Why Global Neuroethics Now? 

In the field of neuroscience, neuroethics has been integrated into all brain projects in formal and informal ways, and continues to be a national research funding priority around the world. In anticipation of the International Brain Initiative (IBI), the 2017 Global Neuroethics Summit formed to bring the neuroethics components of each brain project together. The Summit focuses on values and culture, understanding that each determine what kind of science happens and where it can happen.  GNS seeks to fill-in the gaps of understanding to ensure opportunities for collaboration and advancement remain open and available for future discoveries. 

The GNS aims to advance ethical global neuroscience through collaboration and knowledge sharing across the neuroethics components of the initiatives. This vision is lived out through the GNS missional goals:


Neuroethics can advance and accelerate ethical neuroscience from the inception of hypotheses, to research practice, and dissemination of findings.  Thus, the GNS has a three-pronged approach:

  1. Utilize the momentum and fellowship of the IBI to explore and implement neuroethics in their projects and their local communities.
  2. Model an intentional and culturally aware neuroethics framework to achieve greater global impact. 
  3. Create enduring best practices and lines of actionable inquiry that can be useful and exportable beyond the IBI.

Over the last two years, the GNS has produced two, high-impact papers in Neuron (2018, 2019), developed best practices in the form of open access articles, white papers, and appropriate online and print media, and identified target areas for collaborative neuroethics inquiry in the context of neuroscience research. 

The Global Neuroethics Summit is proud to have several key partners that make the event a reality each year. Special thanks to The Kavli Foundation, Korea Brain Research Institute, Ministry of Science and ICT, Daegu City, Emory Center for Ethics Neuroethics Program, and the International Brain Initiative.