Research Interests
Open to PhD applications in:
- Health and human rights
- Science, technology and human rights, in particular questions concerning law's capacity to regulate the life sciences
- Human rights method
- Human rights more broadly
- Health law and ethics
- Global health law
Public outreach & key achievements
- Chairperson, European Master’s in Human Rights and Democratisation, part of the Global Campus of Human Rights
- Raoul Wallenberg Visiting Chair in Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, Lund University
- Member, European Group on Ethics of Science and New Technologies
- Member, HSC Clinical Ethics Forum, Northern Ireland
- Member, National Research Ethics Committee on Medical Devices, Ireland
- Co editor, Hart Publishing book series on Law and Health
- Editorial board, Human Rights Law Review
- Founding editor, GC Human Rights Preparedness
- Founder and director, Health & Human Rights Unit
- Experienced mentor to postdoctoral research fellows funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council and the EU’s Marie Sklodowska-Curie scheme
Research students
| PhD area | Facebook Feminism to contest harm: A study to understand a changing landscape of healthcare in the technological era |
| Name | Angela Rogan |
Alumni: Where are they now
| PhD area | Is privatisation of health care compatible with international human rights law? User fees, economic accessibility, and maternal health care. |
| Name | Dr Gema Ocana Noriega |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2025 |
| PhD area | Constructing Knowledge on Investigative Genetic Genealogy: Policy-making, Human Rights and the Private Individual |
| Name | Dr Gillian Keilty |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2024 |
| PhD area | Exploring Potential Impact of Belief in Rape Myths on (Mock) Juror Decision-Making in Northern Ireland |
| Name | Dr Rosemary Cowan |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2023 |
| Current Position | Lecturer (Education), Queen's University Belfast |
| Quote | "Therese was a great doctoral supervisor and continues to be a wonderful mentor and friend. Not only is she knowledgeable, professional and efficient regarding my field and the whole PhD process, research, writing, editing and examination, but she is also wise, in that she is somehow able to draw out my half-formulated ideas and inspire me to turn them into clear intentions. A thesis can be a lonely road; Therese made me feel I always had a travelling companion with my best interests at heart. Her advice, support and friendship was, and remains, invaluable." |
| PhD area | Negotiating post-adoption contact: rights and recognition in the experiences of birth parents and lawyers in Northern Ireland |
| Name | Dr Sarah Hansen |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2023 |
| Current Position | Employed barrister, Northern Ireland Civil Service and Practice Fellow, QUB |
| Quote | "I greatly benefitted from Professor Murphy's ability to see the big picture while also providing me with insightful, detailed comments on my work. In addition to lending her guidance and expertise in the PhD and writing process she has been a great source of advice and support to my career beyond my PhD." |
| PhD area | School exclusion of pregnant girls, gender stereotyping and international human rights law |
| Name | Dr Gift Sotonye Frank |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2022 |
| Current Position | Lecturer, School of Law, Queen's University Belfast |
| Quote | "Professor Murphy’s wealth of experience with supervising PhD students from different backgrounds and cultures was of great benefit to me during the course of my PhD. My successful completion of the PhD is also testament to her knowledge, expertise and kindness in the execution of her role." |
| PhD area | Effective Protection? A comparative analysis of the role of international law in preventing and tackling human trafficking among refugees and asylum seekers in Africa and Europe |
| Name | Dr Gillian Kane |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2022 |
| Current Position | Lecturer, School of Law, Ulster University |
| Quote | "Throughout the life of the project, Professor Murphy played an active role, providing valuable feedback, encouragement and advice. It was a privilege to develop as a researcher under the guidance of such an experienced and kind supervisor." |
| PhD area | Raising the Bar: Gender and the careers of women barristers in Northern Ireland |
| Name | Dr Leah Treanor |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2020 |
| Current Position | Barrister-at-Law, The Bar of Northern Ireland |
| Quote | “Her recognition that a supervisor’s role is as much about career progression as academic guidance meant that I benefited from a well-rounded PhD experience.” |
| PhD area | Ensuring human rights and investment in conflict areas: Implications for Afghanistan |
| Name | Dr Daria Davitti |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2014 |
| Current Position | Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Lund University; ERC Starting Grant 2023-2028 |
| Quote | “She set an example of the type of academic that I aspire to become: rigorous and creative, whilst at the same time open, supportive and understanding.” |
| PhD area | The removal of donor anonymity in the UK: The silencing of claims by would-be parents |
| Name | Dr Ilke Turkmendag |
| Years of study | PhD awarded 2009 |
| Current Position | Senior Lecturer, School of Law, University of Newcastle, UK |
| Quote | “During a sabbatical visit to Yale, I met another visiting scholar and we ended up discussing our experiences with our PhD supervisors. I told her that I partly owe my academic career to Thérèse: not only did she guide me intellectually during my PhD, helping me to cross the disciplinary boundaries which my thesis required, she also supported me during my postdoc years—in my grant applications, publications and career choices. This scholar had heard about an excellent PhD supervisor from a friend of hers who had studied in the UK, and it turned out to be the same person: Thérèse. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Thérèse has an international reputation for supervision and mentoring!” |
Discover More
- Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- School of Law
- Health and Human Rights Unit
- Human Rights Centre
Get ahead: tips on how to prepare your application to study for a PhD at QUB Law
Read our guidance on the steps in our PhD applications process and how to present your research proposal.
Interested in a postdoctoral fellowship at QUB Law?
If you have already completed a PhD or are about to do so, and you are looking for a mentor for a postdoctoral fellowship in one of my areas of expertise, please get in touch via email. The School of Law has a strong track record in supporting able candidates who are working towards fellowship applications to funders such as the British Academy, EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie scheme, ESRC NINE and the Leverhulme Trust.