Nita A. Farahany, J.D., Ph.D.

Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law
Professor of Philosophy
Duke University

Wednesday, May 8, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | Music Recital Hall

Biography

Farahany received her AB in Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology from Dartmouth College, an ALM in Biology from Harvard University, and a JD and MA from Duke University, as well as a Ph.D. in Philosophy. She is the Robinson O. Everett Professor of Law and Philosophy at Duke University, and has written extensively on the ethics of emerging technology. She is the co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Law and the Biosciences. and was appointed to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues at The White House, where she served for seven years.

With a focus on the fields of neuroscience, genomics, and artificial intelligence, Professor Farahany spends her time helping to bridge divides and foster dialogue about the technologies shaping our lives. She has advocated for a new international human right to cognitive liberty that would enable human flourishing even as our brains can increasingly be tracked and hacked. We believe that her research focus will provide exciting topics for discussion across campus, and particularly with Santa Clara's neuroscience, ethics, biology, chemistry, psychology, public health, law, and religious studies departments, generating a great deal of interdisciplinary conversations on campus.