Research Areas
Duke is at the forefront of understanding when it’s appropriate for the legal system to incorporate advances from genomics and neuroscience in law enforcement.
Biological-behavioral information has already become a mainstay of the U.S. criminal justice system. Judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers are debating the value of this kind of scientific information in the courtroom, and Duke researchers are helping shape those conversations. When, if ever, is using biological information ethical and practical in promoting a just society? From the use of neuroscience in determining competency to DNA collection in investigations, the ethics and use of scientific technologies in the courtroom are areas ripe for exploration.
Participating Faculty
- James E. Coleman, JD (Law, Wrongful Convictions Clinic, Appellate Litigation Clinic)
- Nita Farahany, JD, PhD (Science & Society, Law, Genome Sciences & Policy, Philosophy)
- Sara Huston Katsanis, MS (Science & Society, Duke Task Force for Neonatal Genomics, Duke Center for Personalized and Precision Medicine)
- Neil Vidmar, PhD (Law)
Representative Courses
- Brains, Genes, and Law (Law)
- Bioethics and the Law (Law)
- Neuroethics (Law)
- Science, Law, and Policy (Law)
- Social Science Evidence in Law (Law)