Profile

Yann Joly, Ph.D. (DCL), FCAHS, Ad.E. is the Director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy (CGP) at McGill University. He is a James McGill Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Human Genetics. Prof. Joly is also an associate member of the Bioethics Unit and at the Law Faculty at McGill.  He was named advocatus emeritus by the Quebec Bar in 2012 and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2017.

In 2021 he received, the Canadian Science Policy Centre, Science Policy Trailblazer Award. Prof. Joly is a member of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCU) Sectoral Commission for Natural, Social and Human Sciences. He is the current Chair of the Bioethics Workgroup of the International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC) and Co-Lead the Regulatory and Ethics Work Stream of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH). He was Chair (2017–2019) of the Ethics and Governance Committee of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). He is also a member of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO) Committee on Ethics, Law and Society (CELS).

Prof. Joly’s research interests lie at the interface of the fields of scientific knowledge, health law (biotechnology and other emerging health technologies) and bioethics. He created the first international genetic discrimination observatory (GDO https://gdo.global/en/gdo-description) in 2018. He has published his findings in over 200 peer-reviewed articles featured in top legal, ethical and scientific journals. He served as a legal advisor on multiple research ethics committees in the public and private sectors. Prof. Joly also sits on editorial committees and acts as a reviewer for a wide range of publications in his field. In 2012, he received the Quebec Bar Award of Merit (Innovation) for his work on the right to privacy in the biomedical field.

RESEARCH AREAS

Genetic Tests, Identity and Equity, Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Human Rights Law, Social Sciences Research Methods, Data Governance

COURSES

Genetics, Ethics and the Law (HGEN 660)
Genetics in Medicine (HGEN 400)