Matthé Scholten, Ph.D.

Photo: Jan Boeve / De Balie

Institute for Medical Ethics and History of Medicine
Ruhr University Bochum Malakowturm
Markstraße 258a
44799 Bochum
Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)234 32-28628

matthe.scholten@rub.de

My research interests are in mental health ethics, clinical ethics, and research ethics. I am the scientific coordinator of the international research consortium VIRTUETHIC and coordinate the Bochum SALUS project together with Jakov Gather. Previously, I worked on the ENSURE project and was principal investigator for the projects EQUALISE and HumanMeD.

I received my Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Amsterdam. I am a member of the Editorial Boards of The Journal of Ethics and BMC Medical Ethics, and a member of the Research Ethics Committee of the Medical Association Westphalia-Lippe. I co-authored the German clinical guideline “Informed consent to medical treatment for people with dementia” and serve as mandate holder on behalf of the German Academy for Ethics in Medicine for the revision of the German clinical guideline “Prevention of coercion: Prevention and therapy of aggressive behavior in adults.” I am certified as a clinical ethics consultant.

Alongside my B.A. and M.A. studies at the University of Amsterdam, I worked as an auxiliary nurse in a rehabilitation center.

Curriculum vitae

Curriculum vitae

Academic positions

2016 –Researcher, Department of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum
2016Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Groningen Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Amsterdam
2011 – 2015Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Philosophy, University of Amsterdam
2010 – 2014Lecturer, Department of Philosophy, University of Amsterdam
2011Lecturer, ArtEZ Art Academy, Zwolle

Education

2016Ph.D. Philosophy, University of Amsterdam
2010M.A. Philosophy (research master), University of Amsterdam
2007B.A. Philosophy, University of Amsterdam

International experience

2019National Institutes of Health, USA, Department of Bioethics, visiting scholar, advisor: Scott Kim
2015University of Tokyo, Department of Philosophy, visiting scholar, advisor: Masaki Ichinose
2013 – 2014UC Berkeley, Department of Philosophy, visiting scholar, advisor: Jay Wallace
2012 – 2013Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Philosophy, visiting scholar, advisor: Marcus Willaschek
2008 – 2009Free University Berlin, visiting student
2004 – 2005University of Alcalá de Henares, Spain, visiting student

Funding

2024 – 2027VIRTUETHIC – The promise and perils of virtual reality in forensic mental health: Charting a path towards ethical guidelines, ERA-NET NEURON, Consortium coordinator and PI of the Bochum subproject
2018 – 2024SALUS – The ethics of coercion: Striking a balance between autonomy, well-being and security in psychiatric practice, German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), together with Jakov Gather
2021 – 2023QualiEth – Research ethics in qualitative health research: An interdisciplinary and international spring school, German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), Co-applicant
2021 – 2022EQUALISE – Improving the ethical review of qualitative health research, FoRUM-Program of the Medical Faculty of the Ruhr University Bochum, PI
2021 – 2022Science Communication by Scientists, Royal Dutch Academy of the Sciences (KNAW), together with the other editors of the online philosophy magazine Bij Nader Inzien
2018 – 2020HumanMeD – Human rights and mental health: Implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the context of health care, German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), main applicant

Fellowships and grants

2022Fellowship, Japanese Association of Bioethics and International Association of Bioethics (JAB-IAB)
2017 – 2019Research fellowship, Mercator Research Center Ruhr (MERCUR)
2015Research fellowship, Canon Foundation in Europe
2013 – 2014Research fellowship, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds und De Breed Kreiken Innovatiefonds
2012 – 2013Research fellowship, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
2011 – 2015Ph.D. Fellowship, University of Amsterdam
2011 – 2014Ph.D. Fellowship, German Academic Exchange Service (declined)
2008 – 2009Study grant, Freie Universität Berlin
2004 – 2005Study grant, Erasmus−Programm

Awards

2025Research Award, German Association of Research Ethics Committees
2023Award for Philosophy and Ethics in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (as senior author)
2020Award for Philosophy and Ethics in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (as first author)
2019Best paper award, German Academy for Ethics in Medicine
2017ASCA Article Award for “Schizophrenia and moral responsibility: A Kantian essay”
2013Innovation Award, De Breed Kreiken Innovation Foundation

Recognition

2024 – Associate Editor of The Journal of Ethics
2024 –Mandate holder on behalf of the German Academy for Ethics in Medicine for the revision of the German AMWF S-3 clinical guideline “Prevention of coercion: Prevention and therapy of aggressive behavior in adults”
2023 –Member of the Editorial Board of BMC Medical Ethics
2023 –Member of the Ethics Committee of Medical Association Westphalia-Lippe
2024 – 2025Member of the Dutch Regional Euthanasia Review Committees
2020 – 2023Member of the research ethics committee of the Medical Faculty of the Ruhr University Bochum
2020 – 2021Member of the Alzheimer Europe Ethics Working Group
2017 – 2019Member of the expert and author group on behalf of the German Academy for Ethics in Medicine for the German clinical guideline “Informed consent to medical treatment for people with dementia”
2017 – 2019Member of the MERCUR Global Young Faculty
2018Member of the scientific committee of the EACME Conference

Other activities

2017 – 2023Editor at the Dutch online philosophy magazine “Bij Nader Inzien” (www.bijnaderinzien.com)

Memberships

2020 –EU COST Action FOSTREN – Fostering and strengthening approaches to reducing coercion in European mental health services
2019 –International Association of Bioethics (IAB)
2016 –German Academy for Ethics in Medicine (AEM)
2016 –German Society for Analytical Philosophy (GAP)
2011 –German Society for Philosophy (DGPhil)
2011 –Dutch Research School of Philosophy (OZSW)
Research interests
Publications