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Video Available Now! Unionization in Health Care: A Health Policy and Bioethics Consortium

February 09, 2024
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Event Description For millions who work in health care settings, including doctors, nurses, technicians, home health and nursing home workers, and environmental services and nutrition specialists, the difficult days of…

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From Principles to Practice: Critical Reflections on Human Rights Advocacy in Public Health Emergency Prevention, Preparedness and Response

January 18, 2024

Event Description Leading experts in health and human rights shared the capstone webinar to Harvard Petrie-Flom Center's Bill of Health symposium on the 2023 Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights…

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Video now available! Aligning Criminal Practice with Addiction Science

December 12, 2023
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Event Description Drawing on the science of substance use disorders (SUD), this presentation focusws on legal responses to SUD that contradict neuroscience and behavioral research, such as incarcerating individuals on…

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Young, Vulnerable, and Betrayed: What can be done to help America’s most vulnerable children?

December 07, 2023

Event Description A child born in America today has a 37% chance of having their welfare investigated by the state by the time they turn 18. For black children, the probability rises…

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Feminist Revolt and the Constitution: Abortion Activism on the Island of Ireland with Dr Jane Rooney

May 17, 2023

Event Description Dr Rooney's current project uses narrative interviews on peoples' experiences in reform of the law on abortion in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to critically…

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Video now available! Psychedelics in the Global South

April 27, 2023
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Event Description Interest in psychedelic research is growing internationally. Scientists are advancing our understanding of the chemistry and biology of psychedelics, as well as their effects on human health, psychology,…

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Video now available! The Battle for Your Brain: A conversation with Professor Nita Farahany about her new book and defending the right to think freely in the age of neurotechnology.

April 24, 2023
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Event Description A new dawn of brain tracking and hacking is coming. Will you be prepared for what comes next? Imagine a world where your brain can be interrogated to…

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Video now available! Neuroscience and Cannabis: Implications for Law and Policy

April 20, 2023
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Event Description The legalization of cannabis has raised significant questions for law and public policy. In this public event, neuroscientist Dr. Yasmin Hurd explored the science of cannabis, CBD, and…

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Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies

April 13, 2023

Event Description Our society has a technology problem. Many want to disconnect from screens but can’t help themselves. These days we spend more time online than ever. Some…

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Video now available! When the Science Says Children But the Law Says Adults: Trying and Sentencing Youth as Adults

April 04, 2023
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Event Description All 50 states have transfer laws that either allow or require children to be prosecuted in adult criminal court for certain offenses. Attorney Marsha Levick, Esq. provided an overview…

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Video now available! Psychedelics in the Global North

March 27, 2023
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Event Description In partnership with the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, the Project on Psychedelics Law and Regulation (POPLAR) at the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law School is pleased to…

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Disclosed: Conflicts of Interest in the Psychedelics Ecosystem

December 06, 2022

Event Description In recent years, a growing number of observers have raised concerns about conflicts of interests in the growing psychedelics industry. Beginning with a discussion of cases that have…

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Violence in Healthcare: A Growing Crisis

November 15, 2022

Event Description The threat of violence in the sanctum of the hospital and in the outpatient setting is growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 63% increase in violent attacks…

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Video now available! What Can the Psychedelics Industry Learn from Cannabis Regulation?

November 10, 2022
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Event Description Psychedelics have recently become a serious topic of legal reform and intense commercial investment. In the past few years, dozens of cities and states have enacted or proposed…

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Video now available! Book Talk: Choose Your Medicine: Freedom of Therapeutic Choice in America

November 03, 2022
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Event Description On November 3rd, we hosted a book talk and moderated discussion with author Lewis A. Grossman on his new book, Choose Your Medicine: Freedom of Therapeutic Choice in…

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Video now available! Life Sentences for Children?: The Neuroscientific Basis for Limitations on Harsh Sentencing

October 27, 2022
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Event Description Neuroscience is playing a key role in legal decisions about children and young adults serving life sentences. The US Supreme Court relied upon research on adolescent brain development…

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Race and Psychedelics: How Can We Do Better?

October 20, 2022

Event Description There have been many supported theories as to whether and how psychedelics and plant medicines can further our perception and understanding of identity. However, we still see systemic…

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Video now available! The Science of Addiction

May 17, 2022
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View the conversation on Twitter @PetrieFlom using #LawAndNeuro. View the fully captioned event recording.  Event Description Advances in the scientific understanding of addiction have important…

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Neuroscience and Law Experts Discuss Cannabis and Public Policy at Harvard Law School Panel

Ryan H. Doan-Nguyen and Srija Vem, featuring Carmel Shachar (Executive Director) and Stephanie Tabashneck (Senior Fellow)
The Harvard Crimson

Experts in neuroscience and law discussed the legalization of cannabis and highlighted its implications for public policy at a virtual panel hosted by Harvard Law School’s Petrie-Flom Center…

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Video now available! Neuroscience and Cannabis: Implications for Law and Policy

April 20, 2022
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Watch the fully captioned event recording.  Read the event coverage: Clea Simon, "Neuroscientist says jury still out on addictive qualities, effects on neurodevelopment of fetuses, adolescents," The…

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Petrie-Flom Center Hosts Discussion About the Criminalization of Addiction

Danish Bajwa and Dorcas Y. Gadri, featuring Stephanie Tabashneck (Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience)
The Harvard Crimson

Harvard Law School’s Petrie-Flom Center hosted a virtual panel on the highly publicized court case Commonwealth v. Eldred on Thursday afternoon. The event — entitled “The Criminalization…

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Video now available! The Criminalization of Addiction: Law, Medicine, and Future Directions

March 31, 2022
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View the conversation on Twitter @PetrieFlom using #LawAndNeuro. Read the press coverage of the event:  Danish Bajwa and Dorcas Y. Gadri, "Petrie-Flom Center Hosts…

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Video now available! Families, Substance Use Disorder, and the Courts: Is Compassion Consistent with Accountability?

February 22, 2022
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View the conversation on Twitter @PetrieFlom using #LawAndNeuro. Check out the event coverage: Paul E. Alexis and Krishi Kishore, "Legal and Medical Experts Discuss Alternative Approaches for Aiding Families Struggling…

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Video now available! Neuroscience and Criminal Law: The Post-Jones Landscape for Late Adolescents and Emerging Adults

February 09, 2022
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View the conversation on Twitter @PetrieFlom using #LawAndNeuro. Watch the fully captioned event recording. Event Description The U.S. Supreme Court landmark case of Roper v. Simmons (2005) barring execution for…

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When Should Neuroendovascular Care for Patients With Acute Stroke Be Palliative?

Michael J. Young (Former Student Fellow), Robert W. Regenhardt, Leonard L. Sokol, and Thabele M. Leslie-Mazwi
AMA Journal of Ethics

Noncurative surgeries intended to relieve suffering during serious illness or near end of life have been analyzed across palliative settings. Yet sparse guidance is available to inform clinical management decisions…

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Restoring US Leadership for Global Health

May 18, 2021

Event Description On May 18th, we hosted a discussion with government officials on plans to restore US leadership for global health. Governments around the world failed to contain COVID-19, with…

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Video now available! Trends Transforming Advanced Illness Care: The Promise of Technology

April 29, 2021

COVID and other dynamic forces are upending traditional ways of caring for people with serious and advanced illness. People want care in their home and community, not isolated in institutions.…

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Video now available! Mental Health Moonshot: Unlocking Federal Funds for Psychedelics Research

April 12, 2021
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Online Viewing View the conversation on Twitter at @PetrieFlom using #MHMoonshot. View the fully captioned event video. Event Description The U.S. needs a mental health moonshot. Inspired by the…

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Video now available! Policing and the Brain: How Neuroscience Can Contribute to Police Reform

March 31, 2021
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Online Viewing View the conversation on Twitter at @PetrieFlom using #LawandNeuro. Watch the fully captioned event video. Event Description The language of medical science has been used by law enforcement…

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Petrie-Flom & Coalition to Transform Advanced Care Welcome New Senior Fellow

Petrie-Flom Center

The Petrie-Flom Center is excited to announce our 2021–2022 Senior Fellow in Advanced Care and Health Policy, Cheryl Matheis! Project on Advanced Care and Health Policy The Project on Advanced…

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Petrie-Flom Welcomes New Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience!

Petrie-Flom Center

The Petrie-Flom Center is excited to announce our 2021–2022 Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience, Elyssa Spitzer! Project on Law and Applied Neuroscience The Project on Law and Applied…

The Future Is P-Tau—Anticipating Direct-to-Consumer Alzheimer Disease Blood Tests image

The Future Is P-Tau—Anticipating Direct-to-Consumer Alzheimer Disease Blood Tests

Emily A. Largent (Former Student Fellow), Anna Wexler, and Jason Karlawish
JAMA Neurology

Recent studies suggest blood levels of phosphorylated tau (p-tau) isoforms can detect both the tau and amyloid pathologies that define Alzheimer disease (AD).1 More research is needed to replicate these…

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Accuracy of US College Football Players’ Estimates of Their Risk of Concussion or Injury

Christine M. Baugh (Former Student Fellow), Emily Kroshus, William P. Meehan III, Thomas G. McGuire, and Laura A. Hatfield
JAMA Network Open

Importance Despite increased concern about the health consequences of contact sports, little is known about athletes’ understanding of their own risk of sports-related injury. Objective To assess whether college…

Neuro-scientific evidence used in criminal cases in US, Europe: Harvard Presidential Fellow image

Neuro-scientific evidence used in criminal cases in US, Europe: Harvard Presidential Fellow

GK News Network, quoting Francis Shen (Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience)
Greater Kashmir

Presidential Fellow, Harvard University and Executive Director, Education and Outreach for MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience, USA, Prof Francis X Shen Friday said that neuro-scientific evidence were…

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He’d Waited Decades to Argue His Innocence

Joe Sexton, quoting Francis Shen (Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience)
ProPublica

FRANCIS SHEN, executive director of Harvard’s Center for Law, Brain and Behavior, said the issue of cognitive decline among judges is both considerable and complicated. To take the…

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Why every story is a brain story

Frannis X. Shen
TedMed

In this powerful TEDMED 2020 Talk, Neurolaw Rebel Francis X. Shen makes a compelling case for merging the field of neuroscience with the legal system to move our society constantly closer…

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The Next Frontier of Neuroscience and Juvenile Justice

February 26, 2020
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Event Description In the fifteen years since the United States Supreme Court referred to developmental science in ruling the death penalty unconstitutional for juveniles in Roper v. Simmons, state and…

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Researchers Discuss Technology and Social Justice at Harvard Law School

Nathan W. Zhao and Sixiao Yu
Harvard Crimson

Two researchers discussed the potential for innovations in the use of artificial intelligence and digital phenotyping to advance social justice causes at a Harvard Law School panel Wednesday. The panel,…

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Computational Justice: How Artificial Intelligence and Digital Phenotyping Can Advance Social Good

October 23, 2019
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Couldn't join us for the event? Check out some of the panelists' slide presentations below! And read a write-up of the event in the Harvard Crimson! Description The future…

Research Assistant for MGH Psychiatry, Psychiatry Dept., Massachusetts General Hospital

Deadline: Open until filled.
>Read the full job description.

From the job description: Scope of position:  Under the direction of Dr. Francis Shen, JD, PhD, the Executive Director of the MGH Center for Law, Brain, and Behavior …

Research Assistant for the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior, Massachusetts General Hospital

Deadline: Open until filled.

>Read the Full Call and Apply

General Summary Under the direction of Dr. Francis Shen, JD, PhD, the Executive Director of the MGH Center for Law, Brain, and Behavior (CLBB), the research assistant will conduct…

Cheap, portable scanners could transform brain imaging: But how will scientists deliver the data?

Kelly Servick, interviewing Francis X. Shen (Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience)
Science

From the article: "If such devices become widespread, they’ll raise new ethical questions, says Francis Shen, a law professor and neuroethicist at the University of Minnesota (UMN) in…

The Neuroscience of Hate

April 10, 2019
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Description Human beings are biologically predisposed to divide humanity into ingroups and outgroups, and this comes with a great social cost – the capacity for hate. While we may view…

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Trauma at the Border

March 4, 2019
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Couldn't join us in person? Check out some of the panelists' presentations and additional reading on this subject below! Description At the center of contemporary political debate are the…

From cyborgs to sex robots: University of Minnesota professor studies how brain science is changing

Richard Chin, featuring Francis X. Shen (Senior Fellow)
Star Tribune

From the article: Francis Shen spends a lot of time thinking about transhuman cyborgs, brain-wave lie detectors, sex robots and terrorists hacking into devices implanted in our heads. And, no,…

A Dangerous Brain: Can neuroscience predict how likely someone is to commit another crime?"

Andrew R. Calderon, quoting Francis Shen (Visiting Scholar)
The Marshall Project

From the article: To date, neuroprediction has not been admitted into the courtroom or parole hearings. Some scholars, like Thomas Nadelhoffer, a fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics at…

Our Aging Brains: Decision-making, Fraud, and Undue Influence

April 27, 2018
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Couldn't join us? Check out the conversation online! #OurAgingBrains @PetrieFlom @mghclbb Check out some of the panelists' slide presentations below! With over 70 million Baby Boomers retiring, elder financial exploitation…

Harvard Medical School Annual Bioethics Conference 2018: Defining Death: Organ Transplantation and the 50-Year Legacy of the Harvard Report on Brain Death

April 11 - 13, 2018

The 2018 Annual Bioethics Conference explored the legacy of the 1968 report from the Harvard Medical School committee that proposed the concept of “brain death” as a new criterion for…

How to Fix Youth Sports Concussion Laws: Neuroscientific Perspectives

April 11, 2018
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Couldn't join us for the event? Check out some of the panelists' slide presentations below! Description With growing neuroscientific research on sports concussions, states have revised their policies and…

Crimes of Passion: New Neuroscience vs. Old Doctrine

April 9, 2018
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Couldn't join us for the event? Check out some of the panelists' slide presentations below! Description The criminal law often sees love and passion turned into violence. How does…

Brain Scans in the Courts: Prosecutor’s Dream or Civil Rights Nightmare?

James Gaines, quoting Francis Shen (Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience)
Inside Science

From the article: One of the foundations of the U.S. legal system is the Bill of Rights, which enshrines the idea that there are certain individual liberties and inalienable…

Addiction, Neuroscience, and the Criminal Law: Commonwealth vs. Julie Eldred

February 28, 2018

Description Is addiction a disease? And does it matter for the criminal law? The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court now faces these questions in the potentially landmark case, Commonwealth vs. Julie…

You can love the brain and football, too

Francis X. Shen (Senior Fellow)
StarTribune

Check out the new op-ed from Francis X. Shen, Senior Fellow in Law and Neuroscience at the Project on Law and Applied Neuroscience, a collaboration between the Center for Law,…

Harvard Forum: Should Older Politicians And Judges Be Tested For Mental Decline?

Carey Goldberg, describing the "Dementia and Democracy" event
WBUR

This article describes the event "Dementia and Democracy: America's Aging Judges and Politicians," held on November 15, 2017 at Harvard Law School. The speculation spreads every time an older politician of…

Dementia and Democracy: America's Aging Judges and Politicians

November 15, 2017
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Couldn't join us for the event? Check out some of the panelists' slide presentations below! Description Our judiciary and our elected officials are getting old. Five of the nine…

HLS in the World: New Technologies, New Dilemmas: Part of the HLS200 Bicentennial Celebration

October 27, 2017
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This event was part of the HLS in the World sessions of HLS │200, a bicentennial summit of academic sessions and programs devoted to legal issues of pressing importance. Panel Description …

Health Law Workshop: Francis X. Shen

September 25, 2017

Presentation Watch Professor Shen's inaugural lecture as the 2017-2018 Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience: "The Neurolaw Revolution"! Topic: "How Dangerous are Youth Sports for the Brain? A…

The Neurolaw Revolution: A lecture by Francis X. Shen

September 13, 2017
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Couldn't join us for the event? Check out the panelist's slide presentation below! Description Rapid advances in the brain sciences offer both promise and peril for the law.…

Petrie-Flom Welcomes New Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience!

Petrie-Flom Center

We’re excited to announce our 2017–2018 Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience, Francis X. Shen! Project on Law and Applied Neuroscience The Project on Law and Applied…

Second Chance Kids

Featuring Robert Kinscherff (Senior Fellow in Law and Applied Neuroscience)
Frontline, PBS

On May 2, 2017, PBS's Frontline aired "Second Chance Kids," an exploration of the fight over the fate of juveniles in prison for murder, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling. Robert…

Healing in the Wake of Community Violence: Lessons from Newtown and Beyond: Panel discussion and screening of the documentary Newtown (2016)

April 18, 2017
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Couldn't join us for the event? Check out some of the panelists' slide presentations below! This film screening and panel discussion addressed challenges that arise from tragic acts of…

PFC Spotlight: Student Fellow Alumnus Matthew Baum

Petrie-Flom Center

Matthew Baum was a Student Fellow for the 2013-2014 academic year, as a second year MD-PhD student in the Health Science and Technology combined program of Harvard and MIT. Then…

Opiate Regulation Policies: Balancing Pain and Addiction

April 3, 2017
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Couldn't join us for the event? Check out the slide presentations below! Description The current opiate epidemic has spurred long-overdue scrutiny on the pharmaceutical production and distribution of opiate…

Teen Behind Landmark Juvenile Decision Back Before Judge to Be Resentenced

Matt Smith, quoting Robert Kinscherff (Senior Fellow in Law and Neuroscience)
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange

From the article: “The result of this developmental process means that adolescents will not think like or process like adults will until probably their mid-20s,” said Robert…

Graduate Student Opportunity, National Core for Neuroethics, University of British Columbia

Deadline: Open until filled.
Dr. Judy Illes, Professor and Director

GRADUATE STUDENT OPPORTUNITY Area of research: Psychiatric Interventions and Public Attitudes A Master’s or PhD scholarship opportunity is available at the National Core for Neuroethics, University of British…

Review of The Neuroethics of Biomarkers: by Matthew L. Baum (Student Fellow Alumnus)

Ryan H. Nelson
American Journal of Bioethics

Matthew L. Baum. The Neuroethics of Biomarkers: What the Development of Bioprediction Means for Moral Responsibility, Justice, and the Nature of Mental Disorder. Oxford University Press, 2016. From the review: The…

Half A Life: Legal and Policy Implications of Releasing Youth Incarcerated for Murder

November 15, 2016
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Couldn't attend the event? Check out the speakers' slide presentations below! Description Youth convicted of murder ordinarily serve decades in prison before they complete a sentence or are paroled.…

Workshop on Pretrial Justice: What Works and Why

September 26 - 28, 2016
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In September 2016, the Federal Judicial Center hosted a workshop for federal judges and law enforcement officials on issues relating to pretrial diversionary courts, exploring the question of "What Works and…

Battling Blood in the Streets: How Can Neuroscience Promote Public Health and Support Public Policy to Prevent Community Violence?

September 7, 2016
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Description Far too many people across the country are left dead, injured, or traumatized by community violence. Communities can be safer when neuroscience, public health strategies, and collective advocacy are…

The Ethical Duty to Know: The Tragic Case of Facilitated Communication for Autism

June 23, 2016

Event Description Our speakers will review and discuss the history of a technique called Facilitated Communication, purportedly used to communicate with individuals with severe autism, developmental delay, or brain injuries.…

The Neuroethics of Biomarkers: What the Development of Bioprediction Means for Moral Responsibility, Justice, and the Nature of Mental Disorder

Matthew L. Baum (Student Fellow Alumnus)
Oxford University Press

About the Book: Neuroscientists are mining nucleic acids, blood, saliva, and brain images in hopes of uncovering biomarkers that could help estimate risk of brain disorders like psychosis and dementia;…

Experts in Psychology, Law Discuss Juvenile Sentencing

Bonnie K. Bennett, reporting on Boys To Men To Boys Panel Event
The Crimson

From the article: [...] “When the Supreme Court eliminated mandatory life without parole for juvenile homicides, it was unquestionably an earth shattering decision,” Judge Nancy Gertner, the moderator of…

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Boys to Men to Boys

April 13, 2016
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Couldn't join us for the event? Check out more information, including related publications and our speakers' slides, below! Description Approximately 2,000 youth sentenced to life without parole are now serving…

Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Brain Death

April 7, 2016

Event Description Even in the US, some controversy persists over the conceptual defensibility of brain death. Around the world, the philosophical defensibility of brain death is even more debatable. Dr.…

Therapeutic Misconception in ALS

March 3, 2016

Event Description Some subjects who participate in trials of novel therapies mistakenly believe that the trial is designed to maximize benefit to the individual subjects -- thus laboring under the…

New Journal of Law & Biosciences featuring Harvard student work

Journal of Law and the Biosciences (JLB)

The Journal of Law and the Biosciences, the open-access journal launched in 2014 by the Petrie-Flom Center and Harvard Law School in partnership with Duke University and Stanford University, has published…

Fetal Pain: An Update on the Science and Legal Implications

February 10, 2016
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Learn more about the presentations - check out slides below! Amanda Pustilnik, JD and Maureen Strafford MD discussed fetal pain, including advances in neuroscience and treatment and their implications for…

Deception in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures

February 4, 2016

Event Description Neurologists who treat epilepsy face substantial difficulty distinguishing "true" seizures caused by abnormal electrical discharges from seizures that are caused by psychological factors (psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, or PNES).…

Neuroethics Seminar: Plugged-In Patients: Brain-Computer Interfaces

December 3, 2015
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Event Description This event was free and open to the public. Twitter: Follow @HMSbioethics on Twitter and join the conversation using #neuroethx Connecting the human brain to a computer is…

Health Law Workshop: Amanda C. Pustilnik

November 23, 2015

Presentation Download the Presentation: “And If Your Friends Jumped Off a Bridge, Would You Do It Too?”: How Developmental Neuroscience Can Inform Regimes Governing Adolescents (co-authored with Michael…

Should the Science of Adolescent Brain Development Inform Legal Policy?: A lecture by Laurence Steinberg, PhD

November 13, 2015
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In the past decade, the United States Supreme Court has issued landmark opinions in three cases that involved the criminal culpability of juveniles. In 2005, the Court abolished the juvenile death…

Neuroethics Seminar: Busting Clots on Your Behalf?: The Ethics of Presumed Consent to Thrombolytics in Acute Stroke

November 5, 2015

Event Description You've just suffered a large stroke, and are unable to communicate. Your doctor in the ER wants to give you a thrombolytic ("clot-busting") drug. The drug will…

Health Law Workshop: Adam Kolber

October 26, 2015

Presentation Download the paper: "Two Views of First Amendment Thought Privacy" About the Presenter Adam Kolber is a Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School. He writes and teaches in…

Neuroethics Seminar: Brain Hacking to Boost Your A-Game: The Ethics of Cognitive Enhancement in Gaming and Competition

October 21, 2015
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Event Description This event was free and open to the public. Personal enhancement isn't new (think hard work and caffeine), but our ability to directly improve performance using drugs…

Moral Bioprediction, Bioenhancement, and the Law: A Lecture by Julian Savulescu

October 20, 2015
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Description Increasingly, knowledge from biology and neuroscience allows us to identify biological states that are predictive but not determinative of human behavior in certain situations. These are called biomarkers of…

Seeing Consciousness: The Promise and Perils of Brain Imaging in Disorders of Consciousness

September 29, 2015
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Event Description Modern neuroimaging technology such as functional MRI can now sometimes detect conscious awareness in patients who otherwise appear unconscious. Such a finding may or may not have major…

Scholars Discuss Role of Neuroscience in Youth Criminal Justice: Summary of Project on Law & Applied Neuroscience Panel on the Neuroscience of Teen Sentencing

Jonah S. Lefkoe
Harvard Crimson

Check out the Harvard Crimson's summary of our first event of the year, "From Trouble Teens to Tsarnaev: Promises and Perils of Adolescent Neuroscience and the Law." This event…

From Troubled Teens to Tsarnaev: Promises and Perils of Adolescent Neuroscience and Law

September 28, 2015
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Read the Harvard Crimson's summary of the event! Description The neuroscience of adolescent brain development has had increasing impact on American jurisprudence. The U.S. Supreme Court relied on…

At the Frontier: The Ethics of Innovative Surgery: A Neuroethics Seminar Series Event

September 10, 2015
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All modern surgical techniques were once new, so the ethics of surgical innovation is not a new topic. But as our understanding of the brain advances, so does our ability…

Visible Solutions: How Neuroimaging Helps Law Re-envision Pain

June 30, 2015
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Description Can brain imaging be a “pain-o-meter” that tells courts when a person is in pain? Can fMRI help us discern whether intractable chronic pain is “all…

This is Your Brain on Human Rights: Moral Enhancement and Human Rights

I. Glenn Cohen (Faculty Director)
Law and Ethics of Human Rights, Vol 9, Issue 1, pp. 1-41 (2015) Symposium, Human Rights and Human Minds, 2015

Faculty Director I. Glenn Cohen has authored a new paper on the use of moral enhacement to increase the respect for human rights. Abstract: It seems fair to say that…

Moral Decisions in the Law: What's the Brain Got to Do with It?

April 8, 2015
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Law – particularly criminal law – is infused with moral judgment and calls upon prosecutors, judges, and and jurors to make morally-informed decisions. But where does morality come from? How…

April 14 Panel, “Does Brain-Based Lie Detection Belong in American Courtrooms?”: Featuring Visiting Scholar Francis Shen

Petrie-Flom Center

Petrie-Flom Visiting Scholar Dr. Francis Shen served as a panelist at the Neuroethics Seminar Series event, "Does Brain-Based Lie Detection Belong in American Courtrooms?" at the Center for Bioethics, Harvard…

The Policeman at the Elbow: The Neuroscience of Addiction, Self-Control, and Criminal Responsibility

March 4, 2015
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Couldn't join us? Watch the full event online! Do criminal penalties have any deterrent effect on drug addicts - people who already are willing to throw away their jobs,…

Health Law Workshop: Robert Truog

March 2, 2015

Presentation Download the Presentation: "Defining Death: Getting It Wrong for All the Right Reasons" About the Presenter Robert D. Truog is Professor of Medical Ethics, Anaesthesiology & Pediatrics at Harvard…