She graduated as a doctor from Oxford University in 1986 and then worked as a paediatric intern at the Massachusetts General before returning to England to complete her training in general practice. In 1998 she completed an MA in Medical Law and Ethics at King’s College London, and in 2005 completed a PhD in Medical Ethics at Manchester University. From 1998 to 2006 she helped establish a programme of medical humanities at University College London, and from 2000 to 2006 was director of the UCL Centre for Medical Humanities. In June 2008 she was appointed Editor of Medical Humanities. Her research interests include the legal, ethical and social implications of the new genetics, end of life care, women’s health, interpretative approaches to ethical analysis, and medical education.