EHDS: Meeting the Challenges of Responsible Data Governance
Data is a cornerstone for innovation and better health care. Responsible data governance is key to the public’s trust in science and the sustainability of research. The European Health Data Space (EHDS) is the European Commission’s response to the pressing need for a trustworthy health data infrastructure that reaches across member states. Needless to say,…
Public engagement, foresight and inclusive community building for responsible research
How can we design and embed responsible research practices? Foresight, or the practice of looking ahead, is one way to envision potential future developments and changes. Together with public and stakeholder engagement, foresight can support work on potentially controversial issues. We have developed training resources that explain how foresight and engagement can help influence how…
Consciousness, cognition and neuroethics in the clinical context
Neuroscience is making tremendous progress in the field of consciousness. With new knowledge on Disorders of Consciousness (i.e., Vegetative State/Unaware Wakefulness Syndrome, Minimally Conscious State, Cognitive-Motor Dissociation) coming out of the Human Brain Project, neuroethical reflection on both foundational and practical issues becomes imperative. Foundational issues include the definition of consciousness and its possible use…
Brain-inspired AI, neuroethics and responsible neuroscience: an AI ethics training module
Interest in artificial intelligence, and the field of AI ethics, has exploded in the last 10 years. We have developed a training module on the potential synergies between AI ethics and neuroethics. Using brain-inspired AI as a case study the course analyses two aspects: emerging issues and methodology. The goal is to raise awareness of…
The environMENTAL Consensus Conference: An Open Invitation
Are you interested in the link between the environment and mental health? Would you like to engage with researchers from a large EU-funded research project to reflect on how research in this area can be done? Are you interested in collaborating and networking with others with similar interests? Would you like to spend a weekend…
Emerging ethical issues in research on consciousness
A recent special issue of the American Journal of Bioethics – Neuroscience offers analyses of different ethical issues raised by research on consciousness. Contributions from international scholars in the field address challenges ranging from moral interpretations, technological manipulations, artificial replications, pharmacological alternations and the potential to attribute consciousness to engineered brain cells. The issue is…
The future of Responsible Brain Research
How can we continue to build even more responsible practices of brain research? This was the central question on the Human Brain Project’s (HBP) online conference on February 2nd, 2023. Work on responsible research and innovation (RRI) in the HBP has taken many forms, including Europe-wide citizen engagement, dialogue, engagement and co-creation with stakeholder and…
Broadening the debate on neurorights
Awareness of the need for neurotechnology governance has led to calls for a new set of ‘neurorights.’ The neurorights proposal, however, has sparked a lively debate. In a new book several experts reflect on the challenges and promises of neurotechnologies and on existing and proposed regulatory frameworks. One suggestion is that the neurorights proposal would…
HBP puts the European Union Assessment List for Trustworthy AI to the test
The ethical and social implications of using artificial intelligence in life science – or society – have become the main hurdle for implementation. The debate has intensified in recent years, bringing a long list of solutions in the form of approaches, tools and initiatives. One of the more prominent examples of this is the European…
Webinar 18 May 2022: Diversity in Brain Research: Does it matter?
To which extent are brain functions affected by sex hormones? Are sex differences at the level of stem cells relevant? Is it possible to differentiate biological sex from other factors that can influence the brain, like culture or life experiences? Can it be ethically justified to only study homogenous groups when diagnosing and treating diseases,…