Philip M. Boffey
Phil Boffey is former deputy editor of the New York Times Editorial Board and editorial page writer, primarily focusing on the impacts of science and health on society. He was also editor of Science Times and a member of two teams that won Pulitzer Prizes.
The Debate Over Safe Injection Sites
Neuroethics ViewpointA federal law against “facilitating illegal drug use” hampers efforts by New York and other states to maintain overdose prevention centers.
The Fast-Moving Neuroprosthetics Frontier
Neuroethics ViewpointAs neuroprosthetics emerges, privacy and others concerns need to be considered.
False Hope and Deep Pockets
Neuroethics ViewpointSo far, the story of the new drug Aduhelm, intended to treat signs of Alzheimer's disease, is "buyer beware."
Keeping a Close Eye on Organoids
Neuroethics ViewpointNew stem cell-based brain models may yield insights into development and function, disease and possible therapies. But as the power of the models advances, so do the ethical concerns they raise.
Big Data, Big Concerns
Neuroethics ViewpointThe chief risk in sharing data is that, if it escapes from the research realm or falls into the wrong hands, it can harm the individual whose data has been shared.
Marijuana: Young Minds and Other Concerns
Neuroethics ViewpointAny ethical evaluation of marijuana policies should consider the latest scientific understanding of marijuana’s effects on cognitive abilities on adolescents and its potential downstream impacts on education, employment, job performance, and income.
Baked-In: How Racism is Coded into Technology
Report from the International Neuroethics Society Conference, 2020Sociologist Ruha Benjamin described problems of racism embedded in our processes of building and using technologies, and offered some potential solutions during the 2020 meeting of the International Neuroethics Society
Neuroscience Confronts Racism
Neuroethics ViewpointThe Black Lives Matter protests have triggered an intense bout of soul-searching and frantic efforts to erase all vestiges of racism from institutions around the nation, including neuroscience.
Jumping the Gun
Neuroethics ViewpointWhile the mobilization of the world’s scientific community to understand Covid-19 is unprecedented in history, keep in mind that more than 4,000 papers—known as preprints—have yet to be peer-reviewed.
Troubling Regulatory Standards
Neuroethics ViewpointOur neuroethics columnist addresses a concerning new trend of reporting brain research results through the popular media rather than in peer reviewed journals.