Letters are written by INS President Nita Farahany.

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President's Letter

January 24, 2020

Dear colleagues and fellow members of the International Neuroethics Society – hello from your new president!

At our annual meeting last October, I was delighted to become the Society’s fifth president. My esteemed predecessors — Hank Greely, Judy Illes, Barbara Sahakian and Steve Hyman —are true luminaries in the field of neuroethics, and I am honored to take the helm of the Society from them. I am excited for the work ahead and truly grateful to have such a vibrant and healthy Society thanks to the tremendous work of those that have come before me.

I want to take this occasion to briefly lay out my vision as the President of INS, and what I hope to achieve in my tenure.

To date, I believe that INS has served a critical role in helping to shape the field of neuroethics, and to serve as the pivotal scholarly organization that brings us all together to discuss and help advance conversations about neuroethics. Our annual meeting has been a terrific focal point for the Society and has grown to become the can’t-miss-meeting of the year in neuroethics.

As the Society has grown, so too have the complex issues in neuroethics. I take the helm at what I think is a great moment in society to think about the impact that INS can have beyond academic discourse. In particular, I believe that the INS can have an even greater impact in societal debates and in the development of frameworks, guidelines, and policies concerning neuroethics.

To do so, we as a Society will have to better bridge the gap between academia, industry and government. We need to think critically about how, when, and where the INS can have a seat at the table when the ethical, legal and social implications of neuroscience are being discussed, and policies concerning them are developed.

To achieve this, the Board is undertaking a self-study of the organization and the landscape of neuroethics to determine where, how, and when we can have a greater impact as an organization. Our goal is to determine how you, as a member, as well as future members, can have a voice in the developments in neuroscience and neuroethics.

In the next few months, you’ll hear more about our findings and how you can get involved. I ask that you be forthcoming with your views about how the INS can better serve you, and how we can have a bigger impact in the world. Together, I believe that we can help grow the INS into an important voice in neuroethics in the world. I am looking forward to working with you to achieve this!

Best wishes,

Nita Farahany
INS President