biotechnology

Co-Author/s:

Mateo Aboy, Christina Crespo, Matt Jordan, Stuart Hogarth & J Powell

Citation:

Nature Biotechnology

Published: Forthcoming

'Cross-border telemedicine -A reason to 'smile'? also comment on ECJ, judgment of 11 September 2025 -C-115/24 (UJ/Austrian Dental Association)' University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper, Paper No. 22/2025

Co-Author/s:

Erik Hahn and Mateo Aboy and I. Glenn Cohen

Citation:

University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper, Paper No. 22/2025

DOI:

http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5798224

Published: Nov 2025

'Policy Options for Antimicrobial Resistance: Exploring Lessons From Environmental Governance' Milbank Quarterly, 2025

Co-Author/s:

I Weldon & K Outterson

Citation:

Milbank Quarterly, 2025

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.70050

Published: Aug 2025

'Inventorship in the age of AI: examining the USPTO Guidance on AI-assisted inventions' Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Volume 20, Issue 7, July 2025

Co-Author/s:

Mateo Aboy & Aparajita Lath

Citation:

Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Volume 20, Issue 7, July 2025

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1093/jiplp/jpaf019

Published: Mar 2025

'The sufficiency of disclosure of AI inventions' Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Volume 19, Issue 11, November 2024

Co-Author/s:

Mateo Aboy, Aparajita Lath & Timo Minssen

Citation:

Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Volume 19, Issue 11, November 2024

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1093/jiplp/jpae063

Published: Nov 2024

'How many drugs are repositioned each year in Europe?' The Journal of World Intellectual Property, 2024(1): 1

Co-Author/s:

J Liddicoat, A Hamidzadeh, M Aboy

Citation:

The Journal of World Intellectual Property, 2024(1): 1

DOI:

10.1111/jwip.12327

Published: Oct 2024

'The sufficiency of disclosure of medical artificial intelligence patents' Nature Biotechnology, 42, 839–845 (2024)

Co-Author/s:

M Aboy, W N Price, S Raker et al.

Citation:

Nature Biotechnology, 42, 839–845 (2024)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-024-02270-8

Published: Jun 2024

'Analyzing antimicrobial resistance as a series of collective action problems' Policy Studies Journal

Co-Author/s:

Isaac Weldon, Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, Steven J. Hoffman, Timo Minssen, Kevin Outterson, Stephanie Palmer, A. M. Viens, J Viñuales

Citation:

Policy Studies Journal

DOI:

10.1111/psj.12552

Published: Jan 2024

'New government drug repurposing programs: Opportunities and uncertainties' Science Translational Medicine, 2024; 16(753): eadl0998

Co-Author/s:

J Liddicoat, A Hamidzadeh, M Aboy, M Schito, T Minssen, D Simon

Citation:

Science Translational Medicine, 2024; 16(753): eadl0998

DOI:

10.1126/scitranslmed.adl0998

Published: Jan 2024

'The frontiers of medical negligence and diagnosis: an interview-based analysis' Medical Law Review, Volume 31, Issue 4, Pages 485–500

Co-Author/s:

Annie Mackley, Jeffrey M Skopek, Isabelle Le Gallez, Zoë Fritz

Citation:

Medical Law Review, Volume 31, Issue 4, Pages 485–500

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwad009

Published: May 2023

'A Pandemic Instrument Can Start Turning Collective Problems into Collective Solutions by Governing the Common-Pool Resource of Antimicrobial Effectiveness' The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 50(S2): 17–25

Co-Author/s:

Isaac Weldon, Kathy Liddell, Susan Rogers Van Katwyk, Steven J Hoffman, Timo Minssen, Kevin Outterson, Stephanie Palmer, A M Viens, Jorge Viñuales

Citation:

The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 50(S2): 17–25

DOI:

10.1017/jme.2022.75

Published: Mar 2023

'Should Europe Adopt a Policy Like the US MODERN Labeling Act?' European Health & Pharmaceutical Law Review, Volume 7, Pages 36–38

Co-Author/s:

A Hamidzadeh, John Liddicoat

Citation:

European Health & Pharmaceutical Law Review, Volume 7, Pages 36–38

DOI:

10.21552/ehpl/2023/1/7

Published: Jan 2023

'Human embryo models: the importance of national policy and governance review' Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, Volume 82, 102103

Co-Author/s:

Amy L Foreman, Sarah Franklin, Emily Jackson, Christina Rozeik, Kathy K Niakan

Citation:

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, Volume 82, 102103

Published: Jan 2023

'Guiding organisational decision-making about COVID-19 asymptomatic testing in workplaces: mixed-method study to inform an ethical framework' BMC Public Health, 22, 1747 (2022)

Co-Author/s:

J van der Scheer, A Ansari, M McLaughlin et al.

Citation:

BMC Public Health, 22, 1747 (2022)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13993-1

Published: Sep 2022

'European patent protection for medical uses of known products and drug repurposing' Nature Biotechnology, 40(4)

Co-Author/s:

M Aboy, M Jordan, C Crespo, J Liddicoat

Citation:

Nature Biotechnology, 40(4)

DOI:

10.1038/s41587-022-01269-3

Published: Jan 2022

'Patient data ownership: who owns your health?' Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 2, July–December 2021, lsab023

Co-Author/s:

David A Simon, Anneke Lucassen

Citation:

Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 2, July–December 2021, lsab023

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsab023

Published: Oct 2021

'Montgomery's legal and practical impact: A systematic review at 6 years' Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 2022; 28(4): 690–702

Co-Author/s:

I Le Gallez, J Skopek, I Kuhn, A Sagar, Z Fritz

Citation:

Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 2022; 28(4): 690–702

DOI:

10.1111/jep.13620

Published: Oct 2021

'An empirical study of large, human biobanks: intellectual property policies and financial conditions for access' Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 1

Co-Author/s:

Matthew Jordan, Johnathon Liddicoat

Citation:

Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 1

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsab018

Published: Jul 2021

'Has the EU Incentive for Drug Repositioning Been Effective? An Empirical Analysis of the “+1” Regulatory Exclusivity' IIC, Volume 52, Pages 825–851 (2021)

Co-Author/s:

Johnathon Liddicoat, Mateo Aboy et al.

Citation:

IIC, Volume 52, Pages 825–851 (2021)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40319-021-01088-0

Published: Jul 2021

'Standard contractual clauses for cross-border transfers of health data after Schrems II' Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 1, January–June 2021, lsab007

Co-Author/s:

Laura Bradford, Mateo Aboy

Citation:

Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 1, January–June 2021, lsab007

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsab007

Published: Jun 2021

'Developing an ethical framework for asymptomatic COVID-19 testing programmes in higher education institutions' Wellcome Open Research, 6:101

Co-Author/s:

Cox C, Ansari A, McLaughlin M et al.

Citation:

Wellcome Open Research, 6:101

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16807.1

Published: May 2021

'Ethical principles and a practical approach to support policy making through the next phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond' Clinical Medicine, 2021; 21(2): e122–e125

Co-Author/s:

Z Fritz, J Huppert, R Holton, J Fuld

Citation:

Clinical Medicine, 2021; 21(2): e122–e125

DOI:

10.7861/clinmed.2020-0843

Published: Mar 2021

'Isolating residents including wandering residents in care and group homes: Medical ethics and English law in the context of Covid-19' (2020) International Journal of Law and Psychiatry (1 Dec)

Co-Author/s:

A Ruck Keene, A Holland, J Huppert, B Underwood, O Clark, S Barclay

Citation:

(2020) International Journal of Law and Psychiatry (1 Dec)

DOI:

10.1016/j.ijlp.2020.101649

Published: Dec 2020

'Social, cultural and economic aspects of antimicrobial resistance' (2020) 98 Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 823-823A

Co-Author/s:

T Minssen, K Outterson, S Rogers Van Katwyk, P Batista, C Chandler, F Ciabuschi, S Harbarth, A Kesselheim, R Laxminarayan, M Osterholm, L Price, S Hoffman

Citation:

(2020) 98 Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 823-823A

DOI:

http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.275875

Published: Dec 2020

'International Transfers of Health Data between the EU and US: A better approach for the US to ensure an ‘adequate’ level of protection' (2020) 7(1) Journal of Law and the Biosciences lsaa055

Co-Author/s:

Laura Bradford, Mateo Aboy

Citation:

(2020) 7(1) Journal of Law and the Biosciences lsaa055

Published: Nov 2020

'COVID-19 contact tracing apps: a stress test for privacy, the GDPR, and data protection regimes' (2020) 7(1) Journal of Law and the Biosciences lsaa034

Co-Author/s:

Laura Bradford, Mateo Aboy

Citation:

(2020) 7(1) Journal of Law and the Biosciences lsaa034

Published: Sep 2020

'Who gets the ventilator? Important legal rights in a pandemic' (2020) 46 Journal of Medical Ethics 421

Co-Author/s:

J Skopek, S Palmer, S Martin, J Anderson, A Sagar

Citation:

(2020) 46 Journal of Medical Ethics 421

Published: Jun 2020

'Allocating Medical Resources in the Time of Covid-19 – Letter to the Editor' (2020) The New England Journal of Medicine 382

Co-Author/s:

S Martin, S Palmer

Citation:

(2020) The New England Journal of Medicine 382

Published: Jun 2020

'One year after Vanda, are diagnostics patents transforming into methods of treatment to overcome Mayo-rejections?' (2020) 38(3) Nature Biotechnology 279

Co-Author/s:

Mateo Aboy, Cristina Crespo, Neil Davey, John Liddicoat, Timo Minssen

Citation:

(2020) 38(3) Nature Biotechnology 279

Published: May 2020

'Deciding who gets the ventilator: Will some lives be lost unlawfully?' (2020) Journal of Medical Ethics Blog

Co-Author/s:

J Skopek, S Palmer, S Martin, J Anderson, A Sagar

Citation:

(2020) Journal of Medical Ethics Blog

Published: Apr 2020

'The Effects of Myriad and Mayo on molecular test development in Europe and the US: Interviews from the Frontline' (2020) 22 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law 785

Co-Author/s:

Johnathon Liddicoat, Mateo Aboy

Citation:

(2020) 22 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law 785

Link:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3381553

Published: Oct 2019

'How does emerging patent case law in the US and Europe affect precision medicine?' (2019) 57(10) Nature Biotechnology 1118-1126

Co-Author/s:

Mateo Aboy, Cristina Crespo, Glenn Cohen, John Liddicoat, Sara Gerke, Timo Minssen

Citation:

(2019) 57(10) Nature Biotechnology 1118-1126

Link:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-019-0265-1.epdf?author_access_token=zalOaiBl6zLaobJ3jO2FrNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0N6zbgdAfXS62SRohcAh9vP5dSJyJkmVs08tJd5B8hR8-5qG7zGcvYcyQTlb-nEI7J5vIu627ChddC52JScKy-yFmiGP-T1UP3ryvh4rHMjTA%3D%3D

Published: Oct 2019

'Mayo's impact on patent applications related to biotech, diagnostics, and personalized medicine' (2019) 37 Nature Biotechnology 513-518

Co-Author/s:

M Aboy, C Crespo, T Minssen, J Liddicoat

Citation:

(2019) 37 Nature Biotechnology 513-518

Published: May 2019

'Continental Drift? Do European Clinical Genetic Laboratories have a Patent Problem?' (2019) 27 European Journal of Human Genetics European Journal of Human Genetics 997-1007

Co-Author/s:

J Liddicoat, A McCarthy, S Hogarth, M Aboy, D Nicol, S Patton, M Hopkins

Citation:

(2019) 27 European Journal of Human Genetics European Journal of Human Genetics 997-1007

Link:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-019-0368-7

Published: Mar 2019

'Was the Myriad decision a 'surgical strike' on isolated DNA patents, or does it have wider impacts?' (2018) 36 Nature Biotechnology 1146

Co-Author/s:

M Aboy C Crespo, J Liddicoat, M Jordan

Citation:

(2018) 36 Nature Biotechnology 1146

Published: Dec 2018

'After Myriad, what makes a gene patent claim 'markedly different' from nature?' (2017) 35(9) Nature Biotechnology 820

Co-Author/s:

Mateo Aboy, Johnathon Liddicoat, Matthew Jordan, Cristina Crespo

Citation:

(2017) 35(9) Nature Biotechnology 820

Link:

https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt.3953

Published: Sep 2017

'Myriad's impact on gene patents' (2016) 34(11) Nature Biotechnology 1119

Co-Author/s:

M Aboy, J Liddicoat, C Crespo

Citation:

(2016) 34(11) Nature Biotechnology 1119

Link:

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v34/n11/full/nbt.3719.html

DOI:

10.1038/nbt.3719

Published: Nov 2016

'Fair and Equitable Treatment and National Patent Law Flexibilities' (2016) 19(1) Journal of International Economic Law 145-174

Co-Author/s:

M Waibel

Citation:

(2016) 19(1) Journal of International Economic Law 145-174

Link:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2722452

DOI:

10.1093/jiel/jgw012

Published: Feb 2016

'Transplanting suboptimum organs: medico-legal implications' (2015) 386 Lancet 719-721

Co-Author/s:

M Dyson, C Watson, N Padfield, JA Bradley, K Saeb-Parsy

Citation:

(2015) 386 Lancet 719-721

Link:

http://thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)61413-1/abstract

DOI:

10.1016/S0140-6736(15)61413-1

Published: Aug 2015

'Drug-resistance mechanisms and tuberculosis drugs' (2015) 385 (9965) Lancet 305-7

Co-Author/s:

CU Köser, B Javid, MJ Ellington, S Feuerriegel, S Niemann, NM Brown, WJ Burman, I Abubakar, NA Ismail, D Moore, SJ Peacock, ME Török

Citation:

(2015) 385 (9965) Lancet 305-7

Link:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4374148/

DOI:

10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62450-8

Published: Jan 2015

'Should healthy volunteers in clinical trials be paid according to risk? Yes.' (2009) 339:b4142 British Medical Journal

Co-Author/s:

E Jones

Citation:

(2009) 339:b4142 British Medical Journal

Link:

http://www.bmj.com/content/339/bmj.b4142

DOI:

10.1136/bmj.b4142

Published: Oct 2009

'The phantom menace of gene patents' (2009) 458 (7237) Nature 407-9

Co-Author/s:

S Gaisser, M Hopkins, E Zika, D Ibarreta

Citation:

(2009) 458 (7237) Nature 407-9

Link:

http://palgrave.nature.com/nature/journal/v458/n7237/full/458407a.html

DOI:

10.1038/458407a

Published: Mar 2009

'Patents as Incentives for Translational and Evaluative Research: the case of genetic tests and their improved clinical performance' (2008) 3 Intellectual Property Quarterly 286-327

Co-Author/s:

S Hogarth, D Melzer, R Zimmern

Citation:

(2008) 3 Intellectual Property Quarterly 286-327

Link:

http://www.academia.edu/637058/Patents_as_Incentives_for_Translational_and_Evaluative_Research_The_Case_of_Genetic_Tests_and_Their_Improved_Clinical_Performance

Published: Jul 2008

'Genetic tests for common diseases: new insights, old concerns' (2008) 336 (7644) British Medical Journal 590-3

Co-Author/s:

D Melzer, S Hogarth, T Ling, S Sanderson, R L Zimmern

Citation:

(2008) 336 (7644) British Medical Journal 590-3

Link:

http://www.bmj.com/content/336/7644/590

Published: Mar 2008

'Closing the gaps - enhancing the regulation of genetic tests using responsive regulation' (2007) 62(4) Food and Drug Law Journal 831-48

Co-Author/s:

S Hogarth, T Ling, S Sanderson, R Zimmern, D Melzer

Citation:

(2007) 62(4) Food and Drug Law Journal 831-48

Link:

http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/foodlj62&div=53&g_sent=1&collection=journals

Published: Oct 2007

'Medical Research Involving Incapacitated Adults: Implications of the EU Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC' (2006) 14 Medical Law Review 367-417

Co-Author/s:

J Bion, D Chamberlain, C Druml, E Kompanje, F Lemaire, D Menon, B Vhrovac, C Wiederman

Citation:

(2006) 14 Medical Law Review 367-417

Link:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6859045_Medical_research_involving_incapacitated_adults_implications_of_the_EU_Clinical_Trials_Directive_200120EC

DOI:

10.1093/medlaw/fwl011

Published: Aug 2006

'The European Clinical Trials Directive Revisited: The VISEAR Recommendations' (2006) 69(1) Resuscitation 9-14

Co-Author/s:

D Chamberlain, et al

Citation:

(2006) 69(1) Resuscitation 9-14

Link:

http://www.resuscitationjournal.com/article/S0300-9572(05)00556-3/abstract

DOI:

10.1016/j.resuscitation.2005.12.004

Published: Apr 2006

'Beyond Bristol and Alder Hey: The Future Regulation of Human Tissue' (2005) 13(2) Medical Law Review 170-223

Co-Author/s:

A Hall

Citation:

(2005) 13(2) Medical Law Review 170-223

Link:

https://oup.silverchair-cdn.com/oup/backfile/Content_public/Journal/medlaw/13/2/10.1093/medlaw/fwi012/3/fwi012.pdf?Expires=1492868036&Signature=dq-IBDXFr2nTRdF1JHB5COlDzKejdrS4xp1bDmwfYlGtNG-E12ILfy2GkVp0RbGOaF0w0H-tLEHDzgd4hrwCD7Z4hLZnr0BSyjn7zAOjvGR9Vqf

DOI:

10.1093/medlaw/fwi012

Published: Jul 2005

'Emerging Regulatory Issues for Human Stem Cell Medicine' (2005) 1(1) Genomics Society and Policy 54

Co-Author/s:

S Wallace

Citation:

(2005) 1(1) Genomics Society and Policy 54

Link:

https://lsspjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/1746-5354-1-1-54

Published: Feb 2005

'Biolaw and Deliberative Democracy: Regulating Human Genetic Technology in a Morally Pluralist Society' D.Phil thesis, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, 2003

Citation:

D.Phil thesis, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, 2003

Published: Jun 2003

Book Chapters

"Morality, Religion and Patents" (with Simon Ravenscroft), Patents on Life: Religious, Moral and Social Justice Aspects of Biotechnology and Intellectual Property (2019), 2018)

Published Dec 2018

"IP Policies for Large Bioresources: the fiction, fantasy and future of openness (2019)" (with J Liddicoat, M Jordan), Global Genes, Local Concerns: Legal, Ethical and Scientific Challenges in International Biobanking (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018)

Publisher:

Edward Elgar Publishing

Published Dec 2018

"The Origins and Structure of the TRIPS Agreement" (with WR Cornish), TRIPS plus 20: From Trade Rules to Market Principles (Springer, 2016), pp. 3-51

Publisher:

Springer

Pages:

3-51

ISBN 13:

978-3662481066

Link

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JoN-CwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Co-Author/s:

H Ullrich, RM Hilty, M Lamping, J Drexl

Published Feb 2016

"Immorality and Patents: the exclusion of patents contrary to ordre public and morality" in A Lever (ed(s)), New Frontiers in the Philosophy of Intellectual Property, 2012), pp. 140

Pages:

140

ISBN 13:

9781107009318

Link

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2865820

Published Jul 2012

"The Health Impact Fund: A Critique", Incentives for Global Health, 2010)

ISBN 13:

9780521116565

Link

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=P3-zYnabFcIC&pg=PA155&lpg=PA155&dq=the+health+impact+fund+a+critique+liddell&source=bl&ots=hKS_92X1t5&sig=D0Ko-241ct3fA-ofm_sHjmv5Hoo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjR2fOgg67TAhVNZFAKHcXVCZkQ6AEILzAD#v=onepage&q=the%20health%20i

Co-Author/s:

T Pogge, M Rimmer, K Rubenstein

Published Jun 2010

"Litigation: Effects on Medical Research", International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioural Sciences (Peter Lang, 2001), pp. 8995-8999

Publisher:

Peter Lang

Pages:

8995-8999

Link

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0080430767001856

Co-Author/s:

N. J. Smelser and Paul B. Baltes

Published Nov 2001

Conference Papers

"Should we change EU law to disallow DNA patents?" (Philomathia Forum, Third Annual Symposium, 'Body politics: the dilemmas of regulating new technologies' (8 Nov 2016), Oct 2016)

Co-Author/s:

J Liddicoat

Conference:

Philomathia Forum, Third Annual Symposium, 'Body politics: the dilemmas of regulating new technologies' (8 Nov 2016)

Link to conference paper:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3102238

Published: Oct 2016

Reports

"Precision Medicine: Legal and Ethical Challenges" (University of Cambridge & Hong Kong University, Apr 2017)

Co-Author/s:

J liddicoat, J Skopek

Body / Institution:

University of Cambridge & Hong Kong University

Link to report

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3070388

Published: Apr 2017

"Open Innovation with Large Bioresources: Goals, Challenges and Proposals (Workshop Report)" (University of Cambridge, Dec 2016)

Co-Author/s:

J Liddicoat

Body / Institution:

University of Cambridge

Link to report

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2888871

Published: Dec 2016

"Realising Genomic Medicine: Intellectual Property Issues (Workshop Report)" (Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences & Centre for Science and Policy, May 2015)

Body / Institution:

Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences & Centre for Science and Policy

Link to report

http://www.lml.law.cam.ac.uk/documents/report-on-realising-genomic-medicine

Published: May 2015

"Human Bodies in Medicine and Research: Regulatory frameworks and their impact: a comparative report on the literature. A Report for the Nuffield Council on Bioethics for use in its report on Human Bodies in Medicine and Research (Working paper 2011)" (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Oct 2011)

Body / Institution:

Nuffield Council on Bioethics

Link to report

http://nuffieldbioethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Donation_full_report.pdf

Published: Oct 2011

"Regulating Pharmacogenomics: An overview of developments in various countries and industry response to regulatory initiatives: A report for Health Canada" (, Mar 2006)

Co-Author/s:

S Hogarth, T Ling, D Melzer, S Sanderson, R Zimmern

Link to report

http://www.gbcbiotech.com/farmacogenomica/normatividad/health/Regulating%20pharmacogenomics%20report%20for%20Health%20Canada.pdf

Published: Mar 2006

"Legal and Governance Framework for 'Personal Data for Public Good: Using Health Information in Medical Research'" (Academy of Medical Sciences, London, Jan 2006) ISBN 1903401119

Reference Number:

ISBN 1903401119

Body / Institution:

Academy of Medical Sciences, London

Link to report

https://acmedsci.ac.uk/file-download/34641-Personal.pdf

Published: Jan 2006

"Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Stem Cell Research and Therapy" (Cambridge Genetics Knowledge Park, Mar 2005)

Co-Author/s:

Oonah Corrigan, John McMillan, Alison Stewart and Susan Wallace

Body / Institution:

Cambridge Genetics Knowledge Park

Link to report

http://www.phgfoundation.org/file/16351/

Published: Mar 2005

Professor Kathleen Liddell

Email

Faculty Contact Details

Professor of Intellectual Property and Medical Law; Director Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences; Chair of the Part IB Examiners

Interests

Research centres and interest groups

CV / Biography

Selected publications

Books

The Law and Ethics of Data Sharing in Health Sciences (ed) (Springer, 2024)

The Limits of Consent (ed) (Oxford University Press, 2009)

Articles

'Mapping the Patent Landscape of Cancer Diagnostics' Nature Biotechnology

'Cross-border telemedicine -A reason to 'smile'? also comment on ECJ, judgment of 11 September 2025 -C-115/24 (UJ/Austrian Dental Association)' University of Cambridge Faculty of Law Research Paper, Paper No. 22/2025

'Policy Options for Antimicrobial Resistance: Exploring Lessons From Environmental Governance' Milbank Quarterly, 2025

'Inventorship in the age of AI: examining the USPTO Guidance on AI-assisted inventions' Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Volume 20, Issue 7, July 2025

'The sufficiency of disclosure of AI inventions' Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Volume 19, Issue 11, November 2024

'How many drugs are repositioned each year in Europe?' The Journal of World Intellectual Property, 2024(1): 1

'The sufficiency of disclosure of medical artificial intelligence patents' Nature Biotechnology, 42, 839–845 (2024)

'Analyzing antimicrobial resistance as a series of collective action problems' Policy Studies Journal

'New government drug repurposing programs: Opportunities and uncertainties' Science Translational Medicine, 2024; 16(753): eadl0998

'The frontiers of medical negligence and diagnosis: an interview-based analysis' Medical Law Review, Volume 31, Issue 4, Pages 485–500

'A Pandemic Instrument Can Start Turning Collective Problems into Collective Solutions by Governing the Common-Pool Resource of Antimicrobial Effectiveness' The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 50(S2): 17–25

'Should Europe Adopt a Policy Like the US MODERN Labeling Act?' European Health & Pharmaceutical Law Review, Volume 7, Pages 36–38

'Human embryo models: the importance of national policy and governance review' Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, Volume 82, 102103

'Guiding organisational decision-making about COVID-19 asymptomatic testing in workplaces: mixed-method study to inform an ethical framework' BMC Public Health, 22, 1747 (2022)

'European patent protection for medical uses of known products and drug repurposing' Nature Biotechnology, 40(4)

'Patient data ownership: who owns your health?' Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 2, July–December 2021, lsab023

'Montgomery's legal and practical impact: A systematic review at 6 years' Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 2022; 28(4): 690–702

'An empirical study of large, human biobanks: intellectual property policies and financial conditions for access' Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 1

'Has the EU Incentive for Drug Repositioning Been Effective? An Empirical Analysis of the “+1” Regulatory Exclusivity' IIC, Volume 52, Pages 825–851 (2021)

'Standard contractual clauses for cross-border transfers of health data after Schrems II' Journal of Law and the Biosciences, Volume 8, Issue 1, January–June 2021, lsab007

'Developing an ethical framework for asymptomatic COVID-19 testing programmes in higher education institutions' Wellcome Open Research, 6:101

'Ethical principles and a practical approach to support policy making through the next phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond' Clinical Medicine, 2021; 21(2): e122–e125

'Isolating residents including wandering residents in care and group homes: Medical ethics and English law in the context of Covid-19' (2020) International Journal of Law and Psychiatry (1 Dec)

'Social, cultural and economic aspects of antimicrobial resistance' (2020) 98 Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 823-823A

'International Transfers of Health Data between the EU and US: A better approach for the US to ensure an ‘adequate’ level of protection' (2020) 7(1) Journal of Law and the Biosciences lsaa055

'COVID-19 contact tracing apps: a stress test for privacy, the GDPR, and data protection regimes' (2020) 7(1) Journal of Law and the Biosciences lsaa034

'Who gets the ventilator? Important legal rights in a pandemic' (2020) 46 Journal of Medical Ethics 421

'Allocating Medical Resources in the Time of Covid-19 – Letter to the Editor' (2020) The New England Journal of Medicine 382

'One year after Vanda, are diagnostics patents transforming into methods of treatment to overcome Mayo-rejections?' (2020) 38(3) Nature Biotechnology 279

'Deciding who gets the ventilator: Will some lives be lost unlawfully?' (2020) Journal of Medical Ethics Blog

'The Effects of Myriad and Mayo on molecular test development in Europe and the US: Interviews from the Frontline' (2020) 22 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law 785

'How does emerging patent case law in the US and Europe affect precision medicine?' (2019) 57(10) Nature Biotechnology 1118-1126

'Mayo's impact on patent applications related to biotech, diagnostics, and personalized medicine' (2019) 37 Nature Biotechnology 513-518

'Continental Drift? Do European Clinical Genetic Laboratories have a Patent Problem?' (2019) 27 European Journal of Human Genetics European Journal of Human Genetics 997-1007

'Was the Myriad decision a 'surgical strike' on isolated DNA patents, or does it have wider impacts?' (2018) 36 Nature Biotechnology 1146

'After Myriad, what makes a gene patent claim 'markedly different' from nature?' (2017) 35(9) Nature Biotechnology 820

'Myriad's impact on gene patents' (2016) 34(11) Nature Biotechnology 1119

'Fair and Equitable Treatment and National Patent Law Flexibilities' (2016) 19(1) Journal of International Economic Law 145-174

'Transplanting suboptimum organs: medico-legal implications' (2015) 386 Lancet 719-721

'Drug-resistance mechanisms and tuberculosis drugs' (2015) 385 (9965) Lancet 305-7

'Should healthy volunteers in clinical trials be paid according to risk? Yes.' (2009) 339:b4142 British Medical Journal

'The phantom menace of gene patents' (2009) 458 (7237) Nature 407-9

'Patents as Incentives for Translational and Evaluative Research: the case of genetic tests and their improved clinical performance' (2008) 3 Intellectual Property Quarterly 286-327

'Genetic tests for common diseases: new insights, old concerns' (2008) 336 (7644) British Medical Journal 590-3

'Closing the gaps - enhancing the regulation of genetic tests using responsive regulation' (2007) 62(4) Food and Drug Law Journal 831-48

'Medical Research Involving Incapacitated Adults: Implications of the EU Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC' (2006) 14 Medical Law Review 367-417

'The European Clinical Trials Directive Revisited: The VISEAR Recommendations' (2006) 69(1) Resuscitation 9-14

'Beyond Bristol and Alder Hey: The Future Regulation of Human Tissue' (2005) 13(2) Medical Law Review 170-223

'Emerging Regulatory Issues for Human Stem Cell Medicine' (2005) 1(1) Genomics Society and Policy 54

'Biolaw and Deliberative Democracy: Regulating Human Genetic Technology in a Morally Pluralist Society' D.Phil thesis, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, 2003

Book Chapters

"Morality, Religion and Patents" (with Simon Ravenscroft), Patents on Life: Religious, Moral and Social Justice Aspects of Biotechnology and Intellectual Property (2019), 2018)

"IP Policies for Large Bioresources: the fiction, fantasy and future of openness (2019)" (with J Liddicoat, M Jordan), Global Genes, Local Concerns: Legal, Ethical and Scientific Challenges in International Biobanking (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018)

"The Origins and Structure of the TRIPS Agreement" (with WR Cornish), TRIPS plus 20: From Trade Rules to Market Principles (Springer, 2016), pp. 3-51

"Immorality and Patents: the exclusion of patents contrary to ordre public and morality" in A Lever (ed(s)), New Frontiers in the Philosophy of Intellectual Property, 2012), pp. 140

"The Health Impact Fund: A Critique", Incentives for Global Health, 2010)

"Litigation: Effects on Medical Research", International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioural Sciences (Peter Lang, 2001), pp. 8995-8999

Conference Papers

"Should we change EU law to disallow DNA patents?" (Philomathia Forum, Third Annual Symposium, 'Body politics: the dilemmas of regulating new technologies' (8 Nov 2016), Oct 2016)

Reports

"Precision Medicine: Legal and Ethical Challenges" (University of Cambridge & Hong Kong University, Apr 2017)

"Open Innovation with Large Bioresources: Goals, Challenges and Proposals (Workshop Report)" (University of Cambridge, Dec 2016)

"Realising Genomic Medicine: Intellectual Property Issues (Workshop Report)" (Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences & Centre for Science and Policy, May 2015)

"Human Bodies in Medicine and Research: Regulatory frameworks and their impact: a comparative report on the literature. A Report for the Nuffield Council on Bioethics for use in its report on Human Bodies in Medicine and Research (Working paper 2011)" (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, Oct 2011)

"Regulating Pharmacogenomics: An overview of developments in various countries and industry response to regulatory initiatives: A report for Health Canada" (, Mar 2006)

"Legal and Governance Framework for 'Personal Data for Public Good: Using Health Information in Medical Research'" (Academy of Medical Sciences, London, Jan 2006) ISBN 1903401119

"Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Stem Cell Research and Therapy" (Cambridge Genetics Knowledge Park, Mar 2005)

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