The HDIAC Podcast - Neurocognitive Enhancement – Part 1

James Giordano, Ph.D., is Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry, Chief of the Neuroethics Studies Program, and co-Director of the O’Neill-Pellegrino Program in Brain Science and Global Law and Policy at Georgetown University Medical Center.  He is a Research Fellow in Biosecurity, Technology, and Ethics at the US Naval War College; an appointed member of DARPA’s Neuroethics, Legal and Social Issues Advisory Panel; Senior Advisory Fellow of the Defense Operational Cognitive Sciences section, Strategic Multilayer Assessment Group, Joint Staff, The Pentagon; and a consulting bioethicist for the Defense Medical Ethics Committee.  He has previously served as Donovan Fellow for Biowarfare and Biodefense, US Special Operations Command, and as an appointed member of the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protection.

Mara Kiernan is the lead analyst at the Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center (HDIAC) where she contributes expert writing, analysis, and synthesis to research and training products across the HDIAC’s 8 technical focus areas. Prior to working for the HDIAC, Mara specialized as a mixed method researcher and has extensive quantitative and qualitative research experience. Her past work spans a number of focus areas, with publications on continuing productivity during presidential administration transitions as well as drone warfare. Mara is currently pursuing her M.S. in Terrorism & Homeland Security Policy at American University, and holds her B.A. in Foreign Affairs and Middle Eastern Languages & Literatures from the University of Virginia.