By David Kirton
April 30, 20262:03 AM CDTUpdated 4 hours ago
Item 1 of 3 Charles Lieber leaves federal court after he and two Chinese nationals were charged with lying about their alleged links to the Chinese government, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Katherine Taylor/File Photo
[1/3] Charles Lieber leaves federal court after he and two Chinese nationals were charged with lying about their alleged links to the Chinese government, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. January 30, 2020. ... Purchase LicensingRights, opens new tab Read more
Summary
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Charles Lieber leads China's i-BRAIN lab with advanced resources and state funding
Lab is recruiting researchers for studies on monkeys as models for human brain-computer interfaces
Case highlights limits of U.S. safeguards on technology with military uses, analysts say
SHENZHEN, April 30 (Reuters) - An American scientist convicted of lying to U.S. authorities about payments from China while he was at Harvard University has rebuilt his research lab in Shenzhen to pursue technology the Chinese government has identified as a national priority: embedding electronics into the human brain.
Charles Lieber, 67, is among the world’s leading researchers in brain-computer interfaces. The technology has shown promise in treating conditions such as ALS and restoring movement in paralyzed patients. But it also has potential military applications: Scientists at China’s People’s Liberation Army have investigated brain interfaces as a way to engineer super soldiers by boosting mental agility and situational awareness, according to the U.S. Defense Department.
