Science Policy Archives - Knowing Neurons

Op-Ed by Elissavet Chartampila Climate change presents a formidable and urgent threat to human health. From the loss of life and illness caused by more frequent and severe extreme weather… Read More

Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023 Science Policy

Kathleen Carmichael September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 Law, legal, Neuroethics, Neurolaw, neuropolicy, Science Policy

Revealing Injured Minds: Harnessing Cutting-Edge Neuroimaging for Enhanced Brain Injury Claim Validity

Policy Brief by Kathleen Carmichael Executive summary Advances in neuroscience have the power to inform and improve many aspects of our legal system (Chorvat & McCabe, 2004). In the context… Read More

Neuropolicy Paper Competition 2023 Neuroscience Technologies Science Policy

Erin Morrow September 12, 2023September 12, 2023 eye-tracking, Neuroethics, neuropolicy, pupil, Science Policy

The Truth is in Your Eyes: Regulating the Covert Use of Pupil Biofeedback

SECOND PLACE WINNER! Policy Memo by Erin Morrow INTRODUCTION Within the last decade, consumer technologies have become increasingly capable at recording and analyzing physiological data. For instance, smartwatches can now… Read More

Aging Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders Science Policy

Sarah Wade April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 aducanumab, Alzeihmer's disease, amyloid-β plaques, clinical trials, CMS, Cognitive Decline, donanemab, FDA, lecanemab, Science Policy, Tau

FDA Under Scrutiny: A Tale of Two Drugs

By Sarah Wade Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating illness that gradually destroys the brain. This disease affects over 30 million people worldwide (Haque & Levey, 2019) and is the… Read More

Science Policy Sleep

Mary Cooper March 16, 2023March 17, 2023 circadian clock, circadian rhythm, clock genes, Daylight Savings, Hypothalamus, jet lag, Science Policy, Sleep, suprachiasmatic nucleus

The Cost of Daylight Savings

By Mary Bullock Cooper Spring forward an hour in March or fall back an hour in November… you know the drill. It’s once again that time of year when everyone… Read More

Mental Health Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders Science Policy

Cecilia Rabayda April 27, 2022April 26, 2022 Cognition, Decriminalization, Drugs, mental health, Opiates, Psychosocial, Science Policy

Criminalization is an outdated approach to the US addiction crisis

(And why now is the perfect time to change it) The first time I heard the word prohibition was in eighth grade. The 18th amendment banned alcohol in 1918 in… Read More

Science Policy

Zoe Guttman November 6, 2021January 6, 2022 circadian clock, circadian rhythm, Daylight Savings, Legislation, Politics, Science Policy, Sleep

Why are legislators trying to get rid of daylight saving time?

It’s that time of year again when the days are getting shorter and the clocks are moved back. While many of us may consider the biannual time change to be… Read More

Science Policy

Yuki Hebner October 5, 2021November 1, 2021 Adolescence, Adolescent, Exercise, Gender, Hormone, Hormones, Legislation, Politics, Reproductive Health, Science Policy, Sex, sport, Sports, Transgender Rights, Women's Rights

Why “Saving Women’s Sports” Won’t Help Anyone

A wave of legislation marketed to improve conditions for women athletes conflates transgender participation with the enduring marginalization of women in sport. Ensuring supportive, not mutually exclusive, access to sports… Read More

Brain Development Science Policy

Yuki Hebner May 24, 2021 Abortion, Brain development, Cortex, cortical development, Development, Fetal Tissue, Healthcare, induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSC, Legislation, Neurodevelopment, Reproductive Health, Science Policy, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cells

Compartmentalizing A Culture War: A Stem Cell Biologist’s Relationship With Abortion Policy

The use of fetal tissue for scientific research has long been at the intersection of political polarization and medical breakthroughs. In 2019, the Trump administration passed restrictions on human fetal… Read More

Science Policy

Yuki Hebner May 10, 2021February 3, 2023 Chemical Substances, FDA, Government, Legislation, Policymaking, Regulation, Science Communication, Science Policy, Tear Gas

The Wild Wild West of Tear Gas Regulation

Last summer, images of tear gas-laden protestors engulfed the news cycle amidst clashes with local police. When Paula Rogish attended a protest in May of 2020 in front of Austin… Read More

Interviews Science Policy

Zoe Guttman April 27, 2021May 3, 2021 Government, Legislation, Policymaking, Science Communication, Science Policy

How Can a Neuroscientist Work in Policy?

For the first time in U.S. history, the science advisor to the president has been elevated to a cabinet-level position. While this move was perhaps precipitated by the scientific nature… Read More

Big Ideas Did You Know?Science Policy

Zoe Guttman October 31, 2020February 18, 2021 Behavioral Neuroscience, Decision, Decision-making, Science Policy

Evidence-Based Solutions to the Mass Incarceration Crisis: Neuroscience and Cash Bail

Mass incarceration is a public health crisis with particular relevance to the neuroscience community. Much of our work as neuroscientists revolves around the criminal justice system, including mental illness, adolescent… Read More

Big Ideas Science Policy Sensation and Perception

Ellen Wann September 6, 2017September 7, 2017 Brain, diabetes, Funding, Golden Fleece Award, Golden Goose Award, John Eng, NIH, Research Funding, Science Policy, Sensation, Somatosensory, stroke, Taq polymerase

Risky Business, or Is It?

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]iologist Marston Bates once described research as “the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind.” Bates was referring to the inherent uncertainty in predicting and managing… Read More

Did You Know?Neuro News Science Policy

knowingneurons September 25, 2015March 5, 2017 Budget, Capitol, DC, Funding, Money, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Research, Science Advocacy, Science Policy, Washington

Science Advocacy on Capitol Hill: Bridging the Legislative Gap to Medical Research Funding

Last Thursday, September 17th I had the privilege of joining over 300 organizations including patients, physicians and fellow researchers in the Rally for Medical Research on Capitol Hill. Now in… Read More