Ex-Harvard Prof Charles Lieber Leads Shenzhen Brain Institute

Charles Lieber, a former Harvard University professor and leading expert in nanotechnology and brain-computer interfaces, has relocated to Shenzhen, China, where he now serves as founding director of the state-funded Institute for Brain Research, Advanced Interfaces and Neurotechnologies, known as iBRAIN.

Lieber, 67, arrived in Shenzhen on April 28, 2025, and took up his position at iBRAIN, an arm of the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, last year. The institute focuses on brain-computer interface technology, which has demonstrated potential in treating conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and restoring movement in paralyzed patients. The field also holds military applications; scientists with China's People's Liberation Army have explored interfaces to enhance soldiers' mental agility and situational awareness, according to the U.S. Defense Department.

In December 2021, a jury convicted Lieber of making false statements to federal investigators about his participation in China's Thousand Talents Program, a government initiative to recruit overseas researchers, and of tax offenses tied to payments from Wuhan University of Technology. He received...