Philipp Kellmeyer

Personal information

Dr med Philipp Kellmeyer, MD, MPhil (Cantab)

• Leader of the Neuroethics and AI Ethics Lab (since 10/2019) at the Department of Neurosurgery
  

• Research Fellow, at the Freiburg Instiute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) in the Saltus! Group "Responsible Artificial Intelligence" (2019-2021)
  

• Scientific member of the BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence (German Research Foundation, DFG) at the University of Freiburg

• Affiliated Reseacher at the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicineat the University of Zurich

• Board-certified Neurologist

Phone: ++49-761-270-87570

Mail: philipp.kellmeyer at uniklinik-freiburg.de

Web: https://responsible-ai.org/philipp-kellmeyer/
 

Current projects & activities 

1. Clinical Neuroscience

Brain-Computer Interfaces

- Clinical application of a wireless, intracranial device for EEG-based brain-computer interfacing in severely paralyzed patients

- Experimental design of cognitive BCI tasks

 Virtual and augmented reality for clinical applications

- Experimental design of VR/AR experiments

- Motor rehabilitation with VR/AR

2. Neuroimaging & Cognitive Neuroscience

- Investigating the structural (MRI, DTI) and functional (fMRI,EEG, ECoG) properties of the neural language system

- Spatial multi-scale analyses of fMRI data

3. Neuroethics

Topics: 

Ethical, legal and social aspects of current and future neurotechnology; neuroimaging; disorders of consciousness

4. Neurophilosophy of Action

- Collaboration with philosophers in the BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence on the neuroscientific and philosophical foundations of action

News, Recent Talks & Publications

• 7/2019 In-depth story on neuroethics and brain-computer interfaces in Nature Outlook, featuring the work of Dr. Kellmeyer

• 7/2019 Panel discussion on artificial intelligence in medicine with the German Minister for Research and Education Anja Karliczek and colleagues at the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Berlin in the context of the "Wissenschaftsjahr 2019".

• 7/2019 Our mural for the project Nexus Experiments project "Stadtwandforschung", a collaborative project of street artists and scientists, on human-robot interaction is finished!! Huge thanks to the amazing artists from Innerfields Berlin.

• 5/2019 Invited Talk at the "Neurotechnology meets Artificial Intelligence" Conference of the "INTERFACES" project at the Institute of Ethics, History and Theory of Medicine of the LMU Munich

• 1/2019 Invited participant of a workhsop of the ERIK project (funded by the BMBF) on using social robots for social skills training in children with autism spectrum disorder

• 11/2018 Presentation and panel discussion "Roboter in der Psychiatrie" [Robots in Psychiatry] at the annual meeting of the DGPPN in Berlin

• 11/2018 Talk on ethical challenges of neurotechnology and AI at the "Cyborg Days" conference at the University of Zurich

• 10/2018 Talk at the Zündfunk Netzkongress 2018 of the Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) in Munich; link here

• 9/2018 Paper published on ethics and neurophilosophy of virtual reality therapy in neurology and psychiatry, link here

• 8/2018 Paper published in Science Robotics "Social robots in rehabilitation: A question of trust"

• 6/2018: Talk "Big Brain Data: Ethical, legal and social challenges from  big data and advanced machine learning in neuroscience" at the IMPRS NeuroCom Summer School 2018 at the MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig

• 5/2018: Talk at the LMU Munich with the title "Von der „künstlichen“ zur „natürlichen“ Intelligenz: Zur Bedeutung moderner Kognitionstheorien für die Verbesserung intelligenter Systeme" (engl. "From 'artifical' to 'natural' intelligence: How modern theories of cognition may improve intelligent systems")

• 5/2018: Session at re:publica 2018 in Berlin on ethical and legal aspects of the commercial use of brain data (link to video)

• 03/2018: Meeting at the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection on transparent AI systems in medicine and neurotechnology and how to protect brain data

• 03/2018: Talk at the Parmenides Foundation in Pullach on ethics of AI and big data in neuroscience and neurotechnology

• 11/2017: Policy paper (link here) on ethical, social and legal challenges from big data and AI / advanced machine learning published in Nature 

• 11/2017:Poster presentationat the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, D.C.:
  "Spatial multiscale fMRI analysis of the human cortical language system"
  

• 11/2017:Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the International Neuroethics Society in Washington, D.C.:
   "Ethical Aspects of Highly Immersive Virtual Reality Systems in Neurology and Psychiatry", recognized as one of the Top Abstracts

• 11/2017: Talk in the Neuroscience & Society lecture series at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, hosted by the Munich Center for Ethics and Prof Ophelia Deroy of the Munich Center for Neuroscience. Topic: Ethics of Big Brain Data and advanced machine learning in neuroscience and neurotechnology

• 10/2017: I have received this year's Bioethics Award("MTZ-Förderpreis für Bioethik") at the University of Freiburg which is sponsored by the MTZ® Foundation

• 7/2017: Our joint proposal with colleagues from robotics, philosophy and law, for a new research focus at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) on ethical, legal, philosophical and social aspects of the interaction between humans and autonomous intelligent systems was selected as the new research focus for the academic year 2018/19

• 6/2017: Talks a) at the Neuroethics Network meeting in Paris (1) on responsible algorithmics & machine learning in clinical neuroscience and (2) ethical challenges from the methodological crisis in neuroimaging, b) at the National Core for Neuroethics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on ethics of machine learning in clinical neuroscience; and c) at the annual meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) in Vancouver on ethics of neuroimaging (talk) and fMRI multiscale analysis (poster)

• 4/2017: Public Lecture with the title "Emerging Ethical Challenges of Human-Machine Interaction in Clinical Neuroscience" at the Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Zurich, Switzerland

• 2/2017: Talk with the title "„Ethical challenges from emerging neurotechnology: Humans and intelligent devices in interaction” at the lecture series Contemporary debates: Neuroethicsat the University of Basel, Switzerland

• 1/2017: Talk with the title "Ethical Challenges of Brain-Computer Interfaces" at the Symposium Mechanized Brains, Embodied Technologies, Restored Movements  Philosophical and Ethical Implications of Neurotechnological Interventions of the BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence at the University of Freiburg, Germany

• 11/2016: Poster presentations at the annual meeting of the International Neuroethics Society in San Diego
  (1) "Responsible Algorithmics: On the Ethics of Machine Learning in Neuroscience", awarded Springer Nature Poster Prize
  Click here for PDF
  (2) "Proportionality as a Guiding Principle for Regulating Invasive Neurotechnological Medical Devices"
  Click here for PDF

• 12/2015: Talk with the title "Ethical Challenges from Brain-Computer Interfaces" in the Neuroethics Seminar Series at the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics 

Professional activities

• Member of the Advisory Board of the Neuroethics Network
  
• Member of the Emerging Issues Advisory Task Force of the International Neuroethics Society
• Scientific reviewer for the European Commission on Neurotechnology
• Member of the Advisory Board of the META (mHealth: Ethical, Legal, Social aspects in the technological age) Project, LMU Munich

Science communication & outreach  (selected activities)

• 12/2019: Post on 3 Quarks Daily on state support for rebel tech to protect user privacy on the web
• 3-12/2019: Participant in the science meets street art project "Stadtwandforschung" in which street artists and scientists collaboratively develop public murals on the topic of human-AI interaction
• 7-12/2018: Scientific advisor and participant of the science outreach project "L'Homme Machine" of the Science Communication and Outreach platform Nexus Experiments
• 11/2016: Blog Post for The Neuroethics Blog (Emory University, AJOB Neuroscience)
  "On the ethics of machine learning applications in clinical neuroscience"
• 10/2016: Blog Post for the Practical Ethics blog (University of Oxford)
  "Mind the accountability gap: On the ethics of shared autonomy between humans and intelligent medical devices"
• 5/2016: Talk at the Neuroscience Film Series of the BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence: "Science Fiction in a Reality Check" on the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
  Video of talk here, radio interview here (both in German)
• 4/2016: Participation in the ScienceJam #7 of the BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence Science Outreach Project
• 11/2015, Interview: Ethics of brain-computer interfacing for www.medizinetechnologie.de (in German)

Press & other media
see our Press & Media Coverage page

Collaborations

Journal Papers

• Kellmeyer P, Biller-Andorno N, Meynen G. Ethical Tensions in Virtual Reality Treatment in Vulnerable Patients. Nature Medicine. 2019. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0543-y.
• Kellmeyer P. Digital vulnerability: a new challenge in the age of super-convergent technologies Bioethica Forum. 2019. accepted for publication.
  
• Kellmeyer P. Artificial intelligence in basic and clinical neuroscience: scientific opportunities and ethical challenges. Neuroforum. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1515/nf-2019-0018
• Kellmeyer P, Chandler, J, Cabrera, L, Carter, A, Kreitmair K, Weiss A, Illes J. Neuroethics at 15: The Current and Future Environment for Neuroethics. AJOB Neuroscience. 2019. Online first. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2019.1632958
• Kellmeyer P, Mueller O, Feingold-Polak R and Levy-Tzedek S. Social robots in rehabilitation: A question of trust. Science Robotics. 2018 Aug 15 3(21). https://doi.org/scirobotics.aat1587
  
• Kellmeyer P. Neurophilosophical and ethical aspects of virtual reality therapy in neurology and psychiatry. Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 2018 Oct;27(4):610-627. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0963180118000129
• Kellmeyer P. Big Brain Data: On the Responsible Use of Brain Data from Clinical and Consumer-Directed Neurotechnological Devices. Neuroethics. Online First, May 19th 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-018-9371-x
• Yuste, R., [...], Kellmeyer P, [...] et al. Four ethical priorities for neurotechnologies and AI. Nature 551, 159 (2017). http://www.nature.com/news/four-ethical-priorities-for-neurotechnologies-and-ai-1.22960
• Kellmeyer P. Ethical and Legal Implications of the Methodological Crisis in Neuroimaging. Camb Q Healthc Ethics. 2017 Oct;26(4):530-554. https://www.doi,org/10.1017/S0963180116000359
• Kellmeyer P, Cochrane T, Müller O, Mitchell C, Ball T, Fins JJ, Biller-Andorno N.The Effects of Closed-Loop Medical Devices on the Autonomy and Accountability of Persons and Systems. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 2016 Oct; 25(4): pp. 623-33. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0963180116000359
• Seiler CM, Kellmeyer P, Kienle P, Büchler MW, Knaebel HP; INSECT Study Group. Assessment of the ethical review process for non-pharmacological multicentre studies in Germany on the basis of a randomised surgical trial. J Med Ethics. 2007 Feb;33(2):113-8.(link here)
  

• Illes J, Frankel MS, Cabrera L, Carter A, Kellmeyer P, Kreitmair K, Weiss A Submission on behalf of the International Neuroethics Society’s (INS) Emerging Issues Task Force: “Nine Areas of Neuroethical Importance”. Response to the National Academy of Science Decadal Survey of Social and Behavioral Sciences for Applications to National Security. June 2017.
• Illes J, Frankel MS, Cabrera L, Carter A, Kellmeyer P, Kreitmair K, Weiss A. Submission on behalf of the International Neuroethics Society’s (INS) Response Action Task Force: Request for Information (RFI) “Guidance for Opportunities in Neuroethics” of the NIH BRAIN Initiative. July 2016.
• WHO Consultation on the Ethics, Access and Safety in Tissue and Organ Transplantation: Issues of Global Concern for the conference “Ethics, access and safety in tissue and organ transplantation : Issues of global concern”, Madrid, Spain, 6-9 October 2003: report.

Books / Book chapters

• Kellmeyer P. Ethical Issues in the Application of Machine Learning to Brain Disorders. In: Mechelli A, Vieira S (Eds.): Machine Learning: Methods and Applications to Brain Disorders. London. Academic Press. 2020.  https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815739-8.00018-3
• Kellmeyer P. Ethische Fragen bei Brain-Computer Interfaces und anderen Neurotechnologien. In: Liggieri K., Müller O. (eds) Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion. J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart. 2019. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-476-05604-7_59
• Kellmeyer P. Neuroprothetik. In: Liggieri K., Müller O. (eds) Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion. J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart. 2019. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-476-05604-7_51
  
• Kellmeyer P. Hybrid brains, hybrid ethics? Ethical challenges from neurotechnology and artificial intelligence. In: Müller O, Livanec S (Eds.): Science,  Art  and Neuroethics:   Transdisciplinary Collaborations to Foster Public Engagement. transcript, 2019 (forthcoming).
  
• Kellmeyer P, Biller-Andorno N. The «special case»: protection for living organ donors in developing countries. In: Bondolfi A, Seelmann K (Eds.): Ethik und Recht: Die Zukunft der Transplantation von Zellen, Geweben und Organen. Schwabe, Basel. 2007.

• Hans FP, Hoeren CJ, Kellmeyer P, Hohloch L, Busch HJ, Bayer J. Possibly preventable cardiac arrest in a morbidly obese patient - a comment on the 2015 ERC guidelines. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2016 Oct 4;24(1):116.