The six-month project builds on the Pufendorf Theme Neurotechnologies: Delivering their responsible development and use, which ran during 2025–2026. The new research focuses on the growing use of consumer neurotechnologies (such as headbands, vagus nerve stimulators and similar) for self-treatment outside established healthcare, including technologies marketed as wellness products but used for purposes such as improving sleep and attention, altering mood or supporting mental wellbeing. The project will examine questions arising at the intersection of scientific uncertainty, user vulnerability and fragmented legal and regulatory frameworks.
The interdisciplinary team consists of Aurelija Lukoševičienė from the Faculty of Law, Kristina Hug from Medical Ethics at the Faculty of Medicine, Johan Mårtensson from Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology and the Birgit Rausing Centre for Medical Humanities, and international fellow Jonathan Andrew.
Theme plusplus | The Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies