Simon KolstoeView profile
Associate Professor
Dr. Simon Kolstoe serves as Associate Professor in Bioethics and University Ethics Adviser at the University of Portsmouth within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Area Studies, Sociology, History, Politics, and Literature. As a PhD Supervisor and active contributor to national ethics frameworks, he bridges academic research with practical governance across multiple UK government sectors. His educational background includes: PhD in Biochemistry, University of Southampton (2005) BA in Philosophy, Open University MA in Research Ethics, Keele University Kolstoe's research centers on Research Ethics and Integrity with specialized focus on medical and defence research involving human participants. His work critically examines ethics committee review quality, defence and dual use research governance, human challenge trial protocols, research waste reduction, and cultural transformation in research environments. He actively shapes national policy through collaborations with the NHS Health Research Authority, UK Health Security Agency, and Ministry of Defence. His 2024-2025 publications reveal evolving priorities across three interconnected domains: crisis decision-making in public health (evident in his public health authority model), standardization challenges in emerging research methodologies (particularly human challenge studies), and systemic integrity issues spanning vaccine research replication to AI integration in ethics review. These works consistently emphasize practical governance solutions while addressing ethical tensions in defence contexts and participant autonomy. As PhD Supervisor, Kolstoe leverages his BBSRC New Investigators Award background to mentor next-generation researchers. His current funding stems from institutional roles within major UK government ethics frameworks rather than traditional grants. He directs critical national infrastructure including: Ministry of Defence Research Ethics Committee (MODREC) Chair UK Health Security Agency Research Ethics and Governance Group (REGG) Chair Health Research Authority Community Committee Member UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) Trustee His operational teams drive initiatives like "Think Ethics," "Make it Public," and the fast-track REC pilot, positioning him at the nexus of academic bioethics and national research policy implementation.









