Debra Wilson (born 1977[citation needed]) is a New Zealand legal academic, and is a full professor at the University of Canterbury. She specialises in law and medicine, particularly law around surrogacy and the use of genetic testing.
Academic career
Wilson completed a Master's degree at the University of Canterbury followed by a PhD titled The legality of human cloning: an analysis of the legal arguments for and against a ban on reproductive cloning from a eugenics/human rights viewpoint at Monash University.[1] Her thesis topic stemmed from an interest in how law deals with new medical technologies.[2] She was awarded the Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal for Excellence for 2009 in the Faculty of Law.[1] Wilson then joined the faculty of the University of Canterbury, teaching in intellectual property, competition law and law and medicine.[2] She was appointed full professor in 2024.[3]
Wilson is particularly interested in how law responds to changes in technology. She led a three-year multidisciplinary research project around surrogacy law in New Zealand, examining public opinions on existing surrogacy law, and the experiences of legal professionals advising clients.[8][7][9] Wilson wrote a book, published in 2015, on the legal issues with the use of genetic testing in criminal investigations and trials.[10]