Position/Status

Professor and Director of Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science, and the Public

Associate Director Engagement and Society, Wellcome Connecting Science, Cambridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Middleton

E-mail Address

am2624@cam.ac.uk

Qualifications

• PhD Genetics and Psychology
• MSc Genetic Counselling
• BSc Genetics (Hons) 2:1
• Clinical Scientist (Genetic Counsellor) Registered with the Academy for Health Care Science [AHCS 17064].

Membership of Professional Bodies/Associations

• British Society for Genetic Medicine 
• Academy for Health Care Science
• Former Chair, Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors
• Former Vice Chair and Academic Advisor to the Genetic Counsellor Registration Advisory Board 

Profile

Anna Middleton is the Founding Director of the Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science and the Public in the Faculty of Education, core funded by the Kavli Foundation. She is also Associate Director for Engagement and Society, core funded by Wellcome, working at Wellcome Connecting Science, alongside the Sanger Institute 10 miles south of the University. In both organisations she leads a team of researchers and engagement experts exploring the social and ethical impact of discovery science. Please see group website for details of outputs and impact. 

Anna is an experienced psychologist and genetic counsellor, having worked with patients in the NHS she uses her clinical experience to guide social science research that focusses on how people make sense of science. Such empirical work feeds directly into policy, education, engagement and clinical practice. She has co-written the core curriculum for training genomic counsellors for the NHS in England and has a particular interest in how people make meaning of genomics and the ethical issues raised for them. Her programme of research has a direct impact on the way discovery science is communicated, and how to support scientists to connect with diverse members of the public to talk (and listen to each other) so that together they can anticipate the impact of discovery science on society. 

Research

• Public engagement at early stages of scientific discovery
• Empowerment of scientists to consider and navigate ethical and societal concerns
• Quantitative and qualitative social sciences research methods
• Genetic counselling research and practice
• Dialogue-based engagement
• Use of the arts and film making to underpin engagement methods

Teaching

• Co-wrote the core curriculum for Masters Level Genomic Counsellor training England. Invited expert by Health Education England Curriculum Development Group.
• MSt co-lead for two modules: Counselling Skills for Genomics and Ethical, Legal, Social Issues of Genomics on the MSt Genomic Medicine, University of Cambridge, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, European Bioinformatics Institute.
• Founder of the World Congress of Genetic Counselling, 2017, 2019, 2021, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge. Endorsed by the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (UK and Republic of Ireland) and National Society of Genetic Counselors (USA).
• Founder of the Genomic Practice for Genetic Counsellors course for professional training of genetic counsellors in genomics. Sponsored by Health Education England and endorsed by the Association of Genetic Nurses and Counsellors (UK and Republic of Ireland).
• Invited by Health Education England to act as subject matter expert on “Consent and Ethics” for their training and education of mainstream health professionals in the NHS consenting patients into the 100,000 Genomes Project. Developed and delivered online teaching materials and films.
• Invited Board Moderator of the Genetic Counsellor Registration Board UK and Eire, to provide academic moderation and support for genetic counsellor assessors overseeing Masters level professional registration of genetic counsellors (2013 - present).

Publications

See ORCiD for recent publications: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3103-8098