In the last issue of Dignitas, we were pleased to formally announce the creation of several new Communities of Influence. In this issue we take the opportunity to introduce you to the chairs and co-chairs of their respective communities. The Center is proud to acknowledge these outstanding individuals and thank them for their work and dedication in service.
Dónal P. O’Mathúna, PhD, is SeniorLecturer in Ethics, Decision-Making &Evidence in the School of Nursing, Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. He is also on the faculty of the BiomedicalDiagnostics Institute and the Institute of Ethics at DCU. He is Chairperson of the DCU Research Ethics Committee and the ethicist on St. James’s Hospital,Dublin ethics committee.
Dónal was born and raised in Ireland, and earned a BS in pharmacy from Trinity College, Dublin. He received his PhD in medicinal chemistry from The Ohio State University. After this, he pursued his interest in bioethics by obtaining an MA in Theology from Ashland Theological Seminary. Dónal’s research interests include:ethical issues in nanotechnology; personhood in bioethics; critical thinking and moral reasoning in the teaching of bioethics; emotions and ethics, especially in relation to literature in teaching bioethics; the ethical and spiritual aspects of complementary and alternative therapies; and evidence-based reviews of complementary and alternative therapies.
Dónal has authored Nanoethics: Big Ethical Issues with Small Technology (Continuum, 2009). He has written, with Walt Larimore, MD, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, updated and expanded edition (Zondervan, 2007). He edited, with Bart Cusveller and Agneta Sutton, Commitment and Responsibility in Nursing: AFaith-Based Approach (Dordt, 2004). He is working on a book forCBHD on critical thinking in bioethics. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on bioethics and teaching bioethics (seewww.BioethicsIreland.ie).
Dónal taught for several years at Mount Carmel College of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio until he returned to Ireland in 2003. He lives near Dublin with his wife and two sons, and his daughter attends college in Columbus, Ohio.
