With New ‘Brain-Reading’ Research, a Once-Tarnished Scientist Seeks Redemption

March 22, 2022

(STAT News) – Niels Birbaumer, once a prominent neuroscientist at the University of Tübingen in Germany, fell hard from his pedestal three years back. He was accused of scientific misconduct for his controversial “brain-reading” research, stripped of funding, and fired from his job. His work, which showed that people paralyzed with ALS could communicate with a brain-computer interface, was retracted by the journal that published it, PLOS Biology. Now, Birbaumer, who has fiercely defended his previous research, hopes to see his reputation restored. On Tuesday, he published a new study in Nature Communications that builds upon his prior, discredited work. And Birbaumer and co-author Ujwal Chaudhary say they have won lawsuits that support the integrity of their PLOS report. (Read More)