Veljko Dubljević, Ph.D., D.Phil., University Faculty Scholar and Professor at NC State University, leads the NeuroComputational Ethics Research Group. He is the Editor-in-Chief of American Journal of Bioethics - Neuroscience, series co-editor for "Advances in Neuroethics," and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Neuroethics Society. He is a prolific author in Neuroethics and Ethics of AI, having published over 90 peer-reviewed articles and four books. He is one of the founders of the AI in Society group at NC State.

Dario Cecchini is a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Dubljević’s project, “Virtual Reality Simulations of Moral Decision Making for Autonomous Vehicles.” He obtained a Ph.D. in moral philosophy in March 2022 at the University of Genoa (Italy). Before that, he studied philosophy at the University of Pisa (MA) and the University of Florence (BA). He works on issues at the intersection of moral psychology, moral epistemology, and applied ethics. His current research projects concern moral judgment, the alignment problem for AI, and the ethics of autonomous vehicles.

Shaun Respess is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies working on Dr. Dubljević’s project, “Embodied Social AI: Personal Robots for Aging at Home." He completed his Ph.D. in Ethical and Social Thought at Virginia Tech in 2021, and has since published on subjects such as psychiatric ethics and telehealth. His research primarily focuses on the intersections between moral enhancement, care ethics, and mental health.

Ronnie Dempsey is a full-time graduate student in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program at NC State University and is also pursuing a graduate certificate in Public Policy Analysis. He retired from the United States Military in 2019 with over twenty years of serving in the Special Operations community. Ronnie works full-time as a training and development manager for a construction corporation. His current research interests are understanding the root causes of violence, as well as the ethical and societal implications. 

Iris holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science (B.A.Sc) in Cognitive Science from McGill University and a Master of Bioethics (MBE) from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Berman Institute of Bioethics. Iris is assisting Dr. Dubljevic with editorial tasks at the American Journal of Bioethics - Neuroscience. Her research has focused on the ethics of direct-to-consumer neurotechnologies, first-in-human neurosurgeries, and cognitive enhancement regulation. She lives in Toronto, Canada. 

Ashley is a student in the PhD in Design program at NC State.  She has fifteen years of professional experience in the development and fabrication of wearables spanning a variety of industries including aerospace, film, fashion, art, dance and fitness.  Her research interests include the process of translating neuroscience research into future health technologies, particularly interfaces of interoception, and opportunities to scaffold transdisciplinary ethical dialog alongside health technology development.

Sean completed a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology at North Carolina State University in 2021 and is now pursuing a post-baccalaureate certificate in computer programming. As the group's simulation developer, he has created multiple virtual vignettes for various platforms, including desktop, head-mounted displays, and the university's visualization gallery. Currently, he is collaborating with the Highway Systems Group at NC State, which is connected to the Institute for Transportation Research & Education (ITRE), to develop simulations for studying moral traffic dilemmas in active settings. Additionally, Sean mentors high school interns each semester, teaching them about virtual environment development and moral psychology practices. His future research interests include exploring the mind-body problem and the measurement problem through virtual environments and geometric analysis of gamer motility patterns. He aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science or Philosophy of Mind.

Steven completed a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Mercer University. He is currently studying philosophy through the Master of Liberal Arts program at North Carolina State University. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Philosophy. His current research interests include Nietzschean ethics, philosophical fiction, pharmacological neuroenhancement, and bioethics. 

Sean is a North Carolina State University graduate with a BA in Political Science with a concentration in International Affairs and a Minor in Spanish. He is pursuing a Master of Arts and Liberal Studies (MALS) at NC State, focusing on community needs and mutual aid. His goals include addressing the needs of the general community that are typically missed by the government, private, and traditional non-profit sectors. Additionally, he is serving as Vice President of the MALS GSA. He plans to obtain a Ph.D. in philosophy. Currently, Sean is working on a chapter on the history of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

Savannah is a Junior majoring in Biology following the Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology concentration pathway. Before joining the group, she worked as a research intern with the Department of Genetics at UNC on identifying potential biomarkers for type-2 diabetes risk using proteomics. Her interest in neuroethics began after taking a class with Dr. Dubljević. Her research interests include the sociopolitical impacts of neurotechnology, the neuroscience of trauma, and the broader cultural impacts of fear. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a dual MD/Ph.D. in neuroscience

Ari D’Alessandro is a rising junior majoring in psychology with a double minor in cognitive science and dance. She is interested in researching topics at the intersection of neuroscience and counseling, and specifically wants to research movement therapy. After taking a class with Dr. Dubljević and learning more about neuroethics, this became an interest to her as well. Ari currently volunteers as a crisis counselor for Crisis Text Line, and hopes to earn a degree in clinical psychology. She hopes to apply what she learns in this group to her future research endeavors. 

Elizabeth Eskander is a senior double majoring in Psychology and Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience and minoring in philosophy. Before joining Dr. Dubljevic's Neurocomputational Ethics research group, she spent a semester working under Dr. Nam in the Neuroergonomics department at NC state, focusing on research relating to the neurological components involved in trust with humans compared to robots. Elizabeth's work there can be found in the "Neural Correlates and Mechanisms of Trust" chapter of the 'Neuroergonomics; principles and practice' book published by SpringerLink and Dr. Chang Nam. Since joining the current research group, Elizabeth's current focus has been on research relating to the development of moral judgments in adolescents as well as assisting with projects focusing on the ethical implementation of autonomous vehicles and AI.  Her interests include the evolution, variations, and capacities of human consciousness. Following graduation, she aspires to continue her education and obtain a dual MD/Ph.D. degree in Psychiatry. 

Macy Ferrell is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a double minor in philosophy and cognitive science. Her primary research interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience, ethics, and psychology. As a member of the Neurocomputational Ethics Research Group, her projects have centered on the ethics of neuromarketing and the ethical and social implications of autonomous vehicle technology. Looking to the future, she hopes to apply her background in ethics and neuroscience to her pursuit of a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

Breyton Hill is a junior majoring in Genetics. After taking a course in Neurobiology, she became interested in neurogenetics; a course in Neurobiology and Philosophy only increased her interest in neuroscience. Breyton has genetics research experience with both plants and drosophila but is interested in the scientific communication side of the field. Here at NCERG, Breyton serves as the editorial intern for The American Journal of Bioethics - Neuroscience and is working on a project surrounding TMS's ethics and public perception. She hopes to pursue her PhD after graduating from NC State. In her free time, Breyton is a part of Raleigh Wesley, a campus ministry, and the NC State Genetics Club.

Ishita Pai Raikar, a Computer Engineering student at NC State University with dual minors in Philosophy and Cognitive Science, is deeply committed to advancing innovation in AI, cognitive science, ethics, and policy. A fellow with the London-based Royal Society of Arts, she is currently interning at Future World Alliance, focusing on creating awareness about AI Ethics and developing K-12 curriculum. Ishita also contributes as a correspondent member of IEEE-USA's AI Policy committee. Her past research within the research group examined media representations of ethical and social issues in autonomous vehicles. Currently, she is immersed in research investigating moral decision-making in the domain of social care robotics within the healthcare sector. 

Ryan is a senior at NCSU in the honors programs for Philosophy (with a focus in ethics) and English (with a focus in creative writing). He is also pursuing a minor in cognitive science. His research interests are based broadly in the philosophy of the mind and specifically in cognitive linguistics, particularly in regard to its vast scope of application (e.g. a greater understanding of metaphysical and metaethical issues via the lens of discursive understanding and linguistic attentional faculties.) Ryan intends to focus on such research for graduate school and ultimately in his career.

Sava Peppers joined the NeuroComputational Ethics Research Group as an unpaid intern in June 2024. Currently, Sava assists Dr. Dubljevic on the research project "Embodied Social AI: Personal Robots for Aging at Home." Sava aspires to increase its skill set and knowledge base, and get paid at some point in the future.

Victor Chin is a senior currently attending the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, NC, in search for where his proclivities for the humanities and his curiosities in the biological sciences converge and interact, particularly in areas of cognitive science and human behavior. As an aspiring writer and poet in his free time, the roots of his interests in cognition are in his passions for the visual and literary arts, questioning the relationship between human creative output and the cognitive notions of linguistics. Victor looks forward to exploring new questions concerning ethics and neuroscience, especially as they pertain to addressing both historical and persistently present-day problems, dilemmas, and abysses of the unknown.

Ashley Kibicho is a Junior at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh. She is interested in entering the medical field and working with children and adolescents in the future. 

Austin Burg is a junior majoring in Computer Science. His research interest includes the ethical implementation of artificial intelligence and the impact of new technologies in society. He hopes to become a cybersecurity specialist after undergrad.

Hunter is continuing his academic career as a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, where he has undertaken an M.A. in philosophy and is specializing in the philosophy of religion. He plans to write his M.A. thesis on the problem of evil but is also interested in exploring novel intersections between contemporary religious epistemology and pressing normative disputes in bioethics. Hunter hopes to eventually pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy, where he can synthesize his ideas relating to the philosophy of religion and bioethics.

Allen Coin is a digital strategist at NC State University. His research interests are in the ethical and societal implications of emerging technologies, particularly in artificial intelligence and biotech. Together with Dr. Dubljevic, he is editing a volume on ethics of BCI (Coin, A. & Dubljević, V. (Eds.) (2022): Policy, Identity, and Neurotechnology: The Neuroethics of Brain-Computer Interfaces, under contract with Springer).

Parker Day is psychology major and is minoring in business administration at NC State. He transferred to NCSU in 2019 after graduating with an associates degree in science at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC. He plans to go into human resources after graduating from NC State in December 2021. He has taken courses in sociology and is interested in ethics of social problems in general. His research interests include the ethics of autonomous vehicles because they are the frontier of newly developing ethical issues. 

Nora is the former group coordinator for the NeuroComputational Ethics Research Group. A recent graduate from the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program at NC State University, she is currently working as an Editorial Associate at the American College of Cardiology in Washington, DC. Her current research interests include science communication and misinformation and the intersections between science, technology, and society. She is currently working on a paper with Dr. Dubljević titled "The Ubiquity of the Fallacy of Composition in Cognitive Enhancement and in Education," which has been accepted for publication. In December 2017, she graduated from NC State University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and previously worked as a veterinary assistant for two years. 

Dr. Elkin was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Dr. Dubljević’s NSF-funded project, “Virtual Reality Simulations of Moral Decision Making for Autonomous Vehicles.” Before arriving at NC State, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Jagiellonian University, LMU Munich, and the University of Paris-Créteil. He studied philosophy and behavioral economics at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, obtaining a Ph.D. in 2017. His research interests include formal epistemology, decision theory, ethics, and philosophy of cognitive science. 

Seth is currently studying cognitive science in the Masters of Liberal Arts program at NC State University. After completing his masters, he plans to pursue a PhD in either cognitive psychology or philosophy, and continue contributing to academic research and literature. Previously, Seth has been involved in research on visual illusions and the saliency of various text formats in Dr. Gillian's lab at NCSU's psychology department. His current research interests include evolution of the mind, cognitive properties of morality, peak experiences, and time perception, and ethical and social implications of cognitive enhancement. 

Hannah Harwick is a junior majoring in Biology. She is part of the University Honors Program and is earning a minor in Global Health. She has also completed the coursework for a minor in Science Communications. Her research interests include neurobiology and bioethics, and she would like to go to grad school to become an occupational therapist for autistic children or domestic abuse victims. 

Mai Ibrahim is a doctoral candidate in the Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media department at NCSU. Her research uses feminist and phenomenological approaches to explore social virtual reality applications. Her dissertation examines the tension that occurs between VR technology as a co-production of subject and object on the one hand, and the possibility of acknowledging the materiality of technology, on the other. More broadly, her interests include philosophy of technology, cultural theory, media archeology, and digital temporalities. She is currently working on a book chapter with Dr. Dubljević titled “Neurofeminism in BCI and BBI Ethics as a Prelude to Political Neuroethics,” which has been accepted for publication.

Brooke Ireland is a junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering at The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering with NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill. Brooke is minoring in Biological Sciences and concentrating on regenerative medicine, emphasizing tissue engineering and artificial organ development. Brooke has a particular interest in cardiovascular diseases and how neurological disorders affect the heart. After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, she plans to join a biomedical company to research medical innovations that target debilitative diseases. She is interested in furthering her education by pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the future.

Turner Wallace Klapheke is a senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, NC. Turner previously attended the 2023 ethics of autonomous vehicles and AI J-Term at North Carolina State University. They grew up in Asheville, NC and are still exploring their future academic and professional interests.

Seth Kodikara is a rising Junior at NC State from Indian Trail, North Carolina. He studies Biomedical Engineering (with a minor in philosophy) jointly with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Seth is a Presiding Officer on the NC State Student Conduct Board and also serves as a Resident Advisor and conducts biomedical research through the Beckman Scholars Program.

Dr. Olivia Matshabane is an African Postdoctoral Training Initiative (APTI) Fellow based at the Social and Behavioral Research Branch, under the National Human Genome Research Institute of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Her research explores the ethical, psychological, social, and cultural implications of genetics and neuroscience research among marginalized populations. She is currently investigating attitudes and beliefs about the experimental treatment of deep brain stimulation in people affected by neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. Matshabane is also the Chair of the International Neuroethics Society’s (INS) Student/Postdoc Committee and serves as a representative to the INS Board of Directors. For her role at INS, she is mentored by Prof Veljko Dubljevic and she participants in the NeuroComputational Ethics Research group in that capacity. Dr. Matshabane received her PhD in Medicine from the University of Cape Town, her Master’s in Psychology from Stellenbosch University, and her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

Dr. Jovan Milojevich earned a BA from the University of California, Berkeley and received his PhD from the University of California, Irvine in 2019. His primary research focuses on public opinion, media framing, and U.S. foreign policy; and the intersection between them. He also studies the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on society. His research has been published in outlets such as the International Journal of Press-Politics, International Journal of Communication, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, and Serbian Studies. He is the recipient of the 2018 “Giuseppe Torre Award” for Critical Studies on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), presented by the Italian non-profit organization Coordinamento Nazionale per la Jugoslavia. He received the award for his quantitative research paper analyzing bias at the Tribunal. Dr. Milojevich is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Oklahoma State University.

Megan Mulder is a junior majoring in Animal Science with a veterinary bioscience concentration with a double minor in Nutrition and Philosophy. Her research interests revolve around the uses of animal models for human medicine as well as animal behavior research. She is hoping to attend vet school after undergrad and become a veterinarian or animal behavior specialist. 

Anirudh joined the NeuroComputational Ethics Research Group in August 2019, and he served as group coordinator from August 2020 to May 2021. He is a graduate of NC State University, and he majored in Biological Sciences and minored in Cognitive Science. His research interests include morality and decision making, and he is currently pursuing a Masters in Biomedical Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine Mt. Sinai in hopes of becoming a psychiatrist and obtaining an MD. 

Leila Ouchchy was a member of the Neurocomputational Ethics Research Group from June of 2018 to December of 2019. She joined after taking a class with Dr. Dubljevic called “Neuroscience and Philosophy”. During her time with the group, she worked on a literature review on the portrayal of the ethics of artificial intelligence in the media. She presented this research twice at the NC State Undergraduate Research Symposium, and twice at the International Neuroethics Society annual meeting. This research has been published in AI and Society in a paper authored by Leila, Allen Coin, and Dr. Dubljevic. Leila graduated from NC State in December of 2019 with a BA in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics, and a minor in Spanish. She is currently a Law student at Duke University.

Abigail is a graduate of NC State University, and she majored in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology, and minored in Psychology. She was a member of the group from November 2019 to May 2021. She is planning on attending Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine at Seton Hill in Pennsylvania.

Mansi Saxena is a doctoral student in the Computer Science department at NC State University. She completed her Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science from Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India. During her undergrad years, she worked in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing and Reinforcement Learning. She is currently working on a project about the ethical and social considerations on Autonomous Vehicular technology. Her research interests lie in understanding public opinion through various media using Artificial Intelligence technologies.  

Abigail (Abby) Scheper was a member of the Neurocomputational Ethics Research Group from May of 2018 to May of 2020. As an undergraduate student, Abby served the group as both a contributing research member for two years and as the research group coordinator for one year. Her individual research project focused on the ethics of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), specifically conducting a literature review investigating how TMS is presented in both the academic and print media literature and the ethical quandaries created by discrepancies between the two. Abby presented her research at NC State’s Undergraduate Research Symposium and twice at the International Neuroethics Society’s Annual Meeting, where her work was distinguished as a Top Abstract by AJOB Neuroscience and where she was recognized as a James and Elisabeth Ewing Stipend Recipient for Outstanding Abstract and two-time Poster Presentation Award Winner, sponsored by Elsevier and the Oxford University Press. Additionally during her time on the research team, Abby worked with Dr. Dubljevic to publish “Neuroconsumerism and Comprehensive Neuroethics,” an open peer commentary in response to Karola Kreitmair’s  piece “Dimensions of Ethical Direct-to-Consumer Neurotechnologies,” in AJOB Neuroscience in October 2019. In May of 2020, Abby graduated from NC State University with her B.A. in Philosophy, formally concluding her time on the research team, though she remains active on her TMS project in hopes of completing a publication to that end. She is currently a Law student at the University of Virginia.

Allison Szvetitz is a senior in highschool at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Her research interests include ethical questions relating to modern technology and historical problems. She hopes to pursue degrees in engineering and law. 

Shohei Tsuboyama is a senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, NC. He became interested in the field of ethics after taking the J-term class “Ethics of AI” taught by Dr. Dubljevic, last winter. He plans on majoring in biology in college and wants to pursue a career in medicine.