Shen Lab: Law, Ethics, Neuroscience & Artificial Intelligence

Brain science is an incredibly promising, and ever-evolving, field. Advances in neuroscience and AI could revolutionize both medicine and law, allowing us to reverse dementia; prevent addiction; reduce interpersonal violence; detect lies; and much more.

And yet, all scientific and technological advances introduce ethical and legal issues. How can we ensure the equitable distribution of novel technologies? What do brain science researchers owe to their participants? How can the legal system utilize AI and neuroscience effectively?

The Shen Lab works at those points of intersection. The lab’s research identifies and addresses the ethical, legal, and social implications of advances in neurotechnology and AI, along the complex path from lab to law. The Shen Lab moved to the Center from the University of Minnesota in 2022.

For more details, please visit the Shen Lab website. To contact the lab, email Francis_Shen@hms.harvard.edu.

Publications, Events, and Grants

• Law & Neuroscience Works in Progress Workshop
• Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
• PubMed, National Library of Medicine
• Bridge2AI Grant, NIH Common Fund

Francis X. Shen, JD, PhD

Francis X. Shen, JD, PhD, is a Member of the HMS Center for Bioethics, and a Member of the Faculty in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, a Lecturer on Psychology in the  Department of Psychiatry at Mass General Hospital, and a Harvard University Affiliated Professor at Harvard Law School.

Previously, Dr. Shen was a Professor of Law, McKnight Presidential Fellow, and faculty member in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota. He is also a faculty member and past Executive Director of the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior (CLBB) at MGH, and serves as the Executive Director of Education and Outreach for the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience. In fall 2020 he was a Florence Rogatz Visiting Professor of Law at Yale Law School, where he co-taught Criminal Law with Judge (Ret.) Nancy Gertner. He served as a member of the Neuroethics Subgroup of the National Institutes of Health Advisory Committee to the Director BRAIN Initiative Working Group, and speaks nationally and internationally about the emerging intersection of neuroscience and law.

Dr. Shen directs the Shen Lab: Law, Ethics, Neuroscience & Artificial Intelligence, whose Lab motto is, “Every story is a brain story.” He conducts empirical and legal research at the intersection of law, ethics, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. He has co-authored 3 books, including the first Law and Neuroscience casebook (Aspen), and published articles on a range of neurolaw and neuroethics topics, including computational phenotyping, portable neuroimaging, memory and lie detection, cognitive enhancement, criminal justice, brain injury, evidentiary admissibility, sports concussion, juror decision-making, criminal mental states, dementia, and mental health. With co-PIs Susan Wolf and Frances Lawrenz at the University of Minnesota and a national working group, Dr. Shen is leading an NIH BRAIN RF1 project on Highly Portable and Cloud-Enabled Neuroimaging Research: Confronting Ethics Challenges in Field Research with New Populations. In 2021, he was awarded the Early Career Scholars Medal by the American Law Institute, one of two medals awarded every other year by the ALI, for being “a pioneer in establishing the interdisciplinary field of law and neuroscience.” He received his BA from the University of Chicago, his JD from Harvard Law School, and his PhD from the Harvard Government Department and Harvard Kennedy School Program on Social Policy.

Craig McFarland

Craig McFarland is a senior at Harvard College studying Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Economics with a minor in Global Health & Health Policy. At Harvard, he has served as president of Harvard Undergraduate Ethics Society, an advisor to state representatives through the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, and a student representative in the undergraduate student council. He is interested in the intersection of neuroscience, moral philosophy, and economics and how normative frameworks and science inform how we should approach societal problems of the mind and body. He is passionate about advocacy surrounding homelessness and substance use disorder. In his free time, Craig enjoys running, aquariums, corgis, and sushi. Craig joined the Shen Lab as a Research Assistant.

Ivan Ramirez

Ivan Ramirez is a senior studying at the University of Oklahoma and majoring in Psychology. He has been actively involved in multiple organizations throughout his undergraduate career, having been elected as the Social Science Representative for his Undergraduate Congress, Executive Member for the Oklahoma Model United Nations, and Board Member for the OU External Affairs Committe. His research interests focus on the legal and ethical implications brought about by the advancements in neuroscience, as well as the neural mechanisms underlying moral cognition. Ivan joined the Shen Lab as a Research Assistant.

Ithika Senthilnathan

Ithika Senthilnathan is a third-year undergraduate student at Duke University studying a self-designed major of Applied Neurotechnology and Neuroethics. Her research currently focuses on evaluating the ethical implications of incorporating artificial intelligence into treatment decision-making for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. She is also an NCAA D1 athlete on the Duke Women’s Rowing team. Ithika joined the Shen Lab as a Research Assistant and Webmaster for the Dana Foundation Dana Center Career Network in Neuroscience & Society.

Samantha Smith

Samantha Smith is studying Neuroscience at Simmons University. She is delighted to have joined the team, managing the day-to-day operations of the lab and supporting the research team as they continue to explore topics at the intersection of Neuroscience, AI and Law. Previously, Samantha has lived in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and Paris, she is currently enjoying the blend of nature and world-class arts scene on offer in Boston. She joined the Shen Lab as an Administrative Lab Coordinator.

Ian Stevens

Ian Stevens, MA, is a neurological surgery research assistant at the Oregon Health & Science University. He received his MRes in philosophy with a focus on neuroethics from the University of Tasmania in Australia. His prior publications have focused on the ethical examination of developing neurotechnologies, particularly deep-brain stimulation devices. While at Harvard, he is interested in exploring the ethicolegal complexities of neurotechnologies in the clinical and research settings. Ian joined the Shen Lab as a Research Assistant.

Alex Tsalidis

Alex Tsalidis is a Master of Science in Bioethics candidate at Harvard Medical School. Alex is passionate about the ethics of artificial intelligence and how it can inform policy decisions. She is currently an affiliated researcher at the Ethical Intelligence Lab at Harvard Business School, investigating how AI transparency and explainability impact consumer trust. While at Harvard, Alex co-founded the Student Leaders in AI program, an interdisciplinary initiative supported by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, aiming to expose Harvard students working on different facets of AI to new perspectives on use cases, law, ethics, policy, and more. Prior to this, Alex earned a law degree from the University of Cambridge and was a research intern at the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine where she studied medical liability claims connected to AI devices. Alex joined the Shen Lab as a Research Assistant.

Kelisha "Key" Williams

Kelisha "Key" Williams is a Harvard College Undergraduate in her sophomore year. She is working towards her BA in Psychology on the Cognitive Science Honors track with a Computer Science minor. She is actively involved in multiple organizations across campus including the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review and The Harvard Crimson. She fulfills leadership positions in both being Director of Technology at the Law Review and Comp Editor for The Harvard Crimson. Key hopes to begin law school after earning her BA and pursue criminal law. She is most interested in becoming a prosecuting attorney and upholding legal and moral ethics following the intersection between rising AI technology and the psychology of courtrooms. Key joined the Shen Lab as a Research Assistant.

Jess Zuo

Jess Zuo is a second-year law student at Harvard Law School. She previously studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, where she completed a thesis on value incommensurability in kidney allocation. Prior to enrolling in law school, Jess has served as a research assistant at Penn Nursing, a research assistant for the Penn Program on Regulation, and a compliance analyst at Apollo Global Management. Her current research interests are in clinical ethics and drug and device innovation. In her free time, Jess enjoys reading, swimming, and running. Jess joined the Shen Lab as a Research Assistant.