The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced that Professor Michael McNamee of Sport and Exercise Sciences has been appointed as Chair of WADA’s ethics expert advisory group
The Advisory Group provides independent expert ethical opinion when required through the review of urgent or contentious ethical issues that may arise in the fight against doping in sport.
Mike McNamee is Professor of Applied Ethics. He has dual backgrounds and qualifications in philosophy and in sports sciences. He has published several books including Sports, Virtues and Vices (Routledge, 2008) and Sport, Medicine, Ethics (Routledge, 2016), Bioethics, Genetics, and Sport (Routledge, 2018). He also holds a Professorship in Ethics at KU Leuven, Belgium.
Professor McNamee's appointment is the culmination of nearly 2 decades of anti-doping research at Swansea University, including the world’s first Masters Degree in Sport Ethics and Integrity.
Professor Mike McNamee said:
"I am proud to follow Prof Bartha Knopper’s superb chairing of the Ethics Expert Advisory Group, and hope to guide the group to better serve clean sport."
Professor McNamee replaces Professor Bartha Knoppers -- Canada Research Chair in Law and Medicine; and, Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University -- who has stepped down after 18 years on the Advisory Group, including five as its Chair.
WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli, said:
“WADA welcomes Professor Michael McNamee as Chair of the Agency’s Ethics Expert Advisory Group. Professor McNamee’s breadth of experience and expertise in ethics related to anti-doping policy, sports, genetics, medical and scientific research will bring valuable guidance to the Agency. I also wish to thank outgoing Chair Bartha Knoppers whose dedication and insight have been of great support to WADA over the many years of her involvement.”
Formed in 2004, the Ethics Expert Advisory Group is assembled annually by WADA Management. In addition to Professor McNamee, the Group is currently composed of the following members:
- Dr. Silvia Camporesi, Italy/United Kingdom
- Professor Timothy Caulfield, Canada
- Professor Sigmund Loland, Norway
- Ms. Andréanne Morin, Canada
- Professor Ambroise Wonkam, South Africa
On an ongoing basis, the Advisory Group engages primarily with WADA Management in the areas of testing, science, medicine and legal affairs; regarding matters such as athlete whereabouts, research consent, and access to Athlete Biological Passport data; and, they remain ready to address any emerging anti-doping matters with potential ethical implications.