Academic Profile

I graduated from Sheffield University with a B med sci (Hons) in Nursing Studies in 1998. I've worked for three years as a specialist cardiology nurse on a coronary care unit before returning to Sheffield University to undertake an MA in Law. After achieving a distinction in the MA, I was awarded a scholarship to read for a PhD at the University of Sheffield. I completed my doctoral thesis, which analyses potential legal grievances which might arise from new genetic technologies and considers probable and possible legal reactions to such challenges, in 2007. I was appointed lecturer in law at the University of Sheffield in 2006.

Member of the Sheffield Institute of Biotechnology, Law and Ethics and the Centre for the Study of Law in Society research clusters.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Sheffield
• MA Law with Distinction University of Sheffield
• B Med sci (Hons) University of Sheffield

Teaching and Learning

My teaching interest tracks my research interests. I am committed to providing high quality thought-provoking teaching. The synergy between my research and teaching ensures that I can incorporate the most recent developments in the law and literature into my teaching. This research led approach instills an enthusiasm in my students for legal literature and a corresponding ability to question and analyze why and how decisions are made. It is hoped that this enthusiasm will provoke students to undertake a law research paper (supervision of which is an area of teaching which I find particularly enjoyable) or even a masters!

As with my research interests, I am particularly interested in how the concept of autonomy functions as an aspect of medical law and negligence law. I adhere to this theoretical perspective in my teaching to ensure my students gain a theoretical analysis and to enhance their ability to question and analyze the law.

The modules I teach are:

Undergraduate	Postgraduate and MA
Torts Law	Issues in Human Genetics
Principles of Healthcare Law and Ethics

Research Interests

My research focuses on how English tort law might respond to novel legal challenges. In particular I am interested in how the tort of negligence might respond to perceived harms which might arise in the context of new medical and genetic services. Within this context I focus on how the concept of autonomy might function as a comprehensive basis for arguing that circumstances arising from novel services which would not hitherto have been considered to be harm, could in fact be perceived as harmful. This autonomy focus is a central feature in my recently published book (see below) and I intend this theoretical perspective to underpin future research.

Key Publications

V. Chico and L. Hagger, 'Children and the Mental Capacity Act 2005: A Missed Opportunity' Journal of Social and Welfare Law (Forthcoming 2011)

V. Chico, Genomic Negligence Routledge Cavendish April 2011

V. Chico, ‘Wrongful Conception: Policy, Inconsistency and the Conventional Award’ Medical Law International (2007) 8 (2) 139-164

V. Chico, ‘Saviour Siblings, Trauma and Tort Law’ Medical Law Review (2006) 14 (2) 180-218

Professional Activities and Recognition

Consultancy Work

Lectures for members of research ethics committees (Funded by COREC Central Office for Research Ethics Committees):

• Law, consent and the impact of modern genetics, Centre for Life, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 14th July 2005
• Law, confidentiality and the impact of modern genetics, Centre for Life, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 14th July 2005
• Law, consent and the impact of modern genetics, Nowgen Centre, Manchester, 26th July 2004
• Law, confidentiality and the impact of modern genetics, Nowgen Centre, Manchester, 26th July 2004

Prizes MA Law

• DLA prize– first year
• Fridman torts prize– second year
• Head of department’s prize – second year

Recent Invited Papers and Keynote Lectures

• XVIII European Conference on Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care, August 25-28 2004, University of Iceland, Reykjavik – Genomic torts: Is tort law adequate or appropriate to tackle novel claims arising from modern genetic technology?
• Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference 2004, September 13 -16 University of Sheffield – New tort claims fuelled by advances in gene testing and gene therapy: The possible and the probable.
• Invited Paper - Academia Group meeting, April 2005 University of Sheffield - English private law and modern genetics.

Areas of Research Supervision

Aspects of medical law and the tort of negligence. Particularly where the focus is on novel forms of damage arising from medical or genetic services and the challenge these might present for negligence law. I am particularly interested in the concept of autonomy as the theoretical basis for the analysis of the interface between negligence and medical law.