Assistant Professor Calvin Ho

Dr Calvin Wai-Loon Ho

JSD, LLM, MSc, LLB (Hons), BSc (Hons), Dip (Statistics), Advocate & Solicitor (Singapore), Solicitor (England & Wales)

Assistant Professor

Tel: 6516 7232

Email: medhwlc@nus.edu.sg

Calvin WL Ho is Assistant Professor at the Centre for Biomedical Ethics at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS).

He holds a doctorate in juridical science from Cornell University (New York), and was also trained in law at NUS and University of Cambridge (England). In addition, he read sociology and economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London). Calvin is qualified as Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and as Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. He has practiced law in London and Singapore, and serves as an Assistant Director with the Legal Aid Bureau (Ministry of Law), and a member of the Singapore Nursing Board. Prior to his current appointment, he was Senior Research Associate (from October 2001 to May 2011) with the Bioethics Advisory Committee, an expert body appointed by the government of Singapore to provide advice and recommendations on human biomedical research.

Calvin is also Co-Head of the World Health Organization Collaborator Centre on Bioethics in Singapore, and Co-Head of the Accountability Policy Task Team of the Global Alliance for Genomics & Health. He is an Ethics Board member of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), a member of the Medicines in Health Systems thematic working group of Health Systems Global, and a Research Associate with The Ethox Centre, University of Oxford. In addition, Calvin is a member of the National Transplant Ethics Panel and advisory committees on genetic testing and transplantation of the Ministry of Health, and serves as a member of the Bioethics Committee of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, and a member of the Paediatric Ethics and Advocacy Centre, National University Hospital.

 

Calvin is a member of the Editorial Board of Asia-Pacific Biotech News, and Life Sciences, Society and Policy. In addition, he has served as the deputy editor of the Singapore Law Review, associate editor of Cornell International Law Journal, assistant guest editor of Singapore Academy of Law Journal, and guest editor of the Asian Bioethics Review. His research areas are global health law and ethics, research ethics and policy, health policy and governance.

Grants and Consultancies

2016-2017

Principal Investigator. “Understanding and Ensuring Sustainability of Universal Health Insurance Coverage in Singapore”. Social Science Research Thematic Seed Grant. Total Value: S$40,000.

2015-2016          

Co-Investigator. “A Longitudinal Study on the Impact of Interprofessional Education on Medical, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dental Undergraduates in NUS”. National University of Singapore. Total Value: S$85,000.

2015-2016

Principal Investigator. “Improving Management for Patients with Cancer and Access to Cancer Therapies”. IMS Health. Total Value: S$30,000.

2015-2016

Principal Investigator. “Review of approaches and impact of mainstreaming medical ethics in delivery of routine health services to improve quality and safety of health services”. World Health Organization. Total Value: US$12,000.

2015

Technical Expert. “Pharmaceutical Promotion”. Health Action International. Total Value: US$2,000.

2012-2015

Principal Investigator. “Medical Jurisprudence, Professionalism and Access to Medicines”. National University of Singapore. Total Value: S$200,000.

2012-2015

Collaborator. “Medicines Coverage in Health Insurance Systems in Asia”. National University of Singapore. Total Value: S$120,000.

2014

Technical Expert. “Development of a technical paper on Medical Malpractice”. World Health Organization. Total Value: US$4,000

2014

Principal Bioethics Specialist. “Neuroethics: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues”. Ministry of Health. Total Value: S$30,000.

2012-2013

Co-Investigator. “The Development of Best Practice in End-of-Life Care and an Online Teaching Casebook”. Lien Foundation. Total Value: S$360,000.

2012-2013

Co-Principal Investigator. “International Expert Consultation on Medicines as part of Universal Health Coverage”. World Health Organization. Total Value: S$100,000.

2012 

Principal Investigator. “Clinical Trials in Low and Middle-Income Countries”. Novartis Foundation. Total Value: S$30,000.

Calvin has published articles and book chapters, as well as contributed to policy documents, on biomedical law and ethics, access to medicines and intellectual property rights, research ethics and policy, health policy and governance, and global health law and ethics.

Only publications from 2010 onwards are listed. Please contact Calvin for older publications.

Journal Papers

Don Chalmers, Dianne Nicol, Jane Kaye, Jessica Bell, Alastair Campbell, Calvin Ho, Kazuto Kato, Jusaku Minari, Chih-hsing Ho, Colin Mitchell, Fruzsina Molnár-Gábor, Margaret Otlowski, Daniel Thiel, Stephanie M Fullerton, Tess Whitton. Has the biobank bubble burst? Withstanding the challenges for sustainable biobanking in the digital era. BMC Medical Ethics (2016) 17:39 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-016-0124-2.

Ivan SK Thong, Meng Yee Foo, Min Yi Sum, Benjamin Capps, Tih-Shih Lee, Calvin Ho, and Kang Sim. Therapeutic Misconception in Psychiatry Research: A Systematic Review. Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience 2016; 14(1): 17-25

Calvin Ho, Andreas Reis, and Abha Saxena. Vulnerability in International Policy Discussion on Research involving Children. Asian Bioethics Review (2015) 7,2: 230-249.

Kelvin Bryan Tan, Woan Shin Tan, Marcel Bilger, Calvin Ho. Monitoring and Evaluating Progress towards Universal Health Coverage in Singapore. PLOS Medicine (2014) 11, 9: e1001695.

Go Yoshizawa, Calvin Ho, Wei Zhu, Chingli Hu, Yoni Syukriani, Ilhak Lee, Hannah Kim, Daniel Tsai, Jusaku Minari, Kazuto Kato. ELSI practices in genomic research in East Asia: implications for research collaboration and public participation. Genome Medicine (2014) 6:39.

Calvin Ho, Leonardo D De Castro and Alastair V Campbell. Governance of Biomedical Research in Singapore and the Challenge of Conflicts of Interest. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics (2014) 23, 3:288-296.

Calvin Ho, The Equity of Universal Health Coverage: Some Reflections from Singapore. Brookings East Asia Commentary Series (December 2013) 69.

Reprinted by Global Studies Institute in Hong Kong in February 2014, and further reprinted for the Meeting of Commonwealth Health Ministers on 18 May 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland, as: The Commonwealth, Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2014. Cambridge: Nexus Strategic Partnerships, 2014, pp. 44-47.

Calvin Ho and Klaus M Leisinger, Intellectual Property and Access to Essential Medicines: A Tenuous Link? (2013) Asian Bioethics Review 5,4: 376-382.

Calvin Ho, “Covert Treatment of a Potentially Violent Patient” (2013) Asian Bioethics Review 5,3: 203-211.

Calvin Ho, “Enhancement (of What?) in Aesthetic Medicine” (2012) Asian Bioethics Review 4,4: 272-282.

Jacqueline Chin, Calvin Ho, Hitoshi Arima, Reina Ozeki, Dae-Seog Heo, Michael K Gusmano and Nancy Berlinger, “Integration of palliative and supportive cancer care in Asia” (2012) The Lancet Oncology 13:445-446.

Marie-Charlotte Bouësseau, Andreas Reis, Calvin Ho, “Global Summit of National Ethics Committees: an essential tool for international dialogue and consensus-building” (July-September 2011) Indian Journal of Medical Ethics VIII, 3: 154-157.

Calvin Ho, “Governance Framework for Biomedical Research in Singapore: A Risk-Based Account” (2011) Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal 15, 5: 13-17.

Calvin Ho, “Safeguarding the Integrity of Scientific Research – Build a Maison à Colombage” (2010) Singapore Academy of Law Journal 22: 994-1022.

Calvin Ho, Benjamin Capps and Voo Teck Chuan, “Stem Cell Science and its Public: The Case of Singapore”, East Asian Science, Technology and Society (2010) 4: 7-29.

Calvin Ho, “Utilitarianism and Patents: Justification and Change”, Asian Bioethics Review (2010) 2, 3: 202-217.

Peer-reviewed Books / Monographs

Calvin Ho, Juridification in Bioethics: Governance of Human Pluripotent Cell Research. London: Imperial College Press, 2016.

Commentaries in Jacqueline Chin, Nancy Berlinger, Michael C Dunn, Calvin Ho, Michael K Gusmano (eds.) Making Difficult Decisions with Patients and Families: A Singapore Casebook. Singapore: National University of Singapore, 2014.

Terry SH Kaan and Calvin Ho (eds.), Genetic Privacy: An Evaluation of the Ethical and Legal Landscape. London: Imperial College Press, 2013.

John Michael Elliott, Calvin Ho and Sylvia SN Lim (eds.), Bioethics in Singapore: The Ethical Microcosm. Singapore: World Scientific, 2010.

Book Chapters

Calvin Ho and Karel Caals. Responsibility and Solidarity in Universal Health Coverage: Achieving Lifetime Insurance Coverage in Singapore. In Lutz Bergemann, Andreas Reis and Andreas Frewer (eds.), Global Ethics and Universal Health Coverage – Human Rights in Practice. Würzburg: Koenigshausen & Neumann, 2016, pp. 45-65. (This chapter is a revised and updated version of the chapter published in 2014.)

Calvin Ho and See Muah Lee, “Law and Morality”. In Henk ten Have (ed.), Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics. Dordrecht: Springer, 2015, pp.1-10; DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-05544-2_264-1.

Calvin Ho, “Universal health coverage in Singapore: An ethical reflection”. In The Commonwealth, Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015. Cambridge: Nexus Strategic Partnerships, 2015, pp. 118-21. This publication was prepared for the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in May 2015 in Geneva, which took place before the World Health Assembly.

Calvin Ho. A Response to the “Dementia Epidemic” in Singapore: Rendering Visible the Caregiver in Universal Health Coverage. In Andreas Frewer, Lutz Bergemann, Martina Schmidhuber (eds.), Demenz und Ethik in der Medizin: Standards zur guten klinischen Praxis? [Dementia and Ethics in Medicine: Standards for Good Clinical Practice]. Würzburg: Koenigshausen & Neumann, 2015, pp. 243-255

Calvin Ho and Karel Caals. Responsibility and Solidarity in Universal Health Coverage: Achieving Lifetime Insurance Coverage in Singapore. In Andreas Frewer, Andreas Reis and Lutz Bergemann (eds.), Gute oder vergütete Behandlung? Ethische Fragen der Gesundheitsökonomie [Good or Paid Treatment? Ethical Questions of Healthcare Economics]. Würzburg: Koenigshausen & Neumann, 2014, pp. 303-323.

Calvin Ho, Jacqueline Chin and Alastair Campbell, “Singapore”. In Henk AMJ ten Have, Gordijn B (eds.), Handbook of Global Bioethics. Dordrecht: Springer, 2014, pp. 1427-1450.

Calvin Ho, Katherine Wright, Christine Grady, Hugh Whittall, Julius Ecuru, Michel Daher, “Research Involving Vulnerable Populations, with a focus on Children”. In National Bioethics Commission of Mexico (ed.), Finding Paths Through the World: 10th Global Summit of National Ethics/Bioethics Committees. Mexico City: National Bioethics Commission of Mexico, 2014, pp. 68-85.

Calvin Ho and Terry Kaan, “The Notion of Genetic Privacy”. In Terry SH Kaan and Calvin WL Ho (eds.), Genetic Privacy: An Evaluation of the Ethical and Legal Landscape. London: Imperial College Press, 2013, pp. 1-24.

Calvin Ho, “Navigating the Privacy Complex of Self, Other and Relationality”. In Terry SH Kaan and Calvin WL Ho (eds.), Genetic Privacy: An Evaluation of the Ethical and Legal Landscape. London: Imperial College Press, 2013, pp. 41-75.

Calvin Ho and Sylvia Lim, “The Coming of Bioethics to Singapore”. In JM Elliott, WC Ho and SSN Lim (eds.), Bioethics in Singapore: The Ethical Microcosm. Singapore: World Scientific, 2010, pp. 1-29.

Calvin Ho and Martin Bobrow, “Norm-making on Human-Animal Chimeras and Hybrids in Singapore, the United Kingdom and the International Domain”. In JM Elliott, WC Ho and SSN Lim (eds.), Bioethics in Singapore: The Ethical Microcosm. Singapore: World Scientific, 2010, pp. 187-234.

Calvin Ho, “Governing Cloning: United Nations’ Debates and the Institutional Context of Standards”. In B Capps and A Campbell (eds.), Contested Cells: Global Perspectives on the Stem Cell Debate. London: Imperial College Press, 2010, pp. 121-154.

International Policies

Global Alliance for Genomics & Health, Accountability Policy.

Policy Papers

World Health Organization (Global network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Bioethics). Global Health Ethics: Key Issues. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2015.

Calvin Ho and Sumytra Menon. Legal and Regulatory Considerations of Neuroscientific Research in Singapore. September 2014. (Position Paper submitted on invitation from the Bioethics Advisory Committee, Singapore.)

Policy Reports

Anita K Wagner, Dennis Ross-Degnan, Calvin Ho, Murray Aitken, Raja Shankar, Maya Malarski, Quinn Kiefer. IMPACT: Facilitating Shared Learning and Collaborative Action Research to Improve Cancer Care. Parsippany NJ: IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, (June) 2016.

Nuffield Council on Bioethics. Children and clinical research: ethical issues. London: Nuffield Council on Bioethics: May 2015. Invited as commentator and reviewer.

Maryam Bigdeli, David Peters and Anita Wagner (eds.), Medicines in Health Systems – Advancing access, affordability and appropriate use. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2014:

  1. Anita Wagner, Veronika Wirtz, Maryam Bigdeli, Calvin Ho, Dennis Ross-Degnan, “The Role of Medicines in Achieving Universal Health Coverage”, pp. 43-58; and
  2. Anita Wagner, Maryam Bigdeli, Anthony So, Andreas Seiter, Calvin Ho, “Innovation to ensure better access to medicines”, pp. 61-73.

World Health Organization, Making fair choices on the path to universal health coverage. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2014. Invited as a commentator.

Thalia Arawi, Mondher Letaief, Sameen Siddiqi, Calvin Ho. Medical Malpractice and Patient Safety: Exploring Uncharted Territory in Eastern Mediterranean Region. 2014. The research and report was commissioned by the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the World Health Organization.

Calvin Ho, Ethical, Legal and Social Issues in Neuroscience Research. Draft report commissioned by the Bioethics Advisory Committee and submitted to it in June 2014.

Maureen Kelley, Craig E Rubens and the GAPPS Review Group, Global report on preterm birth and stillbirth: ethical considerations. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (2010) 10(Suppl 1):S6; DOI: 10.1186/1471-2393-10-S1-S6. Contributed as a member of the working group.

Bioethics Advisory Committee, Ethics Guidelines for Human Biomedical Research, June 2015. Contributed to research on the Guidelines and also in feedback on draft.

Bioethics Advisory Committee, Human-Animal Combinations in Stem Cell Research, September 2010. Researched and contributed to drafting of the Final Report.

Review Papers

Johannes JM van Delden and Calvin Ho. Vulnerability in Healthcare and Research involving Children. Asian Bioethics Review (2015) 7,2:115-125.

Karel Caals and Calvin Ho, “The Questions of Fair Benefits in International Research” (2013) Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal 17,6: 39-42.

Bartha Maria Knoppers and Calvin Ho, “Introduction” (2010) Singapore Academy of Law Journal 22: 759-768.

     Review Reports

     Calvin Ho, Karel Caals and Sharon Low. Interim Report on Responsible Clinical Trials in Low and Middle Income Countries: Ethical and Legal Considerations. 2012.

     Instructional Papers / Professional Development

Calvin Ho. After Ebola, Social Justice as a Base for a Biobanking Governance Framework. Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal (2016) 20,2: 21-23.

Calvin Ho. Universal Health Coverage and the Social Value of Drug Development. Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal (2015) 19,4-5: 51-54.

Calvin Ho. Editorial: Special Issue on Neuroethics. Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal (2014) 18, 6: 3.

Calvin Ho. Ethical Responsibility to Manage Incidental Findings in Brain Imaging Research. Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal (2014) 18, 6: 37-40.

Calvin Ho, Editorial: Special Issue on Corporate Social Responsibility. Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal (2013) 17, 6: 3-4.

Calvin Ho, “Corporate Social Responsibility of the Pharmaceutical Industry in Solidaristic Terms” (2013) Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal 17,6: 49-52.

Calvin Ho, Editorial: Special Issue on Conflicts of Interest. Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal (2012) 16, 4: 3-4.

Calvin Ho, “Conflicts of Interest in Biomedical Research” (2012) Asia-Pacific Biotech News Journal 16, 4: 34-36.

Calvin Ho, “Professional Standards in Decision-Making Involving Persons lacking Mental Capacity” (2011) Clinical Ethics Network for Training, Research and Support Newsletter 10:12-13.

Calvin Ho, “Legal Considerations in the Administration of Non-Standard Treatment” (2011) Clinical Ethics Network for Training, Research and Support Newsletter 8:5-6.

Calvin Ho, “Considering the Legal Limits to the Refusal of Medical Treatment” (2011) Clinical Ethics Network for Training, Research and Support Newsletter 5:5-6.

Online Teaching Casebook

Commentaries in Jacqueline Chin, Nancy Berlinger, Michael C Dunn, Calvin Ho, Michael K Gusmano (eds.) Making Difficult Decisions with Patients and Families: A Singapore Casebook. Singapore: National University of Singapore, 2014. Commentaries include:

  1. Calvin Ho, Making decisions in the Neonatal ICU.
  2. Calvin Ho, When parents seek alternative treatments.
  3. Calvin Ho, Covert Testing.
  4. Calvin Ho, The Right to Medical Privacy and Confidentiality.
  5. Nancy Berlinger and Calvin Ho, Impaired decision-making capacity: Two questions and four possibilities.
  6. Nicola S Peart and Calvin Ho, Decisions on the care of an adult who has lost decision-making capacity.
  7. Calvin Ho and Peter Loke, An overview of key aspects of Singapore medical law.
  8. Sumytra Menon and Calvin Ho, The Mental Capacity Act (Singapore) on aspects of medical decision-making for adults lacking the capacity to consent.

National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Centre for Biomedical Ethics

  • Deputy Director, Health Ethics, Law and Professionalism, Programme Director, since August 2016
  • Phase I Health Ethics, Law and Professionalism, Programme Director, since June 2011
  • InterProfessional Education Committee, Member, since August 2012
  • Systems-Based Workgroups (Geriatric Medicine; Endocrinology; Oncology), Member, since August 2012

Undergraduate

Courses at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

  • Lecturer and Tutor: Health Ethics, Law and Professionalism, Phases I – II
  • Lecturer: Phase III and IV
  • Tutor: Phase V

Research Supervision

  • Kenneth Wei-Qiang Choo (M4) and Wei-Liang Lee (L2), “Unfair employment discrimination of previously depressed individuals” (2015) Journal of Law and Medicine 22:660-666
  • Wei-Liang Lee (M3) and Kenneth Wei-Qiang Choo (L1), “The Impact of Discrimination on Research into Depression“ (2014) Asia-Pacific Biotech News 18(6):41-44
  • Teo Tse Yean (M3), Research supervision on professional attributes and minimisation of medical error, July 2014

Graduate

Courses

  • Lead Coordinator/Principal Lecturer, Graduate Module MDG5215: Applied Bioethics and Biolaw, since January 2014
  • Instructor, Graduate Module MCI5005: Ethics and Regulation of Clinical Research, since August 2011
  • Instructor, Graduate Module GSN6880: Neuroethics, 2013 - 2015

Research Supervision (PhD level)

  • Thesis Advisor, Dr Mirriam Tyebally (currently registered as a PhD student with the University of Zurich), Reproductive Technologies and Health Policy.
  • Co-Supervisor, Dr Chan Tuck Wai, “Research ethics and consent on the collection and use of human biological materials: A Singapore perspective”. Thesis successfully defended on 20 January 2015 and doctorate degree was conferred during commencement on 12 July 2015.
  • Chair of Thesis Advisory Committee and Examiner, Dr Yvette van der Eijk, “An Ethical Framework for Tobacco Control Policy”. Thesis was successfully defended on 13 April 2015 and the doctoral degree was conferred on 12 July 2015.
  • Examiner, Ms Rosy Tay Swee Cheng, “Elderly Singaporeans’ Perceptions of Undergoing Joint Replacement Surgery: A Qualitative Study”. Thesis successfully defended on 5 March 2015.

National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law

  • Principal Lecturer and Coordinator, LL4277/LL5277V/LL6277V Medical Law and Ethics, July-December 2015

National University of Singapore, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health

  • Lecturer, Public Health Ethics Seminar, in August 2014 and 2015.

National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law

  • Principal Lecturer and Coordinator, LL4277/LL5277V/LL6277V Medical Law and Ethics, from August 2015

National University of Singapore, Faculty of Dentistry

  • Lecturer, Postgraduate Workshop on Professionalism, Law and Ethics (Workshop Coordinator: Dr Wong Mun Loke)

National University of Singapore, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Social Work

  • Lecturer, Undergraduate Module on Child Health and Social Work (Workshop Coordinator: Mr Benjamin Png).

Teaching Overseas/Overseas Students

  • Invitation by A/Professor Ilhak Lee and A/Professor Soyoon Kim Graduate Seminar on “Privacy and Surveillance”, Centre for Medical Law and Ethics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, on 22 September 2014.
  • Invitation by A/Professor Hitoshi Arima to conduct Ethics Seminar on “Rawls on Responsibility and Solidarity in Universal Coverage: Achieving Lifetime Insurance Coverage in Singapore” in Yokohama City University, on 25 November 2014.
  • Conducted Half-Day Course on 14 February 2015 on Research Ethics (Vulnerability) for about 15 Korean students specifically trained to manage IRBs. They were led by Professor Lee Sang Mok, Director, Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Dong-A University, South Korea.
  • Taught in a seminar on vulnerability in human biomedical research on 28 January 2016 for about 15 Korean students specifically trained to manage IRBs. They were led by Professor Lee Sang Mok, Director, Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Dong-A University, South Korea.

 

 

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