Racism infects neuroscience’s past and present. What about its future?

De-Shaine Murray is working at the cutting edge of neurotechnology. As a postdoctoral fellow at Yale, he is developing a device to monitor the brain following traumatic brain injury or stroke.

He is also trying to fight the long legacy of racism in neuroscience. During 2020, when it was difficult to conduct research, he said, “I got the chance and the ability to read more widely and to just look into the legacy of neuroscience.” He found a direct line from racist pseudoscience like phrenology to disparities in neuroscience today, like how the texture of Black people’s hair can sometimes exclude them from clinical trials because electrodes are not designed for them. In 2021, he co-founded Black in Neuro, an organization dedicated to improving Black representation in neuroscience.

On this episode of the “First Opinion Podcast,” I spoke to him about how the past and present racism in neuroscience could be reflected in the future, especially as neurotechnology like brain implants become more common.

“I’m not saying that whatever electrode that you made or created is racist. But when you have someone who … creates a technology but doesn’t think about the wide range of users that are potentially going to use it, then that’s where the problem comes in,” he told me.

We also discussed the way inequities in neuroscience research are visible in stroke wards, how brain implants might jump from helping disabled people to being used for human enhancement, and more.

Our conversation was inspired by his recent First Opinion essay, “Neuroscience has to grapple with a long legacy of racism if it wants to move into the future.” The book I mention at the end is “Lock In” by John Scalzi, a great sci-fi mystery exploring themes of race, socioeconomic status, neurotechnology, and more.

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