Neurodivergence and Architecture

Dr. Illes, trailblazing neuroethicist, is Professor of Neurology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Distinguished University Scholar, UBC Distinguished Scholar in Neuroethics, and Director of Neuroethics Canada. She holds appointments in UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, and in Journalism, and in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, in Seattle. She is a pioneer of the field of neuroethics through which she has made groundbreaking contributions to cross-cultural ethical, legal, social and policy challenges at the intersection of the brain sciences and biomedical ethics. Dr. Illes received her PhD in Hearing and Speech Sciences and in Neuropsychology from Stanford University in 1987, and turned to ethics in 2000, 25 years ago. She was among the first to use high density EEG recordings and pattern recognition to understand language processing in neurodegenerative disease, and was part of the revolution that functional MRI introduced. Together with others whose vision for ethics for neuroscience led from within the neurosciences, Dr. Illes has not only placed neuroethics on the world map of, but has tirelessly trained the generation that leads it today, and already those who will lead it tomorrow. Dr. Illes has published 11 edited volumes, including three handbooks in neuroethics and as Editor in Chief of the series of volumes for Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics. She has led major research projects and hundreds of publications on invasive and noninvasive technologies, fixed and portable imaging systems such as MRI, biologics, pharmaceuticals, and devices, open science and intellectual property protections. In 2023, she released an award-winning film on neurotechnology ethics and decision-making for children with drug resistant epilepsy. Dr. Illes has also contributed significantly to the Canadian landscape in understanding crosscultural perspectives on brain and mind, including those of Indigenous People. She has received countless awards and recognitions for her empirical work and her mentoring alike. Dr. Illes places a particular emphasis on issues of ethics in neuroscience with attention to biomedicine, innovations that seek to alleviate the burden of psychiatric and neurologic disease, including spinal cord injury, both expected and unexpected incidental findings, holism, human rights and health disparities. With this open and broad perspective, she capably leads the seven-nation International Brain Initiative dedicated to global neuroscience that is inclusive and politically free. Dr. Illes was awarded the Order of Canada, the country’s highest recognition of its citizens, in 2017.

Anthony Clarke is a practicing architect, educator, and current PhD candidate at Monash University, Australia. Anthony's research focuses on the relationship between architecture and care, seeking to rearticulate practice through innovative and reflexive methodologies.Anthony established BLOXAS in 2010. BLOXAS is a practice for empathic and experimental architecture.BLOXAS' approach is led by research, experimentation, curiosity and care. These elements are inherent in our philosophy, and drive our interrogative and empathetic response. Specialists from a variety of disciplines contribute to our curative understanding of individual and collective behaviour, sensory perception, physiology and phenomenology. We investigate how people affect – and are at the effect of – our designs.

Dr Jos Boys trained in architecture and has worked as a journalist, teacher, researcher and design practitioner.She has taught architecture and interior design (in both the design studio and through history and theory) for many years across many universities, both in the UK and abroad. Her research focuses on the social aspects of architecture and interior design. This is underpinned by a design and artistic practice centred on working with community and disadvantaged groups. She is especially interested in how design intersects with gender, class, race and disability; and in finding creative forms of collaboration with non-designers. Jos has an MA in photography and likes to use a variety of media and approaches to open up productive ‘spaces’ between designers educators, students, artists and the wider public.

John’s research is situated at the intersection of medical sociology and science and technology studies (STS), and it examines the interplay between biomedicine, individuals and society, particularly in regard to cutting-edge biomedical innovation.His research has focused predominately on two, much-championed areas of biomedicine: the development and implementation of deep brain stimulation and other neurotechnologies, and; the attempts by stakeholders in several countries to create a ‘health and wealth’ generating Regenerative Medicine industry.