Judy Illes Award

The Judy Illes Award for Mentorship in the Field of Neuroethics is bestowed annually to a distinguished scholar of the scientific community in recognition of their commitment to mentoring. 

Honorees receive a stipend and are invited to give a talk at the INS Annual Meeting about their work and the importance of mentoring. They will also be available to speak with students and trainees in attendance. A selection committee is convened annually to determine the honoree.

The award is named for Judy Illes, an exceptionally prolific mentor fiercely dedicated to supporting students and early career scholars navigating the emerging neuroethics discipline. The award was initiated in 2022 by INS President Joseph J. Fins and the INS Board of Directors, and the annual prize has been made possible through a generous gift from the Synakos Foundation.

Honorees

2022

Judy Illes
Profile image of Judy Illes

Dr. Judy Illes received the inaugural award for her exceptional leadership in mentoring. Of her contributions, INS President Joseph J. Fins said, "Neuroethics is filled with her students and proteges, many of whom are now leading programs and doing seminal work themselves because of Judy's investment in them and their work." In her acceptance speech, Dr. Illes stressed the importance of having respect, kindness and generosity in any mentoring relationship.

Announcements

The Judy Illes Award for Mentorship in the Field of Neuroethics

Joseph J. Fins, INS President
November 3, 2022

Judy Illes holding the glass leaf-shaped award with Joseph J. Fins standing next to her, both smiling and posing for a photograph

Judy Illes, left, with Joseph J. Fins at the 2022 INS Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada. Credit: Roland Nadler

I am delighted to present the July Illes Award for Mentorship in the Field of Neuroethics to our own Judy Illes. Judy is the quintessential mentor and I will say more about her in a moment, but first I want to talk about how important this award is to INS.

We have heard from membership of the pressing need for mentorship of young scholars, especially folks who are working in places where there are no local mentors. Mentors are essential to our growth and development as scholars and we have heard you and of this need.

Through a generous gift from the Synakos Foundation of $35,000 we will establish this prize and an yearly stipend that will allow us to invite a distinguished scholar and mentor who will give an annual talk about their work and about mentoring and also be available at the meeting to speak with trainees.

I will appoint a committee to select next year's honoree and my successors will continue this tradition in perpetuity.

The essential qualification is to be a mentor worthy of the mentorship of our first honoree, Judy Illes, for whom this award is named. Neuroethics is filled with her students and proteges, many of whom are now leading programs and doing seminal work themselves because of Judy's investment in them and their work.

Judy really doesn't need an introduction here but she is a Past INS President, is Professor of Neurology, Distinguished University Scholar, UBC Distinguished Scholar in Neuroethics, and Director of Neuroethics Canada. Dr. Illes also holds affiliate appointments in the School of Population and Public Health and the School of Journalism at UBC, and in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, USA.

As a pioneer in the field of neuroethics, Dr. Illes has made groundbreaking research, scholarly and educational contributions to the ethical, social, and policy challenges at the intersection of biomedical ethics and neuroscience.

Dr. Illes is Co-Lead of the Canadian Brain Research Strategy, Vice Chair of the Internal Advisory Board of CIHR's Institute of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addiction, and a Director-at-Large of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Dr. Illes is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She was appointed to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest awards to its citizens, in 2017.

And now she has an INS Award named after her to add to this distinguished list of accomplishments!

Video

Images

Judy Illes accepting a box with an award named after her, presented by Joseph J. Fins, INS President, at the 2022 INS Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada;

Judy Illes, left, accepting an the inaugural Illes Award at the 2022 INS Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada. Credit: Roland Nadler

Judy Illes holding awards case and a bouquet of flowers with two students standing on both sides, all smiling

Judy Illes, center, with Roland Nadler, left, and Anna Nuechterlein, right, at the 2022 INS Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada. Credit: Marianne Bacani