A New Wave of Neuroethics Research

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced this week the funding of 110 new awards through the BRAIN Initiative. The funding constitutes a total investment of $260 million (USD), with five of the awards supporting the following neuroethics research projects.

Achieving ethical integration in the development of novel neurotechnologies – Winston Chiong, University of California, San Francisco. Ethics of Patients and Care Partners Perspectives on Personality Change in Parkinson's disease and Deep Brain Stimulation – Cynthia Kubu, Cleveland Clinic. Neuroethics of aDBS Systems Targeting Neuropsychiatric and Movement Disorders – Gabriel Lazaro-Munoz, Wayne Goodman and Amy Lynn McGuire, Baylor College of Medicine.  Enabling ethical participation in innovative neuroscience on mental illness and addiction: towards a new screening tool enhancing informed consent for transformative research on the human brain – Laura Roberts, Stanford University.  Ethical Safeguards for Exit and Withdrawal from Implanted Neurotechnology Research – Lauren Sankary, Cleveland Clinic “The full integration of neuroethics into the BRAIN Initiative is a visionary step for neuroscience and for society," commented INS President Judy Illes. "The INS congratulates the NIH and grantees on this significant accomplishment."

Neuroethics Research RFA for FY2018 The NIH also plans to award $2 million in FY2018 across 4-6 applications that consider the integration of ethical issues with BRAIN-supported scientific advances. Letters of intent are due in November and final applications are due December 7. Best of luck to all applicants!

New Funding Opportunities through OnPAR The Online Partnership to Accelerate Research (OnPAR) is a new initiative designed to match highly-scored, unfunded NIH applications with interested non-governmental organizations. If your recent research application to the NIH did not receive funding, OnPAR may be a funding source to consider.

INS Annual Meeting Honoring our History, Forging our Future We are excited to gather November 9-10 for the INS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. This year, we are taking the time to look back at the transformative first 15 years of neuroethics and highlight critical topics that will propel us into the future. Registration is still open, and be sure to check out the updated meeting program with a complete list of scheduled sessions and speakers. All registered attendees should expect to receive a meeting email in the next couple day with details and reminders.

Share your neuroethics news and research with INS members. Submit online!

CALLS / ANNOUNCEMENTS

Clinical Neuroethics – For the 2018 Clinical Neuroethics issue, the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics is seeking submissions addressing key issues and questions that are directly relevant to the translation of the brain sciences in clinical medicine and their related application in law and public life. The submission deadline is January 1, 2018. Send your paper along with a 100 word abstract to publication editor Thomasine Kushner (kushnertk@gmail.com) using the subject line "CN 2018 submission."

Feminist Perspectives on Neural Technologies – The International Journal of Feminist Approaches is seeking essay submissions for a special issue titled "Emerging Technologies: Feminist Perspectives on Neural Technologies" and organized by guest editors Sara Goering and Laura Specker Sullivan. Essay topics may include but are not limited to: how neural technologies may affect our understanding of relational, intersectional, and narrative identity; what responsibility for action means in the context of relational agency; how neural technologies interact with disability justice movements; how the development of neural technologies includes or excludes certain groups; whether there are important gendered aspects to neural technology development; and how neural technology might affect autonomy competencies. The submission deadline is April 1, 2018.

Neuroethics Network – Your are invited to register and attend the Neuroethics Network to be held June 20-22, 2018, in Paris France. This year, organizers will be introducing Athenaeum seminars—named for the place in ancient Greece known for open discussion—designed to offer maximum opportunity for in depth exploration of central controversies. Seminar themes include: Theory of Mind: Philosophical Considerations and Practical Implications; New Developments in Imaging along with Legal and Social Concerns; Deep Brain Stimulation and Recording; and Consciousness: Building Bridges.

JOBS / CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor – The Department of Philosophy at Santa Clara University invites applications for a tenure-track or tenured open rank position. The successful applicant will have an area of specialization in bioethics, neuroethics, and/or environmental ethics, and the ability to teach introductory and advanced undergraduate courses in one or more of these areas. The application deadline is November 5.

Postdoctoral Fellowship – The Center for Science and Society at Columbia University is seeking applications for the 2018 Presidential Scholars in Society and Neuroscience program. Up to three recently graduated doctoral-level researchers with interest and experience in both the humanities/social sciences and neuroscience/other natural sciences will be selected for fellowships to begin July 1, 2018. Applications will be accepted starting November 27 and will continue until the positions are filled.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Advanced Biomedical Ethics – The Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania is offering a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship to train scholars and future leaders in academic biomedical ethics. Doctorates may be in any relevant field, including but not limited to philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, economics or anthropology. Prior experience in bioethics is not required. The application deadline is December 4.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuroethics and Neurotechnology – The University of California, San Francisco is seeking a postdoctoral fellow who will conduct qualitative research—including clinic observation, interviews, and focus groups—with patients, clinicians, and researchers engaged in the development of new technologies for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric illnesses; and will analyze these data to prepare manuscripts and presentations for national and international meetings. This work will be embedded in a leading BRAIN Initiative-funded research program in neurotechnology and neuroethics. The application deadline is December 18.

THE DANA FOUNDATION

The First Neuroethics Meeting: Then and Now – A few speakers from the 'Neuroethics: Mapping the Field' conference have contributed their insights and reflections about how far the neuroethics field has come in 15 years and where it may be be headed. The following installments have been published in Cerebrum, with potentially more on the way. Past and Present Considerations – Kenneth F. Schaffner The Brains Behind Morality – Patricia Smith Churchland How I Became a "Neuroethicist" – Jonathan D. Moreno

THE NEUROETHICS BLOG

Too far or not far enough: The ethics and future of neuroscience and law – Jonah Queen

"It is sometimes a sad life, and it is a long life": Artificial intelligence and mind uploading in World of Tomorrow – Jonah Queen

Getting Out While the Getting's Good – Dena Davis

The Neuroethics of Brainprinting – Anna Farrell

AJOB – NEUROSCIENCE

The following articles are among the many contributions from INS members and neuroethics researchers to Volume 8, Issue 3. Differences That Make a Difference in Disorders of Consciousness – Joseph J. Fins and Nicholas D. Schiff The Problems With Fixating on Consciousness in Disorders of Consciousness – David Fischer and Robert D. Truog Brain–Computer Interfaces and Interactive Capacity in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness – Christian S. Guay and Benjamin D. Schanker Sometimes, It's Okay to Judge a Patient by Their Diagnosis – Ariane Lewis Known Unknowns: Diagnosis and Prognosis in Disorders of Consciousness – L. Syd M Johnson

AJOB – Neuroscience is the official journal of the INS. Members can subscribe to the print and digital issues for the reduced rate of $40 per volume year—a $20 savings.

ARTICLES / COMMENTARY

Ask the Neuroethicist: When the Neurologist Does (or Does Not) Have the Duty to Disclose Neurogenetic Risk – Shelly Benjaminy, Jenny M. Young, Joseph Tham, David Unger and Alice Virani (Neurology Today)

The Multiplicity of Memory Enhancement: Practical and Ethical Implications of the Diverse Neural Substrates Underlying Human Memory Systems – Kieran C. R. Fox, Nicholas S. Fitz and Peter B. Reiner (Neuroethics)

Philosophy and ethics in the frontiers of brain science – James Giordano (BioMed Central)

What’s Next for Mental Health and Well Being? - Barbara Sahakian (UK Government Office for Science Foresights Blog)

Stretching the Boundaries of Parental Responsibility and New Legal Guidelines for Determination of Brain Death – Bernadette Richards and Thaddeus Mason Pope (Journal of Bioethical Inquiry)

Contemplative Meditation and Neuroscience: Prospects for Mental Health – Denis Larrivee and Luis Echarte (Journal of Religion and Health)

MEMBER NEWS

As a way to engage future students and staff, Monash University has created a 5-part documentary series to explore pressing issues such as artificial intelligence, neuroethics, populism, terrorism and sustainability. A trailer for the film series has been released.

Judy Illes and the National Core for Neuroethics at the University of British Columbia have entered a video, titled " Words, Worlds, and Wisdom," to the 2017 IHDCYH Talks Video Competition. The video highlights the importance of the terminology used to describe disabilities around the world with an emphasis on words used to describe neurodevelopment disorders. Words can both reflect and propagate how children with disabilities are perceived and may perceive themselves.

Gregg D. Caruso is welcoming feedback on his latest publication, ' Public Health and Safety: The Social Determinants of Health and Criminal Behavior,' as he is currently working on a longer book involving these topics.

Karen Rommelfanger contributed insights into the methodology described in Tom Brady's book, "The TB12 Method" as part of a Boston.com article titled " What health and medical experts say about the advice in Tom Brady’s new book."

Denis Larrivee presented a conference paper titled, "Implantable Medical Devices and Brain Attractors: Network Modulation and Design Practice” at the 2017 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Systems in Banff, AB, Canada.

PRESS / GENERAL

Researchers grapple with the ethics of testing brain implants – Emily Underwood (Science Magazine) – Helen Mayberg, Sara Goering and John Krakauer contribute to an article on the ethical considerations of continuing to care for patients after a deep brain stimulation trial concludes.

What Happens to Mental Health at Work When Our Devices Know How We Feel? – Michael Schrage (Harvard Business Review) – "Increasingly, we can expect our personal devices to diagnose, monitor, and manage our mental wellness. The omnipresence of these devices mean they are well positioned to do so."

Incredible brain scan shows which of these two people is more likely to commit suicide – Sarah Knapton (The Telegraph)

Using Neuroscience To Disrupt Social Engineering — George Finney (Forbes)

Is It Too Late For Big Data Ethics? – Kalev Leetaru (Forbes)

I met Sophia, the world's first robot citizen, and the way it said goodbye nearly broke my heart – Becky Peterson (Business Insider)

To Keep Up With AI, We'll Need High-Tech Brains – Christof Koch (Wall Street Journal)

Why AI is still waiting for its ethical transplant – Scott Rosenberg (WIRED)

The Neuroscience of Paid Parental Leave – Daniel Barron (New York Times)

EVENT RECAPS

NIH Symposium for Ethical Issues in Neuroscience The NIH Clinical Center Department of Bioethics held a one-day symposium titled, "Ethical Issues in Research with Invasive and Non-Invasive Neural Devices in Humans" on October 26. The workshop explored ethical issues specific to the use of invasive and non-invasive neural devices, as well as the practical considerations for anyone involved with such research. Organizers have made a recording of the workshop available, and a capstone publication that gives investigators some important factors to consider before embarking on a new project is expected.

The Traumatised Brain It's not only soldiers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, but victims of crime, disasters, and even those who care for them that can also be mentally scarred by their experiences. This public event hosted by the INS in collaboration with the University of Oxford attracted an audience of around 250 people. Chaired by Elaine Snell, INS Chief Operating Officer, the speakers were Hugh McManners, a war veteran with PTSD, and Professor Morten Kringelbach from Oxford University, who talked about research into damaged brains. McManners and Kringelbach are co-directors of the charity, the Scars of War Foundation.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2017 INS Annual Meeting November 9-10; Washington, DC, United States

Science Communication and Engagement with Religious Audiences November 11; Washington, DC, United States

BNA Christmas Symposium 2017 December 18; London, United Kingdom

Brain Diaries Exhibit March 10–January 1, 2018; Oxford, United Kingdom

The Conversation Speaker Series: Facing ethics head-on: Neuroethics and our growing understanding of the brain November 9, 2017; Houston, TX, United States

Neuroethics Network June 20-22, 2018; Paris, France

The  International Neuroethics Society  an interdisciplinary group of scholars, scientists, clinicians, and other professionals who share an interest in the social, legal, ethical and policy implications of advances in neuroscience. Our mission is to encourage and inspire research and dialogue on the responsible use of advances in brain science. Join today!