A patient is recovering after having a device successfully implanted in their brain by the brain chip start-up company Elon Musk founded, called Neuralink. This marks the first implant in a live, human patient. Musk announced on social media that the patient is recovering well and the initial data from the device was promising. According to The Washington Post, “the implant marks a significant step for Neuralink, which has faced regulatory hurdles due to safety concerns, and places it among several companies — including Blackrock Neurotech and Synchron — that have tested brain implants on humans.”
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer insight, commentary and analysis on the development, including topics related to bioethics. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].
David DeGrazia is the Elton Professor of Philosophy at the George Washington University, a Faculty Affiliate of the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University, a Fellow of the Hastings Center, and formerly a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health. He is a leading scholar in biomedical ethics and several other areas of practical ethics.
Victor Krauthamer is an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering. He has 30 years of experience at FDA as a scientist and Director of the Division of Biomedical Physics at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and Acting Director of the Division of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices. His PhD and postdoctoral work were in neurophysiology. At the FDA, his division evaluated the scientific basis of medical devices for neurological/psychiatric disorders, cardiac electrophysiology, wireless technology, the use of magnetic resonance for imaging and functional measures, innovative optical diagnostic techniques, and the use of computational methods to help evaluate device effects in humans. In addition, his FDA team initiated a lab program on functional performance as related to the evaluation of devices for people with disabilities. His current research is focused on the improvement of medical device regulatory practices and policies. His research publications range from basic neuroscience, the safety of electrical stimulation in nervous and cardiac tissue, to analysis of the policy basis of regulatory decision making and their consequences.
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