A former Harvard scientist convicted in America of lying to US officials about payments from China has rebuilt a high-profile brain-computer interface research laboratory in China.
The 67-year-old American scientist was found guilty of lying to officials about his links to the Chinese state program to recruit overseas talent and spent two days in jail and six months under house arrest.
The scientist, Charles Lieber, a once prominent nanoscience researcher at Harvard University, now heads China’s state-backed i-BRAIN initiative in Shenzhen.
Lieber’s return to active research marks a dramatic turnaround for a figure once considered one of the world’s leading minds in nanoscale science.
In China, he now oversees work on brain-computer interface (BCI) system technology designed to translate brain activity into digital commands that can control external devices such as robotic systems or computers. His work ignited the global debate about how far advanced neurotechnology could go in the future of medicine and warfare.
According to the project’s description, the laboratory develops non-invasive and advanced neural interface systems that aim to enable communication between the human brain and machines.
The research is part of China’s broader push to become a global leader in next-generation neurotechnology.
China has already elevated brain-computer interfaces to a national strategic priority, with government-backed institutions investing heavily in the field and pushing for rapid commercialization.
Some trials in the country are investigating how BCIs can help patients with paralysis regain movement, while others are investigating broader human-machine interaction systems.
Lieber’s laboratory operates within the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, where he has access to advanced nanofabrication tools and specialized research infrastructure. Chinese officials have positioned the facility as part of a broader effort to attract top global scientific talent to strategic technology sectors.
The development also comes amid growing competition between the US and China over advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum systems and neuroengineering. U.S. officials have previously warned that such technologies could have dual-use implications spanning both civilian health care and military modernization.
Lieber has not publicly commented in detail about his new role, but has previously said his scientific goals are to advance cutting-edge research in brain interfaces and nanotechnology.
