A prominent American researcher, who was convicted for lying to U.S. authorities about payments received from China while working at Harvard University, has rebuilt his research lab in Shenzhen to develop a technology that the Chinese government has identified as a national priority. This involves integrating electronics into the human brain, reveals Reuters.
Charles Lieber, aged 67, is among the most important researchers in the world in the field of brain-computer interfaces. The technology has shown potential in treating conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in restoring mobility to paralyzed patients.
However, it also has military applications. The US Department of Defense asserts that scientists within the People’s Liberation Army of China have examined brain interfaces as a method to create “super soldiers,” by enhancing mental agility and situational awareness.
Lieber was found guilty by a jury and sentenced in December 2021 for false statements made to federal investigators regarding his ties to a Chinese state program for recruiting overseas talents, as well as for tax offenses related to payments received from a Chinese university.
He served two days in jail and six months of house arrest and was fined 50,000 dollars, also being obliged to pay 33,600 dollars in damages to the Internal Revenue Service of the USA.
During the trial, his defense argued that he was suffering from an incurable lymphoma, in remission, and that he was fighting for his life.
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