The Wellcome Centre for Neuroethics

 

Established in January 2009, The Wellcome Centre for Neuroethics aims to address concerns about the effects neuroscience and neurotechnologies will have on various aspects of human life. Its research focuses on five key areas:  cognitive enhancement; borderline consciousness and severe neurological impairment; free will, responsibility and addiction; the neuroscience of morality and decision-making; and applied neuroethics.

 

New item - see link in Menu for podcast interviews with Centre Members and Associates

 

New Vacancy

 
The Laces Trust has generously agred to sponsor a postgraduate studentship at St Cross College, University of Oxford, for entry in 2010, covering the cost of college fees and a small stipend.  For more information, please click here.
 
Recent Publications by Centre Members

 

Mohamed, A.D., Loewenthal, D., "Is it possible to ethically research the mental health needs of the Somali communities in the UK?", Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 4 (1).
 
 
Wilkinson, D., Kahane, G., Savulescu, J., "Functional neuroimaging and withdrawal of life- sustaining treatment from vegetative patients", Journal of Medical Ethics 35, 508-511.
 
Sinnott-Armstrong, W. et al., "Neural Lie Detection in Courts" in American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Using Imaging to Identify Deceit: Scientific and Ethical Questions.

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Recent Activity

 

 Pablo Stafforini was interviewed in the South American magazine Revista de cultura on Transhumanism: "El hombre maquina".

 

 

 

 

Professor Barbara Sahakian was recently quoted in an Indepent article entitled "Are smrt drugs really that clever?", and was interviewed for Channel 4 News: The Home Office asks the government's advisory body on drugs to look at the use of 'cognitive enhancers'. 

 

 

 

 

Dr Tom Douglas recently researched a parliamentary briefing on the dual-use dilemma as part of a Wellcome Trust Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology Fellowship. The dual-use dilemma is the ethical quandary that arises when scientific work can be used in both ethical and unethical ways and it is not clear whether the likelihood of good uses outweighs the risk of misuse. Parliamentary briefing; Podcast

 

 

 

Professor Julian Savulescu and Dr Dominic Wilkinson were recently interviewed by The Wellcome Trust:  Caution urged over the use of fMRI for life or death decisions.

 

 

 

 

Professor Neil Levy was recently interviewed for "The Australian":  Enhanced brains say know to drugs.

 

 

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Forthcoming Events
 
"The Emperor's New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth"
 
Prof. Irving Kirsch
 
Monday 6th week (16th Nov)
 
Merton College, Mure Room
 
Buffet 18:00, Lecture 18.30
 
The Oxford Forum for Medical Humanities is proud to present Professor Irving Kirsch. Irving Kirsch, Professor in psychology at the University of Hull, is noted for his research on placebo effects, antidepressants, hypnosis and suggestion. Using information withheld from the public by drug companies, his work on antidepressant drug use challenges the traditional view of depression, and promises to revolutionise the perception of depression and its treatment.
 
With the number of antidepressant prescriptions rising all the time this is truly an evening not to be missed. Come along to discover the truth behind the drugs that have been heralded as one of the miracles of modern medicine! This is guaranteed to be a stimulating and highly thought-provoking evening!
 
See facebook event for more details...

 

 

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