Ma'n Zawati

Research Director, Centre of Genomics and Policy, McGill University

Ma’n H. Zawati (LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D. (DCL)) is an Associate Professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and the Research Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy in the Department of Human Genetics. He is also an Associate Member of McGill’s Biomedical Ethics Unit. His research concentrates on the legal, ethical and policy dimensions of health research and clinical care, with a special focus on biobanking, data sharing, professional liability, and the use of novel technologies (e.g. mhealth apps, WGS, WES) in both the clinical and research settings.

His work is interdisciplinary, drawing together perspectives from law, ethics, bioinformatics, genomics, and policy. He’s also a frequent presenter on a variety of the most critical and topical issues in healthcare and the biosciences. He has appeared at 180+ international conferences, symposia, meetings, and has shared his expertise with universities, research ethics boards and law firms. In 2022, Prof. Zawati has published a book entitled “Reciprocity in Population Biobanks” (from Elsevier‘s Academic Press). He has published 100+ book chapters and peer reviewed articles in leading publications such as Nature Reviews Genetics, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the Journal of Law and the Biosciences, the Journal of Medical Genetics, and the McGill Journal of Law and Health. In 2014, the Young Bar Association of Montreal named him as one of its Lawyers of the Year. In 2015, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship (stay at Oxford University) and was named a Royal Society of Canada Delegate for the IAP Young Scientists of the Year international symposium. In 2021, Prof. Zawati received his J1 FRQS Career Award. In 2023, he was elected as McGill University Senator, representing the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

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Education

  • Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L) - McGill University, Faulty of Law (2011-2019)
  • Visiting Doctoral Student - Oxford University (Fall 2015)
  • Master of Law (L.L.M.) - Université de Montréal, Faculté de droit (2009-2011)
    Thesis: “The Liability of Genetic Counselors in Québec and the Legal Consequence of Non-Recognition: Towards a Legal Framework?” (Thesis considered as “Excellent” by the jury)
  • École du Barreau du Québec (Québec Bar School) - Montréal Centre (2007-2008)
  • Bachelor’s of Law (L.L.B.) - Université de Montréal, Faculté de droit (2004-2007)

Prizes & Scholarships

  • Kenneth Morgan Teaching Award - McGill University – Department of Human Genetics (2023)
  • J1 FRQS Career Award - Fonds de recherche du Québec (2021)
  • Research Excellence Honoree – BRAVO 2016 (in honour of being named a Royal Society of Canada Delegate) - McGill University (2016)
  • Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship - McGill University (2015)
  • Royal Society of Canada Delegate - IAP Young Scientists Event - World Science Forum 2015 (2015)
  • GREAT Award - McGill University, Faculty of Law (2015)
  • Lawyer of the Year 2014 - Young Bar Association of Montreal (YBAM Alternative Career Category) - Gala AJBM Les leaders de demain (2014)
  • Doctoral Scholarship - Fonds de recherche – Société et culture (FQRSC) (2012-2015)
    $(20 000$/year for a total of 60 000$)
  • Fellowship - Research Group on Health and Law - McGill University, Faculty of Law (2012)
  • Erasmus Mundus Visiting Scholarship - European Commission (2012)
  • John and Edmund Day Award - McGill University, Faculty of Law (2011-2012)
  • Justice K. Hugessen Fellowship - McGill University, Faculty of Law (2011-2012)
  • Rathlyn Foundation Award - McGill University, Faculty of Law (2011-2012)
  • Graduate Excellence Fellowship - McGill University, Faculty of Law (2011-2012)
  • Dean’s List of Excellence (Master of Laws (LL.M.)) - Université de Montréal, Faculty of Law (2009-2010)

Academic Experience

  • Visiting Scholar - King Hussein Cancer Centre (2024)
  • Visiting Professor - East China University of Political Science and Law, Institute of Law Education (2024)
  • Associate Professor - Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University (2023 - present)
  • Research Director - Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University (2023 - present)
  • Assistant Professor - Centre of Genomics and Policy - McGill University, Faculty of Medicine (2019 - 2023)
  • Executive Director - Centre of Genomics and Policy - McGill University, Faculty of Medicine (2016 - 2023)
  • Ethics and Policy Consultant - Qatar Foundation – Qatar Biobank & Qatar Genome Project (2016 - 2022)
  • Ethics and Policy Consultant - Merck Canada Inc. (2016 - 2018)
  • Ethics and Policy Consultant - Public Population Project in Genomics and Society (P3G) (2015 - 2018)
  • Academic Associate - Centre of Genomics and Policy - McGill University, Faculty of Medicine (2011 - 2019)
  • Expert Policy Consultant - Data Access Compliance Office - International Cancer Genome Consortium (2010 - 2014)
  • Visiting Scholar - Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Faculty of Medicine (2010)
  • Research Associate - Centre de recherche en droit prospectif (CRDP) - Université de Montréal, Faculté de droit (2008 - 2009)
  • Articling Student - Ménard, Martin, Attorneys, s.e.n.c. (2008)
  • Student / Assistant - Ménard, Martin, Attorneys, s.e.n.c. (2007)
  • Research Assistant - Centre de recherche en droit prospectif (CRDP) - Université de Montréal, Faculté de droit (2006 - 2007)

Professional Experience

  • Private Ethics and Policy Consultant (2008 - present)
  • Lawyer - Member of the Québec Bar (2008 - present)
  • Member - Young Bar Association of Montréal (2008 – 2018)

Committees

  • Associate Member - King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) (2024-Present)
  • Co-Chair - Ethics Working Group, Human Cell Atlas (2024-present)
  • Co-Chair - Regulatory and Ethics Work Stream, Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (2024 - present)
  • Member, Panel on Research Ethics (PRE) - CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, Government of Canada (2024 - present)
  • Elected Member - McGill Senate - McGill University (2023 - present )
  • Member - Review Committee, Precision Health in Qatar (QPHI) (2023 - present)
  • Member - Early Career Researcher Committee - Stem Cell Network (SCN) (2022 - present)
  • Member - Research Committee - Revue québécoise de didactique des mathématiques (RQDM) (2022 - present)
  • Member - McGill Regenerative Medicine Network (MRM) - McGill University (2022 - present)
  • Member - Widening Participation Committee - McGill University (2022 - present)
  • Member - ELSI Working Group - Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (2022 - present)
  • Member - Postgraduate Awards Committee (PGAC) - McGill University (2022 - present)
  • Legal Assessor - Student Grievances Committee - McGill University (2022 - present)
  • External Juror - Scientific Committee - Foundation Brocher (2022 - present)
  • Member - Board of Directors - Human Cell Atlas Inc. (2022 - present)
  • Associate Member - Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (2021 - present)
  • Member - Data Sharing Committee - Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Netowrk (CanCOGeN) (2021 - present)
  • Member - Coordination Committee - Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network (CanCOGeN) (2020 - present)
  • Chair - Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) Standing Committee - Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project (CanPath) (2020 - present)
  • Member - Task Team - Global Alliance for Genomics & Health (GA4GH) (2020 - present)
  • Member, Regular Researcher - Quebec COVID-Pandemic Network (QCPN) (2020 - present)
  • Member - Pan-Canadian Genomic Consent Working Group - Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) (2020 - present)
  • Member - CanCOVID (2020 - present)
  • Member - Steering Committee - Biobanque Québécoise de la COVID-19 (2020 - present)
  • Member - World Association for Medical Law (2020 - present)
  • Member - Task Force - Biobanque Québécoise de la COVID-19 (2020 - present)
  • Member - Pan-Canadian Population Cohort Working Group - Canadian Institute of Health Research, Genome Canada (2020 - present)
  • Member - Task Force - Biobanque Québécoise de la COVID-19 (2020 - 2022)
  • Member - Pan-Canadian Genomic Consent Working Group - Canadian Institute of Health Research (2020 - 2022)
  • Member - Coordination Committee - Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network (CanCOGeN) (2020 - 2022)
  • Member - Data Sharing Committee - Canadian COVID-19 Genomics Network (CanCOGeN) (2020 - 2022)
  • Associate Researcher - Centre de droit public (CRDP) - Faculté de droit, Université de Montréal (2019 - 2020)
  • Data Access Officer - Data Access Compliance Office - International Cancer Genome Consortium (2018 - 2022)
  • Access Officer - Data Access Compliance Office - International Cancer Genome Consortium (2018 - 2021)
  • Member - Scientific Advisory Board - CARPEM (2018 - 2020)
  • Member - Social Sciences Subcommittee - Healthy Brain Healthy Lives Program (2018 - 2020)
  • Member - Scientific Advisory Committee - Biogeniq (2018 - 2019)
  • Member - Scientific Planning Committee - 2nd International Congress on Personalized Health Care (CISSP 2018) (2017 - 2018)
  • Member - Scientific Planning Committee - Canadian Bioethics Society Annual Conference (May 2017) (2016 - 2017 )
  • Expert Member - PRE-Ethics Incidental Findings Sub-Committee Reviewing Tri-Council Policy Statement (Canada) - Panel on Research Ethics (Government of Canada) (2015 - 2019)
  • Member - Scientific Planning Committee - 1st International Congress on Personalized Health Care (CISSP 2016) (2015 - 2016)
  • Member - External Advisory Committee - Québec Network for Personalized Health Care (2014 - 2018)
  • Member - Scientific Committee - Save Your Skin Foundation - Québec (2014 - 2016)
  • Member - Research Theme Committee - Faculty of Medicine, McGill University (2014 - 2016)
  • Access Officer - Controlled Data Access Office - Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project (2013 - 2018)
  • Member - Board of Directors - Canadian Gene Cure Foundation (2013 - 2017)
  • Member - International Steering Committee - Biobank Collaborative Network, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization (2013 - 2017)
  • Chair - Ethical and Legal Issues Committee - Biobank Collaborative Network, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization (2013 - 2017)
  • Chair - Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Task Force - PERFORM Project, Concordia University (2013 - 2016)
  • Legal Representative - Research Ethics Board - Montréal Chest Institute (2013 - 2015)
  • Member - Operational Steering Committee - Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project (CPTP / CanPath) (2012 - present)
  • Member - International Research Network on Technological Innovations, Uncertainty, and the Law of Civil Liability - Faculty of Law, McGill University (2012 - 2016)
  • Member - Scientific Committee - Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec (2012 - 2016)
  • Graduate Member - Research Group on Health and Law - Faculty of Law, McGill University (2011 - 2018)
  • Data Research Administrator - Centre of Genomics and Policy (2009 -2011)
  • Legal Representative - Research Ethics Board - Montréal Jewish General Hospital (2009 -2011)
  • Member - Innovation Centre's Environmental Health and Safety Committee - McGill University, Genome Québec (2009 - 2014)
  • Legal Representative - Research Ethics Board - Montreal General Hospital (2009 - 2012)
  • Legal Representative - Research Ethics Board - Montréal Chest Institute (2009 - 2011)
  • Co-Editor-in-Chief - GenInfo Newsletter - Centre of Genomics and Policy (2009 - 2011)

Grants, Board Memberships & Academic Peer-Review (Academic Publications)

  • Member - PROFYLE Publication Committee - The Terry Fox Research Institute (2022 - present)
  • Member - Doctoral Scholarship Review Panel - Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQS) (2022)
  • Member - Research on Ethical, Legal, and Social Aspects (ELSA) in the Life Sciences - German DLR Project Management Agency (2022)
  • Member - Advisory Board - Journal of Community Genetics (2021 - present)
  • Associate Editor - Board of ELSI in Science and Genetics - Frontiers (2021 - present)
  • Expert Reviewer - Review Panel - UK Biobank Core Renewal (2021 - present)
  • Member - Ethics Advisory Committee - Genetics in Medicine (2020 - present)
  • Guest Editor - Froniers (Research topic: Bioethics amidst the COVID-19 pandemic) (2020)
  • Member - Editorial Board - Life, Sciences, Society and Policy (2019 - present)
  • Editor - "Country Reports" - Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics 47(4), 582-704 (2019 )
  • Independent Peer-Reviewer - Academy of Science of South Africa Council (2018)
  • Expert Reviewer - R01, R03, R21, K01, K99 Applications - National Institutes of Health (2018)
  • Expert Reviewer - Wellcome Trust Review Panel - UK Biobank Core Renewal (2016)
  • Regular Peer-reviewer - Journal of Medical Genetics (2014 - present)
  • Associate Editor - Applied & Translational Genomics Journal (2014 - present)
  • Review Editor - Editorial Board - Frontiers in ELSI in Science and Genetics (2013 - present)
  • Member - International Editorial Advisory Board - Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine (2013 - present)