The Ethics of Treating Children with Psychotropic Drugs

In his work at The Hastings Center, Dr. Parens investigates how we use new technologies to shape our selves and how emerging science shapes our self-understanding. 

Currently he is the principal investigator on a project, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, that explores the controversies surrounding the use of psychotropic medications to treat emotional and behavioral disturbances in children. 

He is also the principal investigator on a project, funded by The Dana Foundation, that investigates the difference between reasonable and unreasonable claims based on neuroimaging technologies (such as fMRI). 

He has lectured and published widely, and is the first or sole editor of four books, including, most recently, Surgically Shaping Children: Essays on Technology, Ethics, and the Pursuit of Normality. 

He has served as a consultant to several government and nongovernmental bodies, including the National Bioethics Advisory Commission and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also a visiting professor in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at Sarah Lawrence College.