Predicting Brain Health: Ethical and Legal Implications of Neurogenetics and Biomarkers

Dr. Robin Pierce holds a law degree from University of California at Berkeley School of Law and received her PhD in 2007 from Harvard University, Department of Health Policy, Ethics concentration where her work focused on genetic privacy.

Dr. Pierce’s research deals with the legal, policy, and ethical implications of advances in neuroscience in the areas of neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric illness. Her work at the Brocher Foundation addresses the legal and ethical implications of advances in the ability to predict brain health specifically regarding dementia and psychosis. Her work also explores comparative legal and regulatory frameworks as they relate to these technological advances. Situating her work at the intersection of responsibility, agency, and privacy, Dr. Pierce addresses the implications of our evolving understanding of the self and how this affects our interests, obligations, and rights with regard to each other.