Kathleen Taylor (biologist)

Kathleen E. Taylor is a popular science author and a research scientist in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford. In July 2012[1] she was appointed as a Science Fellow of the Institute for Food, Brain and Behaviour.[2]

Kathleen E. Taylor
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of Oxford
Stirling University
AwardsFirst prize, THES/OUP Science Essay competition and THES Humanities and Social Sciences Writing Prize
Scientific career
FieldsNeuropsychology, Physiology, Psychology
InstitutionsUniversity of Oxford, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics
Thesis Computational modelling of the contribution of posterior parietal cortex to saccadic eye movements.  (1999)

Education

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Taylor attended the University of Oxford where she studied physiology and philosophy.[3] She obtained a master's degree in psychology from Stirling University, and received her doctorate in computational neuroscience from the University of Oxford.[3]

Research

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Taylor performed postdoctoral research in the areas of neuroimmunology and cognitive neuroscience.[3] She is a neuroscientist at the University of Oxford and works out of the university's Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics.[3][4] She performs research in the areas of physiology, psychology and the neuroscience of belief.[3][5]

Published work

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In 2003 Taylor won first prize in both the THES/OUP Science Essay competition and the THES Humanities and Social Sciences Writing Prize.[6][7]

Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control (2004), her first book, was "highly commended" and runner-up in the 2005 Times Higher Education Supplement Young Academic Author Award, and also made it to the shortlist for the 2005 MIND "Book of the Year Award".[3][8] The book also made it to the longlist of the 2005 Aventis "Science Book Prize", where it was described as containing "elegant and accessible prose".[8][9]

Cruelty: Human evil and the human brain (2009) examined human cruelty, from the points of view of biology and sociology. [10]

The Brain Supremacy (2012) uses recent examples from scientific literature and the media to explore how techniques such as fMRI function and how they could apparently be useful for thought identification. The book gives an overview of the latest advances in neuroscience while also looking at the practical and ethical side of new technologies.[11] Taylor peers into the future and looks at how all the advances in neuroscience in its social and ethical context could possibly affect human behavior and impact peoples' daily lives.[12][13]

The Fragile Brain (2016) explains dementia, what is known about its causes, its effects on victims, their families, and society, and ongoing research looking for effective treatment and prevention.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "IFBB appoints new Science Fellow Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine," Institute for Food Brain and Behaviour website, 19 July 2012. Accessed 29 March 2015.
  2. ^ "INSTITUTE FOR FOOD, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOUR, registered charity no. 517817". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Taylor, Kathleen E. (July 2006). "Intergroup atrocities in war: a neuroscientific perspective". Medicine, Conflict and Survival. 22 (3): 230–244. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.140.7673. doi:10.1080/13623690600772592. ISSN 1743-9396. PMID 16961124. S2CID 494446.
  4. ^ Staff (12 April 2005). "Evil influence is all washed up – Education". The Times. Times Newspapers Ltd. p. Public Agenda 8.
  5. ^ Szimhart, Joseph (July–August 2005). "Thoughts on thought control". Skeptical Inquirer. 29 (4). Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal: 56–57.
  6. ^ Taylor, Kathleen (8 November 2002). "Is imagination more important than knowledge? Einstein". Times Higher Education. TSL Education Ltd. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  7. ^ Taylor, Kathleen (2004). Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control. Oxford University Press. Front matter. ISBN 978-0-19-920478-6.
  8. ^ a b "Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control – By Kathleen Taylor – Longlisted, General Prize 2005". The Royal Society. royalsociety.org. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  9. ^ Staff (2005). "Aventis Prizes 2005 – Special Reports". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  10. ^ [1], review, The Guardian, 4-18-2009
  11. ^ Yuhas, Daisy. "MIND Reviews: The Brain Supremacy," Scientific American MIND, 14 Feb. 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  12. ^ "The Brain Supremacy: Notes from the Frontiers of Neuroscience," review in Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence newsletter, 1 Nov. 2012. Accessed 29 March 2015.
  13. ^ "The Brain Supremacy Notes from the frontiers of neuroscience Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine," publisher's notes, 25 Oct. 2012. Accessed 29 March 2015.
  14. ^ [2], Review, Nature, 12-10-2016
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