Roger Magnusson is a professor of health law and governance at the University of Sydney Law School, Australia where he also serves as associate dean for student life. His research interests are in public health law and governance, health law and bioethics, and health development.
In 2002, Magnusson published Angels of Death: Exploring the Euthanasia Underground, which reported on the practice of “underground” physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia among health professionals working in HIV/AIDS health care in Australia and San Francisco. Much of Roger’s recent research is within the field of public health law and includes work on legal and regulatory options for preventing noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes and their risk factors, including tobacco use, obesity, poor diet, and harmful alcohol use. He was the lead author of the 2017 WHO technical report “Advancing the Right to Health: The Vital Role of Law” and the 2018 piece “Update and Summary Guide to the Report: Advancing the Right to Health – The Vital Role of Law.” Both publications were collaborations between the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, WHO, International Development Law Organization, and Sydney Law School.
Magnusson holds a B.A. and an LL.B. from Australian National University as well as a Ph.D. and graduate diploma in managing development from the University of Melbourne.