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Convicted Scientist Heads $153M Shenzhen i-BRAIN, Sparks US Security Alarm

5/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Charles Lieber, a U.S. scientist convicted of lying about Chinese ties, now directs the i-BRAIN institute in Shenzhen.
The i-BRAIN institute at the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation receives $153 million from SMART’s 2026 budget, shares leadership with the $2 billion Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, and houses an ASML lithography system and a primate facility with 2,000 cages.
U.S. analysts warn that the technology’s potential military applications exceed current export-control safeguards.

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Story summary

Charles Lieber, a U.S. scientist convicted of lying about Chinese ties, now directs the i-BRAIN institute in Shenzhen.
The i-BRAIN institute at the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation receives $153 million from SMART’s 2026 budget, shares leadership with the $2 billion Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, and houses an ASML lithography system and a primate facility with 2,000 cages.
U.S. analysts warn that the technology’s potential military applications exceed current export-control safeguards.