Professor David Townend

Overview

Dr David Townend is a Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in the City Law School.

His expertise is in the nature of the key concepts of privacy, confidentiality, property, and the public interest. He is also interested in the interplay between Law, Ethics and Manners, and in the potential of the theory of politeness in governance. He explores these concepts in the practical areas of personal data protection (and particularly the use of personal data in health and life science research), in questions relating to patients' rights, in the operation of research ethics committees, and in Equity and trusts. His work is located in the socio-legal studies tradition, and much of his current work concerns public engagement in relation to the understanding of the key concepts and practical areas he studies.

At City Law School, Townend teaches courses in Equity and trusts, medical law, and research law and ethics. He is also available to supervise PhD and Master's students in the areas of his research.

Since 2014, Townend has been Professor of Health and Life Sciences Jurisprudence in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at Maastricht University, and he continues in a small part-time capacity in that role since his appointment to City in September 2022. He is also the Visiting Professor of Health Law at the University of Lincoln (since 2014). Townend's early career was spent at the Faculty of Law at the University of Sheffield, where he was also a member of the Sheffield Institute for Biotechnological Law and Ethics.

Townend has many international research collaborations, and has coordinated or worked on many research projects funded by major funding bodies. Townend was a member of the UK Department of Health Emerging Science and Bioethics Advisory Committee (ESBAC) (2012-2014).

Qualifications

• PhD cum laude, Maastricht University, Netherlands, Sep 2012
• MPhil, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, May 1995
• LLB, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, Jul 1988

Postgraduate training

• BKO (Dutch University Teaching Qualification), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands

Employment

• Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, City, University of London, Jan 2023 – present
• Professor, City, University of London, Sep 2022 – present
• Professor of Health and Life Sciences Jurisprudence, Maastricht University, Jan 2014 – present
• Associate Professor of the Law of Public Health and Care, Maastricht University, Jan 2008 – Jan 2012
• Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Sheffield, Jul 2005 – Dec 2007
• Deputy Director of Sheffield Institute of Biotechnological Law and Ethics (SIBLE), University of Sheffield, Jan 2005 – Dec 2007
• Sub-Dean for Graduate Studies, University of Sheffield, Sep 2002 – Dec 2007
• Lecturer in Law, University of Sheffield, Oct 1991 – Jun 2005

Publications by category