Bioethics Commission Releases Final Neuroscience Report as Part of BRAIN Initiative

The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues today released Gray Matters: Topics at the Intersection of Neuroscience, Ethics, and Society(Gray Matters, Vol. 2), the second of its two volume report in response to President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative related charge. The President requested that the Bioethics Commission consider the ethical issues associated with neuroscience research and the application and implications of neuroscience research findings. Gray Matters, Vol. 2takes an in-depth look at three controversial topics at the intersection of neuroscience and society that have captured the public’s attention—cognitive enhancement, consent capacity, and neuroscience within the legal system. In the first volume, Gray Matters: Integrative Approaches for Neuroscience, Ethics, and Society, released in May 2014, the Bioethics Commission emphasized the importance of integrating ethics and neuroscience early and explicitly throughout the research endeavor. Programs that integrate neuroscience and ethics will be well-positioned to answer new and remaining ethical questions, consider societal implications of neuroscience research, educate the public, and implement policy recommendations. The three topics addressed in Gray Matters, Vol. 2 illustrate the ethical...