News and blogs

In their latest blog, Latha Weston and Carol Brayne, co-chairs of the NCOB Mind and Brain advisory group reflect on the pace of development happening across neurotechnologies and how this is raising new ethical questions and challenges.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) is launching a new project to develop up-to-date ethics advice on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and their convergence with AI and quantum computing.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) has published proposals to address governance gaps in neural organoid research, calling for best practice guidance in the short term and a new approach to regulation of emerging biotechnologies in the longer term.

Read reflections from Lauren Ennis, who spent this summer working with us as a research and policy intern.

A new report from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) urges caution over the use of polygenic indices (PGI) data to inform educational policy and practice. We suggest next steps for policymakers and researchers considering the ethical acceptability of applying PGI research in these settings.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Nuffield Foundation have published an overview of scientific developments in genomics and education. We urge caution over the use of polygenic indices (PGIs) as predictive tools in educational contexts, highlighting areas where further research and ethical scrutiny is needed to assess the implications of translating PGIs into policy and practice.

This year, we have produced and published a new timeframed version of our annual horizon scan.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) has published a Horizon Scan (HS) for 2024, displaying the topics identified within a timeframe we think they could raise ethical implications in the UK. 

Our project exploring the governance and regulation of neural organoids has advanced with a roundtable event attended by researchers and regulatory experts from across this diverse and interdisciplinary area of research.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) are revisiting the ethics of developments in neurotechnology and have launched a call for evidence.

During her internship at the NCOB, Chisi Whyte observed firsthand how the principles of ethics extend beyond laboratory boundaries, influencing various aspects of life.

We are seeking expert opinions on areas where ethical guidance is needed in research using neural organoids.