Timothy Caulfield, Professor, BSc (Alberta), LL.B. (Alberta), LL.M. (Dalhousie), CM, FRSC, FCAHS; Professor, Faculty of Law and School of Public Health; and Research Director, Health Law Institute

About

Timothy Caulfield is a Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health, and Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta. He was the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy for over 20 years (2002 - 2023). His interdisciplinary research on topics like stem cells, genetics, research ethics, the public representations of science, and public health policy has allowed him to publish almost 400 academic articles. He has won numerous academic, science communication, and writing awards, and is a Member of the Order Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He contributes frequently to the popular press and is the author of national bestsellers: The Cure for Everything: Untangling the Twisted Messages about Health, Fitness and Happiness (Penguin 2012) and Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash (Penguin 2015), and Relax, Dammit!: A User’s Guide to the Age of Anxiety (Penguin Random House, 2020).  His most recent book is The Certainty Illusion: What You Don’t Know and Why It Matters (Penguin Random House, 2025). Caulfield is also the co-founder of the science engagement initiative #ScienceUpFirst and has written, hosted and produced documentaries, including the award-winning TV show, A User’s Guide to Cheating Death, which has been shown in over 60 countries, including streaming on Netflix in North America.

Research

• Public Health Law
• Science & Health Policy Studies
• Bioethics
• Biotechnology & Science Policy
• Misinformation & public representations of science

LAW 501 - Biotechnology Policy

An exploration of the policy challenges associated with emerging biotechnology innovations, including stem cell research, human cloning, gene patents and bio-banking. While the course will cover relevant national and international law, its emphasis will be on ethical and policy issues. Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for Biotechnology under the LAW 599 course number.

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