Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist whose research specialized in understanding how our brain creates our perception of reality. She was interested in this subject because she has a brother who is diagnosed with the brain disorder schizophrenia.

In 1996, at the age of 37, Taylor experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain due to a rare form of stroke (AVM). This critical incident left her unable to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. It took eight years for Taylor to completely rebuild her brain and recover all physical, emotional, and thinking abilities.

Taylor is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir "My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey" (published in 2008 by Viking Penguin), which has been a top seller in its category on Amazon. Her second book, "WHOLE BRAIN LIVING: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life" was published in May 2021 by Hay House. Both books focus on her extensive knowledge of the brain and offer insights into how to optimize brain function and recovery.

In 2008, Taylor delivered a groundbreaking presentation about her experience with stroke at the TED Conference in Monterey, CA. This was the first TED talk to ever go viral on the internet, and as of now, it has been viewed over 27.5 million times. Shortly after this presentation, she was recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. She was also the premiere guest on Oprah’s Soul Series webcast, and "My Stroke of Insight" reached the New York Times bestseller list where it remained for 63 weeks.

Taylor is committed to educating the public about the complexities and beauty of the human brain. She is actively involved in helping individuals recover from neurological trauma and enhancing public understanding to help people lead better lives. Her foundation, Jill Bolte Taylor BRAINS, is dedicated to advancing brain awareness, appreciation, education, injury prevention, and neurological recovery.

Additionally, Taylor serves as the National Spokesperson for the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, where she raises awareness about the need for brain tissue donation for research into severe mental illnesses. Since 1993, she has been deeply involved with NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness), serving three years on the National NAMI Board of Directions and over ten years as president of the NAMI Greater Bloomington Area affiliate in Bloomington, Indiana.