This installment of the Feminist Bioethics Scholar Spotlight series features Regina Müller. Dr. Müller is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Philosophy at the University of Bremen. Her professional background is in philosophy, history of arts (University Regensburg), and applied ethics (University Jena). Her primary research areas include applied ethics, in particular digital ethics and medical ethics, theories of justice, and feminist philosophy. Regina’s research is driven by a strong interest in feminist-ethical perspectives and their interplay with digital developments and medicine. Currently, she is working on her “Habilitations” project at the University of Bremen about moral perspectives on social structures. Regina is co-founder of the Young Medical Ethics Network (JMED) and initiated the research working group “Feminist Perspectives in Medical and Bioethics“ (FME) in Germany.
What drew you to bioethics? What is your bioethics origin story?
My journey into feminist bioethics began when I started studying philosophy. During my philosophy studies, my fascination with ethical issues grew rapidly. This interest led me to pursue a Master’s degree in applied ethics, where I had the opportunity to specialize in medical ethics. It was relatively clear to me that I wanted to stay in this field after my studies. I decided to do my PhD in medical ethics with a focus on ethical issues in the context of hereditary chronic diseases. My research in several medical ethics projects at different universities in Germany revealed to me the great scientific community and the broad spectrum of topics. As I transferred to my postdoctoral phase, my research expanded with a new focus on ethical issues in the context of digital healthcare. As I had the opportunity at the beginning of my postdoc phase to think intensively about what is important to me and what topics interest me, I decided to focus more on justice and incorporate feminist perspectives into my work. That’s how I got into feminist bioethics and I’m excited to see where the journey will take me. Feminist bioethics is such an important and stimulating working field that I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a diverse and exciting area of work.
What next directions in your research are you most excited about?
I’m currently most excited about my postdoc project at the University of Bremen. The focus of my project lies in exploring the widespread use of the term “structural” in contemporary public and academic discussions on injustices. The term “structural” is usually used in these discussions to indicate that injustices, such as discrimination in healthcare, lie not in the sole responsibility of an individual actor, but are somehow rooted in overarching social structures.
(photo courtesy of Regina Müller)
At this point, I am grappling with three questions: firstly, what defines structures? Secondly, how can we morally assess these structures? And thirdly, what constitutes good structures? Typically, moral discussions revolve around the goodness or badness of consequences, characters, or actions. I’m fascinated by the question of whether structures can also be deemed morally good or bad. Is it meaningful to discuss structures within a moral dimension? To answer these questions, I need an understanding of structures on the one hand and an understanding of the good on the other. So, I have to delve into both social theory and moral philosophy, and I’m particularly excited about the interplay between these disciplines and the insights it may yield to me.
What kind of issue do you think is most important going forward in bioethics, that the field needs to pay attention to or attend to in a different way?
I think there is a pressing need for more thorough investigations of discrimination issues, particularly within the bioethics discourse in German-speaking countries. Over the recent years, structural discrimination in medical practice, healthcare systems, and biomedical research have become more prominent in the field of bioethics and there is great potential to further address these issues, especially by emphasizing the concerns of marginalized groups and by using normative concepts such as intersectionality, relationality, and vulnerability. I’m keen to follow the authors and their coming work in this field.
Are there any fellow bioethicists whose work you always look out for and are excited to read?
I greatly appreciate my colleagues within the research working group Feminist Perspectives in Medical and Bioethics (FME) and the work they are doing. The group is comprised of researchers investigating various aspects of feminist bioethics, including for example intersectionality in medical research, feminist clinical ethics consultation, reproductive justice, digitalization, and feminist methodologies. The group serves as a collaborative platform, a valuable space for networking, interdisciplinary exchange, and cooperation. Its overarching goal is to establish and strengthen feminist approaches within the bioethics discourse in German-speaking countries, and I follow with great interest the endeavors of my colleagues as they shape the future landscape of feminist bioethics in Germany.
Thanks for speaking with us, Regina, about your interesting and international feminist bioethics work!
Learn more about Regina’s publications and follow her on social media @Regina_Mueller_
