Dr. Illes is Professor of Neurology and Canada Research Chair in Neuroethics at the University of British Columbia. She is Director of the National Core for Neuroethics at UBC and faculty in the Brain Research Centre at UBC and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. She also holds affiliate appointments in the School of Population and Public Health and the School of Journalism at UBC and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. The USA, and is a Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University.
Dr. Illes’ research focuses on ethical, legal, social and policy challenges, specifically at the intersection of the neurosciences and biomedical ethics. This includes studies in neurodevelopmental disorders, incidental findings and functional neuroimaging in basic and clinical research, addiction neuroethics, stem cells and regenerative medicine, and the commercialization of cognitive neuroscience. She also leads a robust research and outreach program devoted to improving the literacy of neuroscience and engaging stakeholders on a global scale.
Dr. Illes is an internationally recognized author, lecturer, and mentor. She is a co-founder and Governing Board Member of the International Neuroethics Society, a member of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, and a former member of the Internal Advisory Board for the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR) and of the Forum on Neuroscience and Neurological Disorders of the Institute of Medicine (IoM). Her most recent books are The Oxford Handbook of Neuroethics (Oxford University Press, 2011) and Addiction Neuroethics (Elsevier Press, 2012). Dr. Illes is the past Chair of the Committee on Women in World Neuroscience (WWN) for the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and a Canadian representative to the IBRO US-Canada Regional Committee. She was a Fellow at the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2011), a Fellow Royal Society of Canada (2012), and a Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (2013).
