Staff

Executive Director

Stephen Damianos is the Executive Director of the Neurorights Foundation, and a research affiliate of the Neurotechnology Center at Columbia University. He led the development and writing of Safeguarding Brain Data: Assessing the Privacy Practices of Consumer Neurotechnology Companies, a landmark report that provided the first ever analysis of data practices and user rights in the consumer neurotechnology space. He is also a Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy at Cornell University. Stephen holds a PhD (DPhil) in International Development from the University of Oxford and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. He is a Truman Scholar and a Rhodes Scholar.

Medical Director

Sean Pauzauskie, M.D., is a hospital neurologist in the University of Colorado system, where he conducts clinical research employing neurotechnology, primarily for the optimization of epilepsy management. He is an active member of the American Academy of Neurology and The American Medical Association, and his research experience includes time at The National Institute of Mental Health, The Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Kaufmann Foundation for entrepreneurship. He is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology’s Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, a highly competitive program that selects 30 out of 40,000 members to develop and implement action plans on advocacy issues related to neuroscience. He is president-elect of the Colorado Medical Society.

Senior Advisor on Responsible Innovation

Lene Wendland is an independent expert on Business and Human Rights, advising companies, CSOs, and organizations on addressing human rights risks related to business activities. For more than 20 years, she led the work on Business and Human Rights in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). She contributed to the development and drafting of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the authoritative global standard on business and human rights. In her role as Chief of OHCHR’s BHR Section, she oversaw the organization’s implementation of the UNGPs at the national level and in global policy fora. She developed and directed the UN Human Rights Accountability and Remedy Project, and developed and directed the UN Human Rights B-Tech Project, applying the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights to key human rights challenges related to digital technologies. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. She also serves in various advisory roles, such as membership of the International Olympic Committee’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights, the Advisory Council of the Geneva Centre for Business and Human Rights, and the Copenhagen Tech Policy Committee.

Senior Advisor on Data Security

Cristina Martínez Laburta is a legal expert specializing in emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and data protection. With over 20 years of experience across multinational corporations and law firms, she has held leadership roles in the legal and compliance fields, including Telefónica Tech and the Alastria Blockchain Ecosystem. She is a certified Data Protection Officer and has served as a professor of commercial law and blockchain legal challenges. Cristina is passionate about the intersection of law, technology, and ethics, and has actively contributed to national and international initiatives in emerging technologies (blockchain governance, privacy, digital identity).

Director of European Affairs

Łukasz Szoszkiewicz is an Assistant Professor at Adam Mickiewicz University, specializing in the intersection of international human rights law and emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and neurotechnologies. He collaborates closely with the Global Campus of Human Rights, an EU-funded network of universities dedicated to human rights and democracy education. Previously, Łukasz served as the Data Coordinator for the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, led by UN Independent Expert Manfred Nowak (2018-2019), a role he continued as part of the dissemination and implementation with the Global Campus. He currently co-leads the preparation of a handbook on cybercrime and human rights for the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. Łukasz is a recipient of the Fulbright Senior Award for 2024-25, which he will undertake at the Neurotechnology Center at Columbia University.

Legal Advisor

Ashley Collins is an Associate at Perseus Strategies. She previously served as an International Legal Advisor at the American Bar Association Center for Human Rights, where she supported the Center’s efforts to provide assistance to human rights defenders under threat around the world. Ashley has worked at Amnesty International USA, Human Rights First, and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. She received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a Public Interest Fellow and served on the executive board of the Georgetown Journal of International Law. Ashley holds a B.A. cum laude in Social Studies, a Certificate in Latin American Studies, and a foreign language citation in Portuguese from Harvard University. She speaks Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. Ashley is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

Intern

Mariam Latif is a graduate student at Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, pursuing a Master’s in Computer Science. She earned her BA in Neuroscience from Princeton University, where she conducted independent research using eye-tracking and fMRI to study the effects of bidirectional Arabic-English reading on the brain's vision and attention networks. She is currently continuing this research at the Barnard Vision Lab. Mariam's interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience and technology, in addition to the ethical and legal implications of these rapidly evolving fields, especially regarding the right to mental privacy.

Intern

Belén Luengo Palomino earned a dual degree in Law and International Studies from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, completing academic exchanges at University College London and University of California, Berkeley. She has interned at leading law firms and served at the Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations, contributing to the development of global frameworks for AI governance. Her work connects law, technology, and human rights, promoting inclusive innovation for underrepresented communities and persons with disabilities. In Fall 2025, she will begin her graduate studies in the United States as a “La Caixa” Foundation Fellow, focusing on the ethical and regulatory frameworks of emerging technologies.

Intern

Anitvir Singh Taunque is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned a BS in Biomedical Science with Honors Research Distinction. His research focuses on gene therapy for neurological diseases. At the Samaranch Lab, Anitvir led an independent project investigating the safety and feasibility of multiple direct brain injections of gene therapy, culminating in his undergraduate thesis. He is particularly interested in the regulation and responsible deployment of emerging neurotechnologies, and how advancements in biotechnology can be translated into scalable solutions that improve patient outcomes. He is a 2024 Truman Scholar.

Intern

Rebecah Kaplun is a Clinical Research Assistant in the Neuropsychiatry Department at Boston Children's Hospital, where she contributes to research on improving pediatric epilepsy surgery and neuropsychological outcomes. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science from McGill University, where she conducted research on predictive modeling of psychosis. During her studies, she also completed a summer research position at the MIT Media Lab, where she worked on AI-assisted learning systems applying non-invasive neurofeedback technology.

Intern

Jackson Morris is a student at Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering, where he is pursuing a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. He is a co-founder of CerebroGate, a neuroengineering startup working to develop a novel obstruction-resistant ventricular catheter for hydrocephalus patients. His previous work ranged from research into enzyme allostery and science education to Baltimore's overdose crisis and higher education disability policy. Jackson is broadly interested in the intersection of academia, government, and industry, and how their collaboration can be leveraged to solve societal problems and advance human knowledge. He is a 2024 Truman Scholar.

Intern

Tashae DeWalt is a neuroscience researcher and data analyst with a focus on health equity, ethical innovation, and data-driven impact. She has contributed to research at Columbia University, Mount Sinai, and Georgia State University—scaling neurogenetics in animal models, supporting clinical RRMS studies, and leading culturally responsive outreach in healthcare settings. Her work spans participant engagement, protocol development, and scientific illustration. Tashae is currently exploring the intersection of bias in health research and AI, artistry, and health policy, and is passionate about building mission-driven ventures that promote responsible neurotech development.