International Neuroethics Society

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The International Neuroethics Society (INS) is a professional organization that studies the social, legal, ethical, and policy implications of advances in neuroscience. Its mission is to encourage and inspire research and dialogue on the responsible use of advances in brain science. [1] The current INS President is Joseph J. Fins, MD. [2]

Contents

History

The INS was formed as the Neuroethics Society in May 2006 in Asilomar, California by a multidisciplinary group of 13 members, including neuroscientists, psychologists, philosophers, bioethicists and lawyers. [3] [4] [5] This group formed the INS following the first meeting solely devoted to neuroethics held in San Francisco in 2002, entitled 'Neuroethics: Mapping the Field'. This meeting was co-hosted by Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and sponsored by the Dana Foundation. [6] This event prompted the attending and future founders of the INS to meet again and discuss the creation of a society devoted to neuroethics. The formation of the Neuroethics Society was formally announced in July 2006. [7]

The founding president of the INS was Professor Steven Hyman, who served as president from 2006 to 2014. [4] [8] Hyman stated that the role of the Society was to study the issues related to the nervous system that are not neatly contained within traditional bioethics, as well as to bridge the gap between advances in neuroscience and the world of policy and ethics. [9]

The Neuroethics Society was renamed the International Neuroethics Society in 2011, prior to the Society's 2011 Annual Meeting, to reflect its international membership and mission. [10]

The official journal of the INS is the American Journal of Bioethics-Neuroscience (AJOB-Neuroscience), which has Paul Root Wolpe as its Editor-in-Chief. [11] [12] The journal launched in 2007 as a section of the American Journal of Bioethics and became an independent journal in 2010, publishing four issues a year. [13]

Past Presidents of the Society include: Nita Farahany (2019–2021), Hank Greely (2017–2019), Judy Illes (2016–2017), Barbara Sahakian (2014–2016), and Steven Hyman (2008–2014). [14]

Members

The INS is an international organisation, with over 300 members. [15] Membership is open to anyone with an interest in neuroethics, including students, for whom there is a discounted rate. [16]

Governance

The INS is a non-profit organisation and was formed by a grant from the Dana Foundation. [4] [7] The society has its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. [17]

Annual meeting

In May 2007, the INS sponsored a forum on the ethics of neuroenhancement in Washington, D.C., which was hosted by the Dana Foundation. This was followed by the first annual meeting of the INS in 2008, also held in Washington, DC. [18] This 2-day meeting was held prior to the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) annual conference was attended by over 200 people. [19] [20]

Since 2010, the INS has continuously held a meeting annually as a satellite of the Society for Neuroscience conference. [21] In addition to plenary speakers, panel discussions, networking and mentoring sessions, researchers are invited to present posters of their work. The dates, locations, themes and program information for past INS annual meetings are as follows: [22]

YearDatesLocationThemeReference
2008November 14–15Washington, DC, USA [18]
2010November 11–12San Diego, CA, USA [23]
2011November 10–11Washington, DC, USA [24]
2012November 11–12New Orleans, LA, USA [10]
2013November 7–8San Diego, CA, USA [25]
2014November 13–14Washington, DC, USA [26]
2015October 15–16Chicago, IL, USA [27]
2016November 10–11San Diego, CA, USA [28]
2017November 9–10Washington, DC, USAHonoring our History, Forging our Future [29]
2018November 1–2San Diego, CA, USACutting Edge Neuroscience, Cutting Edge Neuroethics [30]
2019October 17–18Chicago, IL, USAMapping Neuroethics: An Expanded Vision [31]

In addition to the Annual Meeting, the INS collaborates with other organizations in programs on neuroethics and related topics each year, including events at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the British Neuroscience Association. [32]

Response to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues

In 2014, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, which advises the President of the United States on bioethical issues arising from advances in biomedicine and related areas of science and technology, asked for public comment on the ethical considerations of neuroscience research and the application of neuroscience research findings. [33] [34] In response, the INS listed the top 12 areas of importance for consideration by the commission, which were published in the Journal of Law and the Biosciences. The INS detailed the top 5 important areas that will have an ethical impact on society as the Human Brain Projects (both the UK and USA versions), human enhancement (the use of 'smart drugs' by healthy people), neurotechnology, responsibility and the law and mental health and brain disorders. [15] Members of the Presidential Commission attended the INS Annual Meeting in November 2014 to further discuss the ethical issues surrounding neuroscience research. [35]

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References

  1. ↑ "About the International Neuroethics Society" . Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Leadership of the International Neuroethics Society" . Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ Carl III, W. J. (2007). "Brains, bodies, belief and behaviour". In Henderson, C. P. (ed.). Faith, science, and the future. New York, NY.: CrossCurrents Press. p. 63. ISBN   9780974701325.
  4. 1 2 3 "Illes helps launch neuroethics society". Stanford University. Stanford Report. 12 July 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  5. ↑ Greely, H. (26 October 2007). "On Neuroethics". Science. 318 (5850): 533. doi:10.1126/science.1150557. PMID   17962525.
  6. ↑ Wolpe, Paul Root (2010). "Welcome to the New, Independent, AJOB Neuroscience". AJOB Neuroscience. 1 (1): 1–2. doi:10.1080/21507740903520208. S2CID   144787360.
  7. 1 2 Read, Cynthia A. (1 July 2006). "Neuroethics Society Launched". The Dana Foundation. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Steven E. Hyman Bio". Broad Institute. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  9. ↑ Mehta, Aalok (7 October 2008). "Neuroethics Q& A with Steven Hyman: What is Neuroethics?". The Dana Foundation. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  10. 1 2 Patterson, Michael M. (September 2012). "Editor's Column" (PDF). Kopf Carrier. No. 75. David Kopf Instruments. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Illes, Judy (2009). "Neurologisms". The American Journal of Bioethics. 9 (9): 1. doi:10.1080/15265160903192557. PMID   19998176. S2CID   219641790.
  12. ↑ Aggarwal, NK; Ford, E (2013). "The neuroethics and neurolaw of brain injury". Behavioral Sciences & the Law. 31 (6): 789–802. doi:10.1002/bsl.2086. PMID   24123245.
  13. ↑ Conrad, E. C.; De Vries, R. (2012). "Interpreting the short history of neuroethics". In Pickersgill, M.; Van Keulen, I. (eds.). Sociological Reflections on the Neurosciences. Bingley, U.K.: Emerald. ISBN   978-1780526324.
  14. ↑ "Past Presidents of the International Neuroethics Society" . Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Ethical considerations of neuroscience research and the application of neuroscience research findings for the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues". Journal of Law and the Biosciences. 1 (2): 237–242. 2014. doi:10.1093/jlb/lsu014. PMC   5033543 . PMID   27774167.
  16. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". International Neuroethics Society. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  17. ↑ Egolf, Donald B. (2012). Human communication and the brain. Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books. p. 148. ISBN   9780739139653.
  18. 1 2 Penttila, Nicky (15 November 2008). "Blogging from the Neuroethics Society Annual Meeting 2008". The Dana Foundation. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  19. ↑ Penttila, Nicky (29 May 2014). "From the Archives: Neuroethics". Dana Foundation Blog. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  20. ↑ Rugnetta, Michael (21 November 2008). "Neuroethics Comes of Age". Science Progress. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  21. ↑ "SfN Satellite Events" . Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  22. ↑ Past Meetings, INS Annual Meetings and other events , retrieved January 27, 2020
  23. ↑ "2010 Neuroethics Society Meeting Archive". International Neuroethics Society. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  24. ↑ "International Neuroethics Society Conference 2011". The Oxford Centre for Neuroethics. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  25. ↑ "2013 International Neuroethics Society Annual Meeting". University of British Columbia. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  26. ↑ Ott, Chelsea (27 August 2014). "International Neuroethics Society 2014 Annual Meeting". Dana Foundation Blog. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  27. ↑ "2015 INS Annual Meeting: Call for Abstracts International Neuroethics Society". Petrie-Flom Center, Harvard Law School. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  28. ↑ "Meeting Highlights of the 2016 INS Annual Meeting". International Neuroethics Society. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Honoring our History, Forging our Future meeting highlights". International Neuroethics Society. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Meeting Highlights from the 2018 INS Annual Meeting". International Neuroethics Society. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Mapping Neuroethics: An Expanded Vision meeting highlights". International Neuroethics Society. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Partners". International Neuroethics Society. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  33. ↑ Executive Order 13521 - Establishing the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, November 24, 2009, Vol. 74, No. 228, 74 FR 62671
  34. ↑ Hertz, Gideon (27 March 2014). "How the Bioethics Commission Works and the Importance of Public Imput". The Blog of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Archived from the original on 2 September 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  35. ↑ Kittle, Alannah (21 November 2014). "The Bioethics Commission's Neuro Double-Header". The Blog of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
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