Leonie Abstein is a PhD candidate in the URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded | H2R, sub-project 1 Normativity of Human Reproduction at the University of Zurich.

Leonie’s research interests include bio- and medical ethics of reproduction, concepts of vulnerability, family and feminist ethics, ecumenical, interreligious and intercultural theology. Her PhD project focuses on moral dimensions of the unfulfilled desire to have children, intended parenthood, and reproductive medicine from a theological-ethical perspective.

Education

• PhD candidate, URPP Human Reproduction Reloaded H2R, sub-project 1 – Institute of Social Ethics, University of Zurich, Switzerland (since 2023)
• M. Th. Protestant Theology, Universities of Heidelberg, Leipzig, and Rome (Pontifical Gregorian University, Waldensian Faculty of Theology, i.a.) (2019-2023) – Topic of the Master's thesis: “Ethical views of the Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam on abortion”
• B. Th. Protestant Theology, Augustana Hochschule Neuendettelsau, Germany (2017-2019)

Work and research experience

• Teaching Assistant at Advanced Studies in Applied Ethics – University of Zurich, Switzerland (since 2025)
• Research Assistant – Institute of Social Ethics, University of Zurich, Switzerland: Development, implementation, and evaluation of a transdisciplinary teaching module for applied ethics (since 2024)
• Member of working group "Ethical questions at the beginning of life” – Academy for Ethics in Medicine (AEM) (since 2024)
• Research assistant in project "Oral History” – Basel Mission, Switzerland (2023)
• Student assistant for network "Theology, Digitalisation and Ethics“ of Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) – Forschungsstätte der Evangelischen Studiengemeinschaft (FEST), Heidelberg, Germany (2022-2023)
• Scholarship of Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Germany (2019-2023)

Further engagement

• Member of the Synod – Protestant Church Basel-Stadt (since 2025)
• Delegate of Protestant Church Basel-Stadt at the Women and Gender Conference – Protestant Church in Switzerland (since 2024)
• Young delegate of Protestant Church Basel-Stadt at the Continental Assembly Europe – Mission 21 (since 2024)
• Women's representative of the students – Augustana-Hochschule Neuendettelsau, Germany (2018-2019)