Francis Shen, Ph.D., J.D.

Professor, Law School

Director, Dana Foundation Career Network in Neuroscience & Society 
Co-Director, Neurotech Justice Accelerator at MGB

E-MAIL: [email protected]

Research Interests:

The mission of the Shen Neurolaw Lab is to apply advances in brain science and artificial intelligence into better law and policy, and to address the ethical, legal, and social implications of advances in neurotechnology. We recognize that the promise of brain science must be balanced against the perils of premature and inappropriate uses. 

Using a variety of empirical, legal, and community-engaged methods, we pursue two types of research. We conduct research to better enable lawyers, courts, and policymakers to understand what, precisely, neuroscience can (and cannot) offer. But recognizing that current neuroscience tools and knowledge are insufficient for pressing legal problems, we also focus heavily on the ethical, legal, and social implications of new neurotechnologies such as digital phenotyping and portable neuroimaging. 

We study big problems at the cutting edge of law, ethics, neuroscience, and AI, including: improving the legal system with neurotechnology; the regulation of portable neurotechnology and neuromodulation; research ethics for digital / computational phenotyping in psychiatry; aging brains and the law; criminal responsibility and sentencing; sports concussions; brain-based lie detection; legal implications of the developing and young adult brain; and improving diversity, equity, inclusion in neuroscience research and clinical practice. cognitive enhancement.

Selected Publications:

(Click here for a comprehensive list of recent publications)

  • Shen FX, Baum ML, Martinez-Martin N, Miner AS, Abraham M, Brownstein CA, Cortez N, Evans BJ, Germine LT, Glahn DC, Grady C. Returning Individual Research Results from Digital Phenotyping in Psychiatry. The American Journal of Bioethics. 2023 May 5:1-22. PMID: 37155651
  • Jones OD, Schall JD, Shen FX. Law and neuroscience. 2nd ed. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business; 2020.
  • Shen FX, et al (17 additional co-authors). Ethical, legal, and policy challenges in field-based neuroimaging research using emerging portable MRI technologies: guidance for investigators and for oversight. J Law Biosciences 2024; 11(1): lsae008, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsae008.
  • Shen FX. Neuroscience, mental privacy, and the law. Harvard J Law Pub Policy 2013;36(2):653-713.
  • Shen, FX. Aging Judges. Ohio St. LJ 2020; 81: 235-314.
  • Shen FX, et al, The limited effect of electroencephalography memory recognition evidence on assessments of defendant credibility. Journal of Law & the Biosciences 2017.
  • Shen FX, Law and Neuroscience 2.0. Arizona State Law Journal 2017;48: 1043.
  • Ginther MR, Bonnie RJ, Hoffman MB, Shen FX, Simons KW, Jones OD, Marois, R, Parsing the behavioral and brain mechanisms of third-party punishmen., J Neurosci. 2016;36:9420-9434.
  • Shen FX, Neurolegislation: How U.S. legislators are using brain science, Harvard Journal of Law and Technology, 2016;29: 495.
  • Jones, OD, Schall, JD, Shen FX, Law and Neuroscience. Aspen Publishers 2014.
Francis Shen