BAKER, Mary

Immediate Past President, European Federation of Neurological Associations

Dr Mary Baker, MBE, BA, Hon DSc  

Dr Mary Baker, MBE, is Immediate Past President of the European Brain Council and President of their ‘Year of the Brain’ project.  Mary is Past President of the European Federation of Neurological Associations, Consultant to the World Health Organisation (WHO),  Chair of the Working Group on Parkinson’s Disease, a member of the Strategic Advisory Board of the Human Brain Project, and a member of the Commission’s CONNECT Advisory Forum.  Academic appointments include Associate Membership of the Health Services Research Unit, University of Oxford and Visiting Fellow within the London School of Economics (LSE) Health Centre.

An Honorary Doctorate from the University of Surrey was conferred upon Mary in 2003 and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree was awarded by Aston University in July 2013.  In 2009 she received the prestigious British Neuroscience Association Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Neuroscience and for Public Service.  In 2014, Mary received the Dana/EDAB Lifetime Achievement Award for Outreach on Behalf of Brain Research and in 2015, she received the ECNP Media Award.

Mary graduated from the University of Leeds with a BA Hons in Sociology and Political Theory.

ABSTRACT

17:00-18:30 5 NOVEMBER
thematic SESSION i.B: mapping the brain, unlocking the mind

 The ‘Brain Age’ is upon us. Massive global investments in brain research and cognitive neuroscience from Beijing to Boston to Brussels are transforming our understanding of the human mind. The EU aims to develop new technology platforms dedicated to Neuroinformatics, Brain Simulation, High Performance Computing, Medical Informatics, Neuromorphic Computing and Neurorobotics. The US aims to understand the human brain and how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space. Panelists from across the globe representing the cutting-edge of research teams and policy-making will argue that greater understanding of the human brain holds great promise for better prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and rehabilitation of brain disorders. We save and improve lives. In parallel, they will address the worries of about the social and ethical implications of altering brain function as we enter a new chapter in human history. Above all, this session will showcase for WSF delegates how science is enabling us understand and influence how our brains control our bodies, moods and actions, whether it is about activating ‘buy buttons’ inside the brain to induce consumer behavior or .to overcome the hindrances of old age and mental illness Policy makers are increasingly hungry for insights from neuroscience to devise ‘nudges’ for their citizens. This panel of experts takes stock of the excitement of brain mapping discoveries against their application in society.