01/05/2025
Babak Kateb ,MD, PH.D. (h.c.)
President and Executive Director of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) and Founding President of the Board of the Brain Mapping Foundation.
Awards and Recognitions
Pioneer in Medicine Award from WBMF, 2015 | Subcommittees on Nanoneurosurgery and Neurophotonics SBMT 2023-2024, BCI | Subcommittee on Neurotechnology and Neuroengineering 2023-2024 | Subcommittee on Military Medicine 2023-2024.
Global President of Neuroscience20. Additionally, Babak Kateb is the director of the National Center for Nano-Bio-Electronics at NASA Research Park, Moffett Field, CA, USA, and senior editor of SBMT-NeuroMapping & Therapeutics.
Diverse Career in Neuroscience
With over 22 years of experience in research in the field of neurotechnology, Dr. Kateb has specialized in introducing advanced diagnostics and therapies in clinical neuroscience. His research focuses on identifying and implementing innovative technologies for the treatment of complex neurological disorders, including brain cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain and spinal conditions.
Dr. Kateb received his educational training at Tulane University (TUSOM) and the University of Southern California (USC), where he completed his research fellowship in the Department of Neurosurgery. He also studied VLSI system design in the Department of Electrical Engineering at USC at the Ming Hsieh Institute and received an honorary doctorate from Üsküdar University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Founder and Leader in Neuroscience
Babak founded the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) and the Brain Mapping Foundation. He currently serves as the president and scientific director of both organizations and has been at the forefront of neuroscience initiatives that promote research and the development of new technologies. His influence also extends to the California Institute of Neurosurgery, where he held the position of scientific and strategy director (CSO) from 2015 to 2017.
Dr. Kateb was Vice President of the World Congress of Neurosurgery, organized in collaboration with UNESCO ASPNet and the Walter E. Dandy Neurosurgical Society in honor of Professor M. Gazi Yasargil, held in 2020. Additionally, he was a special guest at the first International Health Congress in the State of Mexico in 2024, where he delivered the keynote lecture titled "How Neurotech - Nanoneuroscience, Neurophotonics, Brain Mapping, AI and Predictive Modeling and Healthcare Policy Can Shape the Future of Care for Patients with Neurological Disorders."
Contributions to Science and Technology
Dr. Kateb has closely collaborated with NASA, publishing and pioneering techniques such as the use of multi-walled carbon nanotubes to activate macrophages in brain cancer immunotherapy. During his time at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, he received the NASA Tech Brief award for his innovative work in sniffing out cancer cells using NASA’s electronic nose.
In 2010, he joined the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, as a research scientist. There, he established a collaboration with NASA to develop a clinical trial using ultraviolet imaging for intraoperative brain mapping. He also patented microwave technology for the treatment of brain cancer, which has been FDA-approved and can be used for various types of cancer.
His work has been recognized by government leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, the Mayor of Los Angeles, and the Governor of California, for his dedication to science and innovation.
Publications and International Legislation
Dr. Kateb is a prolific author, having created a new publication with PLoS ONE titled PLoS ONE NeuroMapping & Therapeutics, where he served as editor-in-chief. He has led special issues in journals such as NeuroImage, Brain Mapping, and Therapeutics. Additionally, he is the editor of the first Textbook of Nanoneuroscience and Nanoneurosurgery, published by Taylor & Francis in 2013, and recently edited the second edition of this book, which was published in 2025, with co-editors John D. Heiss, John S. Yu, and Ming Hsieh.
His commitment to neuroscience extends to international legislation, collaborating with the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus in the United States and members of the Canadian Parliament. He has chaired multiple informational meetings in Congress on brain mapping between 2012 and 2023 and has been involved in healthcare initiatives for injured soldiers in the U.S.
Commitment to the BRAIN Initiative
Dr. Kateb has been a key player in President Obama’s BRAIN initiative and is a co-author of initiatives such as Neuroscience20 Brain, Spine and Mental Health and the African Brain Mapping Initiative. Since its inaugural meeting in 2014 in Australia, he has founded and co-chaired ten summits of the G20 Brain Initiative (Neuroscience20/N20), reaffirming his commitment to advancing research and treatment in neuroscience globally.
