Karola V. Kreitmair

Interests

Clinical ethics, neuroethics, self-tracking and phenomenology, citizen science and gamification.

Biography

My scholarly work includes topics both in clinical and research ethics. Within clinical ethics, I am working on the implications of the minimally conscious state (MCS) diagnosis, arguing that the reification of such a neurological state raises a number of justice, beneficence, patient preference, and stewardship concerns. I am also working on issues surrounding deep brain stimulation (DBS), specifically concerning effects of self-estrangement.

The rapid rise of neurotechnologies, both in clinical practice and as consumer products, raises questions regarding their ethical implementation. Personal neurostimulation devices, wearable technology, mental health apps, and virtual and augmented reality present challenges as well opportunities for security, health, autonomy, and authenticity. I am particularly interested in the phenomenological, epistemological, and existential implications of self-tracking technology.

I am also working on questions associated with citizen science and gaming within the larger context of de-professionalization and democratization of biomedical research. Citizen scientists who engage biohacking, analyze quantified data from personal technology devices, or conduct their own biomedical research programs are not neatly captured by the norms and regulations of the traditional professional research approach.

Curriculum Vitae

Karola V. Kreitmair’s C.V.

Education

Ph.D., Stanford University, Philosophy, 2013

M.Sc., University of Edinburgh, Linguistics and Cognitive Science, 2006

B.A., Brown University, Philosophy, 2004

Selected Book Sections

Nicole Martinez-Martin, Ishan Dasgupta, Adrian Carter, Jennifer A Chandler, Philipp Kellmeyer, Karola Kreitmair, Anthony Weiss, Laura Y Cabrera, “Ethics of Digital Mental Health During COVID-19: Crisis and Opportunities,” JMIR Mental Health 7:12 (2020), e23776.

Karola Kreitmair, “Phenomenological Considerations of Sex Tracking Technology,” The American Journal of Bioethics 18:2 (2018), 31-33.

Karola V. Kreitmair and Katherine E. Kruse, “Practical Implications of the Minimally Conscious State Diagnosis in Adults,” Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics (Clinical Neuroethics) 26:4 (2017), 628-639.

Karola V. Kreitmair, Mildred K. Cho, and David C. Magnus, “Wearable and mobile health technology: Consent and engagement, security, and authentic living,” Nature Biotechnology 35:7 (2017), 617-620.

Selected Book Sections

“The Neuroethical Future of Wearable and Mobile Health Technology” section in Judy Illes (Ed), Neuroethics: Anticipating the Future (Oxford University Press, 2017).

Courses Taught

MHB 534: Ethics and the Brain
MHB 729: Introduction to Bioethics
MHB 730: Topics in Bioethics
MHB 745: Clinical Ethics: Individual and Population Considerations