Ben Barres

Infobox Scientist


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name = Ben A. Barres
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field = Neurobiology
work_institution = Stanford University
alma_mater = M.I.T., Dartmouth College, Harvard University
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Ben A. Barres M.D., Ph.D. is an American neurobiologist who teaches at Stanford University. His research focuses on the interaction between neurons and glial cells in the nervous system. He is currently Associate Chair of the Neurobiology department at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Barres has a degree in biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a medical degree from Dartmouth College and a doctorate in neurobiology from Harvard University.

Barres, a transsexual man, made headlines in the mainstream press in July 2006 after writing an article in "Nature" that addressed issues of sex and intelligence. cite journal |author=Barres BA |title=Does gender matter? |journal=Nature |volume=442 |issue=7099 |pages=133–6 |year=2006 |month=July |pmid=16848004 |doi=10.1038/442133a |url=] Barres was critical of Lawrence Summers and others who have claimed that one reason there are fewer women than men in science and engineering professorships might be that fewer women than men had the very high levels of "intrinsic aptitude" that such jobs required. Shankar Vedantam, (13 July 2006). [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201883.html Male Scientist Writes of Life as Female Scientist: Biologist Who Underwent Sex Change Describes Biases Against Women.] "Washington Post"] Barres wrote about personal experiences of being treated differently as a female scientist versus a male scientist. Sharon Begley, (July 13, 2006). [http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB115274744775305134-d_SKq3_dwVeWH2_85LdpMoT_Y2w_20060811.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top He, Once a She, Offers Own View On Science Spat.] "Wall Street Journal"]

Steven Pinker, a Harvard psychologist who has defended Summers, said Barres "should learn to take scientific hypotheses less personally." Lisa Leff, (July 13, 2006). [http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/07/12/transgender.scientist.ap/index.html Transgender professor defends women scientists.] CNN News"] Barres argued there is a lack of scientific data to support the hypothesis. Cornelia Dean, (July 18, 2006). A Conversation with Ben A. Barres: Dismissing ‘Sexist Opinions’ About Women’s Place in Science. "New York Times"] More recently, Barres directed a series of "open questions" to Pinker and Harvey Mansfield in a formal address at Harvard, challenging the data supporting their arguments. [Ben Barres, (March 17, 2008). " [http://stream.fas.harvard.edu/ramgen/permanent/HCWC/Ben_Barres_HCWC_20080317.rm Some Reflections on the Dearth of Women in Science] ", Harvard University.]

Awards

* 1994 Searle Scholar

References

External links

* [http://med.stanford.edu/profiles/Ben_Barres/ Ben Barres website]
* [http://www.memdir.org/video/ben-barres-dearth-of-women-in-science.html Ben Barres Speaks on Women and Science at Harvard, 3/17/08]