Dr. Elana Brief

Biography:
Dr. Elana Brief is a scientist and science advocate. She was awarded her doctorate in physics from the University of British Columbia (UBC) where she where she developed methods for using MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to non-invasively measure concentrations of chemicals in human brain. During her post-doctoral fellowships she used similar techniques to study human lung in Paris, France and fabricated skin at Simon Fraser University (SFU). She continues to publish her medical imaging work and collaborates with physicists, radiologists, dermatologists, endocrinologists and neurologists at SFU and UBC. In addition, she works as a scientific consultant for the National Core for Neuroethics and as a Research Director with the Women’s Health Research Network. In June 2009, Dr. Brief co-authored and published “Our Common Ground: Cultivating Women’s Health through Community Based Research” – a guide for research collaborations between academics and non-academics. She is the President of the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (www.scwist.ca) and invests her energy in science promotion and in advancing women and minorities in science, engineering and technology. Dr. Brief is a panelist in the ‘Democratization of Science’ session where she will speak about the inclusion of women in science and engineering as an example of a democratizing change in science practice. She will distinguish between science outreach activities and true scientific engagement to suggest ways in which a greater diversity of people might guide and influence science.

Abstract: