Dr. Ori Lev

Areas of interest

• Bioethics
• Political Theory

Teaching

• Superhumans, Medicine and the Future of Humanity
• Public policy and values: tensions and challenges
• Ethics and Public Policy

Ori’s research interests are at the intersection of political theory, public policy and bioethics. His work focuses on ethical issues pertaining to informed consent, biomedical enhancements, the scope of reproductive rights, the dual use research challenge and on the question of whether the state should fund the arts.
Ori’s work has been published in journals such as Bioethics, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, Public health Ethics and the American Journal for Bioethics.

“Science in the Risk Society: Policy of Biological Research in Israel through the Lens of its Entailed Dangers to the Public”, Program for Developing Scientific and Technological Infrastructure, The Ministry of Science, Technology and Space (400k N.I. shekels) (With Dr. Limor Darash, Hebrew University, Prof. Bracha Rager, BenGurion University)

Journal Articles

Keren, A., Lev, O. Uncertainty, error and informed consent to challenge trials of COVID-19 vaccines: response to Steel et al, Journal of Medical Ethics (2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106793 

Lev, O. Regulating dual-use research: Lessons from Israel and the United States, Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity 1/2 (2019): 80-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobb.2019.06.001 

Lev, O. Biomedical Cognitive Enhancements: Coercion, Competition and Inducements, Law and Ethics of Human Rights (Vol. 9, Issue 1, 2015).

Lev, O., Rager, B. Protecting Public Health at the Age of Emerging Infections, Israel Medical Association Journal 16/11 (2014): 677-682

Lev, O., Darash, L., Biosecurity Policy in the US: A Critical Assessment, Frontiers in Public Health 2:110 (2014). doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00110

Lev, O., Wilfond, B., McBride, C. Enhancing Children against Unhealthy Behaviors – an Ethical and Policy Assessment of Using a Nicotine Vaccine, Public Health Ethics 6/2 (2013): 197-206.

Lev, O. Enhancing the Capacity for Moral Agency, The American Journal of Bioethics Neuroscience 3/4 (2012): 20-22.

Lev, O. Ethical Issues in Cognitive Enhancements, Salute e Società (“Health and Society”), 2, (2012).

Lev, O., Keren, A. The Right to Parenthood and Advanced Reproductive Technologies in a Jewish and Democratic State: The Case of the Ova Donation Law. Journal of Health Law and Bioethics [Heb] 4 (2011): 37-79.

Lev, O. Will Biomedical Enhancements Undermine Solidarity, Responsibility, Equality and Autonomy? Bioethics 25/4 (2011): 177-184.

Lev, O., Miller, FG., and Emanuel, EJ. The Ethics of Research on Enhancement Interventions. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 20/2 (2010): 101-113.

Lev, O. Should Children Have Equal Access to Neuroenhancements? The American Journal of Bioethics Neuroscience 1/1 (2010): 21-23.

Lev, O. Assessing the Importance of Maintaining Soldiers' Moral Responsibility—Possible Trade-Offs, The American Journal of Bioethics, 8/2 (2008): 44-45.

Lev, O. Moral Issues in the Distribution of Organs for Transplantation, Israel Law Review, 38/3 (2005): 170-184.

Monograph

Why a Liberal State Should Fund the Arts – A Normative Justification, Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy, University of Tel-Aviv (2006).

Book Chapters
Samimian-Darash, L., Lev, O. Biosecurity in the life sciences. In The Routledge Handbook of Biosecurity and Invasive Species. (Routledge, 2021)

Lev, O., Keren, A. The Israeli Ova Donation Law – an Ethical Assessment. In Siegal G. (ed.). Bioethics Blue and White. (The Bialik Institute Publishing House, 2015).

Scientific reports

World Health Organization. Emerging technologies and dual-use concerns: a horizon scan for global public health. World Health Organization (‎2021)‎. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/346862. 

Non-Peer Reviewed Publications

Lev, O., Keren, A., The danger of paper mills and predatory journals, Gahlilit, https://davidson.weizmann.ac.il/column/firefly (online 8/2021).

Lev, O., Davis D. Dual Use Research and the Societal Responsibility of Researchers, Newsletter of the Office of Research Integrity 19/2 (2011): 1.

2021 Placing Patients at the Center – Patients’ Rights in the 21st Century Conference, International Center for Health Law and Ethics, Faculty of Law, University of Haifa, “Informed Consent and Understanding: A Critical Assessment”. (With Arnon Keren)

2021 Research Seminar, International Center for Health Law and Ethics, Faculty of Law, University of Haifa, “Informed Consent, Error and Suspending Ignorance: Why Very Little  Knowledge Is Required for Autonomous Consent” (With Arnon Keren)

2019    The Legacy of G. A. Cohen: Ten Years On, International Workshop, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Comments on Igor Shoikhedbrod, University of Toronto, "Market Socialism and the Normative Relevance of Adaptive Preference Formation”

2019    The Clinic and the Bank Towards a Bioethics of the Information Revolution in Medicine, The Van Leer Institute, ‘Autonomy, Ignorance and Informed Consent’ (With Arnon Keren).

2018    EspaNet Israel Annual Conference, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, ‘Scientists, the State and the Regulation of Dual Use Research.’

2016 Departmental Seminar, Philosophy Department, Bar-Ilan University, ‘Scientists, the State and the Regulation of Dual Use Research.’ 

2016    Human Enhancement and the Law Conference, St. Anne’s College, Oxford, UK. ‘Biomedical Enhancements: would it be permissible to coerce, require or induce persons to use them?’

2016    Commentator, Human Rights and the Rights of Non-humans International Researchers’ Workshop, Academic Center of Law & Business, Israel

2015    Moderator, Society of Applied Philosophy Annual Conference, Edinburgh.

2015    Science in the Risk Society International Conference, Jerusalem. ‘Scientists, the State and the Regulation of Dual Use Research.’

2015    Oxford-Mount Sinai Consortium on Bioethics, Zafat. ‘Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Parenting Rights in A Jewish Democratic State: The Case of the Ova Donation Low.’

2015    10th World UNESCO Bioethics, Medical Ethics & Health Law Conference, Jerusalem. ‘Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Parenting Rights in A Jewish Democratic State: The Case of the Ova Donation Law’.

2014    International Conference on Cognitive Enhancement, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands. ‘Cognitive Enhancements: Coercion, Competition and Inducements’.

2014    Bioethics and Human Enhancement Workshop, University of Granada, Spain. ‘Cognitive Enhancements: Coercion, Competition and Inducements’.

2014    Israel Political Science Association Annual Conference, Ben Gurion University, Israel. ‘Biosecurity Policy in the US: A Critical Assessment’

2014    3rd International Conference on Healthcare System Preparedness and Response to Emergencies and Disasters, Tel Aviv, Israel, ‘Dual Use Research and its challenges’.

2014    The Human Mind and Human Rights Conference, Academic Center of Law & Business, Israel, ‘Cognitive Enhancements: Coercion, Competition and Inducements’.

2012    Council of Science Editors Annual Conference, ‘Communicating Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern’.

2009    The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Annul Meeting, ‘Will Biomedical Enhancements Undermine Solidarity and Personal Responsibility’.

2008    Just Health: Current Debates Conference, Harvard Program in Ethics and Health, ‘Biomedical Enhancements and Equality of Opportunity’ response to Shlomi Segall’s ‘Just Health: Between Fair Opportunity and Opportunity for Welfare’.

2008    The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities Annul Meeting, moderator, ‘Building Better Humans: Ethical Issues in Enhancement Research’.

2008    Equality - International Conference, Law and Philosophy Forum, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, ‘Is Reasonable Avoid-ability Plausible?’ response to Shlomi Segall’s ‘Equality, Desert and Reasonable Avoid-ability’,.

2006    New England Political Science Association Annual Conference, ‘Liberal Perfectionism: should the arts be promoted?’.

2004    New England Political Science Association Annual Conference, ‘The Arts and Fostering Liberal Dispositions’. 

2002    Sociology, Politics and Philosophy Conference, New York University: ‘The Arts and Fostering Liberal Dispositions’.