Sonia Allan has over 20 years multi-disciplinary training and experience in psychology, public health and the law. She holds a PhD(Law) Melbourne University; LLM (Global Health)(w/ Distinction) Georgetown University; MPH (w/ Merit) Sydney, and undergraduate LLB(Hons) and BA(Hons)(Psych). In addition Sonia holds a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice the NSW College of law; and graduate certificates in teaching from Deakin (GCHE) and Harvard Universities (HETC); regulation (London School of Economics) and leadership from Cambridge University. Sonia is also a Nationally Accredited Mediator.
Sonia’s research focuses upon the regulation of contentious areas of health research and practice, existing and emerging health technologies, and public and global health law. She has published widely across these areas.
Sonia has also led major legislative reviews on assisted reproduction and surrogacy, having been appointed by the South Australian Health Minister to lead the review of SA laws on assisted reproduction in 2015; and the Western Australian Health Minister in 2018 to lead the review of WA laws on assisted reproduction and surrogacy. She has contributed to law reform and policy on issues related to donor-conception, assisted reproduction, and surrogacy across Australia and internationally. She has presented in the United Nations and the Hague on matters relevant to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and health and human rights.
Sonia is a Churchill Fellow, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). In 2011/12 she was a Global Health Law Fellow at Georgetown University, Washington DC where she received the CALI Award for Health and Human Rights Law. In 2014 she was an inaugural AMP ‘Tomorrow Fund Award’ recipient which enabled her to develop the ‘Health Law Central’ website (healthlawcentral.com).
In 2019 Sonia was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the law, and to tertiary education.
Qualifications
- MPH University of Sydney
- PhD University of Melbourne
Area of expertise
- Torts - Medical negligence and health