Babak Kateb, founding Chairman of the Board of SBMT, attended the White House event at which President Obama announced a new federal effort to fund research that will constitute a major new Brain Mapping initiative. The SBMT Board of Directors had previously submitted a white paper to the White House and is part of the national dialogue about President Obama's Brain Mapping Initiative.
"SBMT and Brain Mapping Foundation are naturally well positioned in playing a significant role in President Obama's initiative. We are planning to establish a NanoBioElectronic Consortium, which will focus on integrating nanotechnology, stem cell, cellular and molecular biology, immunology, device and imaging" said Babak Kateb, President of the Brain Mapping Foundation, Director of National Center for NanoBioElectronics, and editor of the Textbook of Nanoneuroscience and Nenoneurosurgery. "We are also establishing the American Board of Brain Mapping in order to certify specialists in this field and planning to have a cross disciplinary doctoral program in nanobioelectronisc in collaboration with one of the most prestigious universities in the US. This will help us integrate and translate technologies across multiple disciplines into neuroscience and train new generation of cross disciplinary thinkers and scientists."
The BRAIN Initiative is going to fund research on cutting-edge technologies, which could probe and or image the brain in order to better understand its structure and neuropatho-physiology as well as breaking new ground on the treatment, cure and prevention of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, brain cancers and neurotrauma.
"The standardization of training, technologies and introduction of technological solutions for neurological disorders need a body that could play a neutral role. SBMT for sure has the history, scientific credibility and the credential to insure President Obama's Initiative is a success" said Warren Grundfest, Member of the board of SBMT, Professor Department of Bioengineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Surgery, UCLA Geffen school of Medicine
The white paper the SBMT board of directors submitted to the White House, NIH, DARPA and DoD, calls for the formation of the National Alliance for NanoBioElectronics (NANBE) &
National Network for Human Brain and Specimen Banks (NNHBSN) and National Data Repository and Analysis for Neuroscience (NDRAN). " We examined the entire national policy in neuroscience and tried to come up with a truly unique approach in order to address some of the fundamental problems in the field; we also believe that board certification is a necessary step toward standardization of the science and the technology" said Gary Steinberg, member of the SBMT board, Bernard and Ronni Lacroute-William Randolph Hearst Professor of Neurosurgery and the Neurosciences Director, Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine
SBMT is holding its annual meeting at the Baltimore Convention Center on May 12-14, featuring more than 45 scientific sessions and nearly 300 invited speakers. The meeting will cover all aspects of Brain and spinal cord mapping including neurosurgery, radiology, neurology, neuroscience, stem cell, engineering, psychiatry, immunology, brain bank, military medicine, space medicine and neurophtolmology, neurodegenerative disorders, autism, Parkinson's disease and radiation oncology. This program is also jointly sponsored by the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Imaging (ISMRM) this year and in 2012 was jointly sponsored by American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).
Pioneer in Medicine awards will be presented by the SBMT to Drs.:
- Wieslaw Nowinski for his pioneering work in brain atlas;
- Shouleh Nikzad (NASA/JPL) for her pioneering work in translating NASA/UV into clinical trials and her leadership role in establishment of SBMT;
- Margie Homer (NASA/JPL) for her pioneering work in using NASA-electronic nose to sniff brain cancers;
- Robert H Kraus for his pioneering role in making an ultra-low field MRI technology;
- Rafat Ansari (NASA/Glenn Center) for his pioneering role in applying NASA technology to solve ophthalmological diseases;
- Yosef Kronyo and Maya Kronyo for their role in introducing a new technology that could detect Alzheimer through retinal imaging.
Congressman Jim Moran (D), Earl Blumenauer (D) and Cathy McMorris-Rogers(R) will be accepting the Pioneer in Healthcare Policy Award for their role in advocating policies, which has been positively impacting neuroscience.
Humanitarian award of Brain Mapping Foundation goes to the Founder of Cogent Inc., Ming Hsieh for his significant role in pushing the boundaries of the science through USC Ming Hsieh institute. Eric Bailey, Founder and CEO of Neurologica and Reese S. Terry Jr, co-founder of Cyberonics Inc are the recipients of the Pioneer in technology development. Brain Tumor Survivor, Singer/Songwriter, Beth Nielsen Chapman will be accepting the Beacon of Courage and dedicating award from the Foundation.
"We are truly pleased to have such an amazing group of scientists, a key policymaker and industry leaders as well a talented brain tumor survivor and a humanitarian on our award list" said Michael Roy, President of SBMT (2012-13), Professor of Medicine and Director of Internal Medicine at Uniformed Services University Health Science.
SBMT is also holding a Brain Mapping Day at the US Congress on May 10th 2013 from 10-12 noon at the Gold Room in Reyburn building. Members of the society will be discussing state-of the-art neuroscience.
About Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics: www.WorldBrainMapping.org
About Brain Mapping Foundation: www.BrainMappingFoundation.org
Media Contact: Press@WorldBrainMapping.org Or Leo Balthazor Leo@WorldBrainMapping.Org 310-5006196 ###