LOS ANGELES, April 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President Obama said in his April 2^nd speech "We have been a nation of dreamers and risk-takers; people who see what nobody else sees sooner than anybody else sees it.  We do innovation better than anybody else -- and that makes our economy stronger. When we invest in the best ideas before anybody else does, our businesses and our workers can make the best products and deliver the best services before anybody else."

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 whitepaper 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 Nanoneurosurgery. "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 nanobioelectronics 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 generations 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 ensure 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 whitepaper, which is submitted by the SBMT board of directors 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 (NNHBSB) 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 in the field of brain mapping," 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).

"SBMT is the most interdisciplinary and collaborative organization in the world in the field of Brain Mapping; the organization has brought together leading industry, academics, government entities, international partners and non-profits in order to introduce game-changing technologies into the field and in order to better prevent, diagnose and treat neurological disorders," said Mitchel Berger, President of AANS, member of the board of SBMT, Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, Kathleen M. Plant Distinguished Professor, Director, Brain Tumor Surgery Program, Director, Neurosurgical Research Centers, Brain Tumor Research Center

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 Koronyo and Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui for their pioneer work in identifying Alzheimer's pathology in the retina.

Congressman Jim Moran (D), Earl Blumenauer (D) and Cathy McMorris-Rodgers(R) will be accepting the Pioneer in Healthcare Policy Award for their role in advocating policies, which have 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 Dedication 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 10^th 2013 from 10-12 noon at the Gold Room in Reyburn building. "This is an annual event, which is focused on educating policymakers about the state-of-the-art brain mapping and therapeutics," said Sujit S. Prabhu, member of the board of SBMT, Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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

SOURCE Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics