In the latest episode of NeuroSociety Stories, neurolaw expert Francis X. Shen joins Dana Foundation President Caroline Montojo in New York City for an exclusive interview on how his interest in law expanded to include brain science—particularly related to trauma survivors—and how the roadblocks he faced navigating this transition as a young graduate ultimately led him to become a mentor for the next generation of trainees and aspiring neuroscientists.
“When I graduated college, if you had asked me to list a hundred things I would do in my life, none of them would have involved neuroscience,” Shen admits. “I was really interested in law and policymaking and didn’t see any connection between law, public policy, political science, and the natural sciences.” It was a combination of hard work, mentorship, and luck that led him to pursue a career that integrated the multiple fields.
Shen is not only a pioneering figure at the intersection of law and neuroscience, he is also the founder of the Dana Career Network in Neuroscience & Society, a virtual wealth of resources (supported by the Dana Foundation) for anyone interested in pursuing a multidisciplinary career that integrates brain science with other fields such as law, policy, philosophy, and even architecture. Shen is a faculty at the University of Minnesota and member of Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics, as well as chief innovation officer of the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The Dana Career Network, while only just reaching its first-year anniversary, has already seen significant engagement with thousands of participants from around the world, indicating a strong interest in “NeuroX” fields—a term Shen coined as a shorthand to describe the intersection of neuroscience with various societal sectors. In two weeks, it will be hosting its second annual Virtual Career Fair, with presentations from leading experts in neuroscience and society—including Montojo.
Shen’s personal story is a testament to the reality many trainees with overlapping interests face—that the path to a career is often winding and difficult to navigate. Fostering cross-disciplinary connections and integrating neuroscience into various aspects of society, he says, will only lead to better outcomes for both research and technology development.
The interview concludes with Shen encouraging leaders in science institutions to support and incentivize interdisciplinary work—and integrate societal concerns into neuroscience research—to better prepare the next generation for careers that bridge neuroscience and other fields.
Watch the full interview in Impact Stories or on our YouTube channel.
