Prof. James Giordano, PhD, is Vice President for Academic Programs and Director of the Center for Neurotechnology Studies at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the BioMed Central journal Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities in Medicine. In January of 2012, Prof. Giordano launched a special online multi-journal thematic issue, "Towards a New Psychiatry," that conjoins the BMC journals Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities in Medicine (PEHM); Medicine; Psychiatry; Neuroscience; Neurology; and Genetics. This international publication project will focus on neuroscience, technology, and social influences on psychiatry, with an eye toward the forthcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-5). The project also paves the way for a conference to be chaired by Prof. Giordano in Washington, DC in April of 2013 (upon the release of the DSM-5), which BMC will sponsor in conjunction with the Center for Neurotechnology Studies.  Click here to access the website for the multi-journal publication, "Towards a New Psychiatry."

Potomac Institute for Policy Studies Senior Fellow Amb. David Smith, (Ret.), is a former US arms negotiator and a defense, foreign affairs, and international security expert.  He writes and lectures frequently on cybersecurity and the role of electronic media in international security and foreign relations.  In an interview with Defense Systems, he commented on the increasing danger and sophistication of cyberattacks throughout 2011.  Among other observations, Smith notes that "the human in the loop" is often the "weakest link," from a security standpoint. Click here to read the article in full.

Dr. Tawfik Hamid is Chair for the Study of Islamic Radicalism at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. In an interview with Stars and Stripes, he urged the Defense Department to continue to be absolutely clear in its condemnation of a YouTube video that appears to depict abuses in Afghanistan.  Pentagon leaders have spoken out against the video and Dr. Hamid says they must be sure that message is heard, as the video is likely to become a recruiting tool for anti-American factions. Click here to read the article in full.

Prof. James Giordano, PhD, is Vice President for Academic Programs and Director of the Center for Neurotechnology Studies at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.  Prof. Giordano recently participated in a panel discussion on Neuroscience and National Security at the International Neuroethics Society's 2011 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.  Prof. Giordano and fellow panelists discussed applications of neuroscience in military settings to enhance performance, as well as the need for ongoing scrutiny of the ethics of such applications.  Click here to read about the panel on page 4 of the Neuroethics Society newsletter.