Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroscientist and neuroanatomist specializing in the postmortem examination of the cerebral cortex of the human brain. She spent seven years performing brain research at Harvard Medical School in the Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry and then, at the age of 37, she had a rare form of stroke that forced her to relearn basic motor and mental skills.

She has a sibling diagnosed with schizophrenia and served for three years on the National Board of Directors of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She writes and performs her own songs promoting knowledge about the brain and brain donation, bringing uplifting messages about the brain to families, patients, and professionals.