Luis Echarte, partner of project Mind-Brain at Institute for Culture and Society of the University of Navarra -which is financed by the Obra Social 'La Caixa- co-directs the course 'The challenges of neuroscience' together with José Ramón Amor Pan, director of the Master's Degree in Bioethics of the University of A Coruña. The activity is organized by the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) at the high school de Médicos de La Coruña.

The main challenge of the course is to bring university students and the general public closer to the advances in neuroscience and their relationship with Philosophy, especially with the problem of freedom and responsibility. The knowledge of scientific advances in neuroscience is inseparable from the understanding of social progress and the emergence of important questions closely involved with law, ethics and action. For this reason, topics such as psychiatrization, cosmetic medicine or the relationship between neuroscience and faith are addressed in the various sessions.

Several researchers from project 'Mind-brain' are speakers in the course: Luis Echarte gives a lecture entitled 'From psychiatrization to cosmetic medicine'; José Ignacio Murillo, director of project 'Mind-brain', presents the discussion paper 'The problem of freedom: Between Philosophy and Neuroscience'; Fran Güell and Miguel García-Valdecasas, lecture on 'The constitutional status of the mentally ill' and 'Extend mind and the ethics of brain implants', respectively.

Likewise, Pilar León Sanz, researcher at project 'Emotional culture and identity', also of the ICS, talks about 'Evolution of the emotional paradigm of neuroscience'.