Symposia/Conferences

SYMPOSIA/CONFERENCES

We will selectively include information on symposia and conferences which included papers/panels/ workshops which treat issues, evidence, analysis or debates involving consent/assent. Generally, we will identify specific sessions in such meetings with a link to a recorded version [i.e. You Tube].

UNESCO – International Conference on the Ethics of Neurotechnology
13 July 2023, UNESCO Paris
UNESCO organized an International Conference on the Ethics of Neurotechnology on the theme “Towards an Ethical Framework in the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, on 13 July 2023.

As one of the most promising technologies of our time, neurotechnology is providing new treatments and improving preventative and therapeutic options for millions of individuals suffering from neurological and mental illness. Neurotechnology is also transforming other aspects of our lives, from student learning and cognition to virtual and augmented reality systems and entertainment. While we celebrate these unprecedented opportunities, we must be vigilant against new challenges arising from the rapid and unregulated development and deployment of this innovative technology, including among others the risks to mental integrity, human dignity, personal identity, autonomy, fairness and equity, and mental privacy.

Engaging all relevant stakeholders, including policymakers, lawmakers, scientists, ethicists, practitioners, and private sector companies, is crucial to gather various views and prepare the ground for shaping the ethical governance of neurotechnology.

   Event recording: https://webcast.unesco.org/events/2023-07-neurotech/

Supporting documentation:
      Ethical issues of neurotechnology: report, adopted in December 2021
Corporate author : International Bioethics Committee [200]
ISBN : 978-92-3-100551-0  Collation : 93 pages  Language : English  Year of publication : 2022

Workshop on Ethics of Sharing Individual Level Human Brain Data Collected in Biomedical Research
NIH BRAIN Initiative
July 17 and 18, 2023
Data sharing accelerates scientific progress and maximizes the societal value of research, providing an ethical imperative to share data. The ethical considerations tied to the sharing of human brain data may be different than sharing other kinds of biomedical data. Indeed, sharing human research data may involve potential risks to participants or communities. NIH is committed to promoting responsible data sharing (NOT-OD-21-013). In order to put appropriate safeguards in place to manage potential risks of data sharing, a better understanding of what the risks are of sharing different types of human brain data is critical.

The NIH BRAIN Initiative is at the forefront of data sharing in neuroscience (see NOT-MH-19-010). As such, it also has an opportunity to carefully consider the ethical challenges involved, especially with the input of the BRAIN Neuroethics Working Group (NEWG), a group of experts in neuroethics and neuroscience.

The workshop aims to explore meaningful ways to categorize human brain data by potential risks of data sharing. Furthermore, any resulting differences in how to treat the data will be considered.

Day  1: NIH VideoCast – NEWG Workshop: Ethics of Sharing Individual Level Human Brain Data Collected in Biomedical Research (Day 1)

Day 2: NIH VideoCast – NEWG Workshop: Ethics of Sharing Individual Level Human Brain Data Collected in Biomedical Research (Day 2)