In 1996, Harvard-trained neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor experienced a severe stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. By that afternoon she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. What followed was eight years of rebuilding her brain from the inside out — and a scientific and personal story unlike anything in the literature of brain science.
A Brain Scientist Who Lived the Research
Dr. Taylor’s New York Times bestselling memoir, My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey, became an international phenomenon. Her TED Talk is among the most-watched in TED history. Time Magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2008, and Oprah featured her on both the Soul Series webcast and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Advocacy, Science, and the Architecture of Recovery
Before her stroke, Dr. Taylor’s research specialty was postmortem investigation of the human brain as it relates to schizophrenia. She served three years on the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and travels as National Spokesperson for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center. Her insights into right and left hemisphere functions have profound implications for how individuals and organizations approach creativity, empathy, and resilience.
Her keynote presentations bring neuroscience to life, helping audiences understand how their brains work and how to harness that knowledge for greater well-being and peak performance.