Colin Thomson AM is a former Professor in Health Law and Ethics in Graduate Medicine, University of Wollongong and has held positions in law faculties at the Australian National University and the University of Wollongong.
Colin has been a member and chair of multiple human research ethics committees (HRECs) in universities, local health districts, government departments and public sector agencies.
Between 1998 and 2009, he was a member of the Medical Research Ethics Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), a member and chair of the Australian Health Ethics Committee and Consultant in Health Ethics to the NHMRC.
As a consultant and Senior Adviser with Australasian Human Research Ethics Consultancy Services Pty. Ltd. (AHRECS), he has conducted training for human research ethics committees (HRECs) in State Health departments in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania and in universities in all States and territories; certification assessments for the NHMRC National Certification Scheme and advised government health departments in the Commonwealth, NSW and Victoria.
He has been Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Health, Law and Ethics and Vice-President of the Australasian Bioethics Association – now combined as the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law – of which he was President and is a Life Member.
In June 2018, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant services to medical research, particularly research ethics, to education and to professional organisations.