LeadershipBoard of DirectorsThe INS Board consists of 15 members, who serve 3-year terms, with five seats up for nomination each year. Board candidates are selected by the Nominating Committee following nominations from the membership with final decisions made by the current Board. Terms end and begin at the conclusion of the business meeting at the annual meeting. The Executive Committee of the Board includes: Martha Farah, Nita Farahany, Joseph J. Fins, Karen Herrera Ferrá, Debra JH Mathews, Ilina Singh and Paul Root Wolpe. Officers and MembersPresident (2021–2023)Joseph J. FinsWeill Cornell Medical College Joseph J. Fins, MD MACP is The E. William Davis, Jr. M.D. Professor of Medical Ethics and Chief of the Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College. Fins is a Past President of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities and former Governor of the American College of Physicians. Immediate Past President (2021–2022)Nita FarahanyDuke Law School Nita Farahany, JD, PhD is a leading scholar on the ethical, legal, and social implications of biosciences and emerging technologies. She is the Founding Director of Duke Science & Society, the Duke MA in Bioethics & Science Policy, and a Professor of Law & Philosophy. In 2010, she was appointed by President Obama to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Secretary/TreasurerIlina SinghUniversity of Oxford Ilina Singh, MA EdD, is Professor of Neuroscience and Society at the University of Oxford, where she holds a joint appointment between the Department of Psychiatry and the Faculty of Philosophy (Oxford Centre for Neuroethics and Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics). Her work examines the psychosocial and ethical implications of advances in biomedicine and neuroscience for young people and families. Laura CabreraPennsylvania State University Laura Y. Cabrera, MA, PhD, is an associate professor within the department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Pennsylvania State University. Her work focuses on the ethical and societal implications of advances in neurotechnology, Latino’s views about Alzheimer's disease, and the timing of deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease. Adrian CarterMonash University Adrian Carter is an associate professor at Monash University, a research fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council, and director of community engagement and neuroethics at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health in Melbourne, Australia. His research examines the impact of neuroscience on our understanding and treatment of addiction, mental illness, and neurological disorders. Veljko DubljevićNorth Carolina State University Dr. Dubljević, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Science, Technology & Society (STS) at NC State. Before NC State, he spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Neuroethics Research Unit at IRCM and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He has a background in philosophy, economics, bioethics and neuroscience. ![]() Martha FarahUniversity of Pennsylvania Martha J. Farah, PhD, is the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Natural Sciences at the Center for Neuroscience & Society, University of Pennsylvania. She is a cognitive neuroscientist who works on problems at the interface of neuroscience and society. Her recent research has focused on socioeconomic status and brain development. Karen Herrera FerráAsociación Mexicana de Neuroética Karen Herrera-Ferrá, MD, PhD, is founder and ex-president of the Asociación Mexicana de Neuroética (Mexican Association of Neuroethics). Her research analyzes the biocultural considerations and ethical, legal, and social issues and concerns in the use of neuroscience and neurotechnology in developed, developing, and non-developed countries. Steven HymanHarvard University Steven E. Hyman, MD, is director of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute and the Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. He previously served as director of the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (1996-2001) and as Harvard University Provost (2001-2011). Hyman was the founding president of the International Neuroethics Society (2008–2014) and served as president of the Society for Neuroscience (2015). Philipp KellmeyerUniversity Medical Center Freiburg Philipp Kellmeyer, MD, MPhil, is the head of the Neuroethics and AI Ethics Lab at the University Medical Center Freiburg. His work involves the use of novel brain–computer interfaces for severely paralyzed patients, and his interests include neurology, cognitive neuroscience, neurotechnology, neuroethics and AI ethics, human–AI interaction, and XR technologies. Debra JH MathewsJohns Hopkins University Debra JH Mathews, PhD MA, is the Assistant Director for Science Programs at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, in the School of Medicine. Mathews's academic work focuses on ethics and policy issues raised by emerging biotechnologies, with particular focus on genetics, stem cell science, and neuroscience. Eric RacineMontreal Clinical Research Institute Eric Racine, PhD, is research professor and director of the Pragmatic Health Ethics Research Unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) with additional appointments at University of Montreal and McGill University. He is a leading international researcher in bioethics with recognized contributions to the development of neuroethics and pragmatic ethics. Inspired by philosophical pragmatism, his research aims to bring to the forefront the lived experience of ethically problematic situations by patients and stakeholders and then to resolve them collaboratively through deliberative and evidence-informed processes. Arleen SallesUppsala University Arleen Salles, PhD, MA, is a senior researcher at the Centre for Research and Bioethics of Uppsala University in Sweden, and director of the Neuroethics Program at the Centro de Investigaciones Filosoficas in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her current research interests include the examination and development of conceptual neuroethics, examination of the notion of global neuroethics, privacy and disorders of consciousness, and the impact of neuroscientific findings and emerging neurotechnologies on personal and human identity. Laura Specker SullivanFordham University Laura Specker Sullivan, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Fordham University in New York City. Her research interests include autonomy, trust, and consent; the ethics of digital technology and neurotechnology; Buddhist and Japanese philosophy; and the ethicist's role in medicine, science and technology. She has taught courses on culture and bioethics, neuroethics, and healthcare justice. Anna WexlerUniversity of Pennsylvania Anna Wexler is an assistant professor in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. As principal investigator of the Wexler Lab, her research examines the ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding emerging technology, with a focus on neurotechnology, do-it-yourself, and direct-to-consumer medicine and science. Paul Root WolpeEmory University Paul Root Wolpe is the Director of the Center for Ethics at Emory, the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Bioethics, and the Raymond F. Schinazi Distinguished Research Chair in Jewish Bioethics. His teaching and publications include death and dying, genetics and eugenics, sexuality and gender, mental health and illness, alternative medicine, and bioethics in extreme environments such as space. Representative to the BoardThe current chair of the INS Student/Postdoc Committee serves as a representative to the INS Board of Directors and provides reports on the activities of the Committee. The representative does not vote as a Board member. Student/Postdoc Representative![]() Olivia MatshabaneUniversity of Cape Town Olivia Matshabane, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow with a joint appointment between the University of Cape Town and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Her research explores the ethical, legal, social, and cultural implications of genetics and neurogenetics research among marginalized populations. She is currently investigating attitudes and beliefs about the experimental treatment of deep brain stimulation in people affected by neuropsychiatric disorders. Past Presidents
StaffFor general inquiries, partnerships and sponsorship, contact Karen Graham. Email staff with neuroethics news, events and resources to share our members ([email protected]). Karen GrahamExecutive Director Karen's background includes more than a decade on Capitol Hill, public relations in two associations (both non-profit and as a registered lobbyist). Most recently, Karen organized and managed public programs and events, designed educational materials, and promoted ongoing relationships with national health organizations for the Dana Foundation. Robert BeetsCommunications Director Robert Beets is a science communication consultant living in Madison, Wisconsin. A graduate of the UW–Madison's Life Sciences Communication department, he has advanced the communication practices of organizations in the fields of health, medicine, agriculture, forestry, education, and neuroscience. ![]() Joyce WamalaMeeting Intern Joyce is currently in her final year of a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. She is interested in public health initiatives surrounding mental health in Uganda and is eager to learn more about the ethical implications of the global advances in neuroscience. Her non-professional interests include volunteering with Watoto Church’s Youth and Young Adults Ministry, and exploring foreign cultures through travel, food, and different languages. ![]() Erin MorrowCommunications Intern Erin is a fourth-year undergraduate at Emory University studying neuroscience and behavioral biology. She engages in cognitive neuroscience research, with a particular focus on human memory and emotion. Also a fervent student of neuroethics, Erin holds positions at the American Journal of Bioethics Neuroscience and The Neuroethics Blog. |