The Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) is a non-profit society organized for the purpose of encouraging basic and clinical scientists who are interested in areas of Brain Mapping, engineering, stem cell, nanotechnology, imaging and medical device to improve the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients afflicted with neurological disorders.
This society promotes the public welfare and improves patient care through the translation of new technologies/therapies into life saving diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The society is committed to excellence in education, and scientific discovery. The society achieves its mission through multi-disciplinary collaborations with government agencies, patient advocacy groups, educational institutes and industry as well as philanthropic organization.
Dr. Zelinsky is the recipient of the
2022 Golden Axon Award!
The Golden Axon Award is presented to individuals outside of the medical community who inspire with good will and an enthusiastic interest in science, technology and medicine. Named for the neuron cell fiber that carries outgoing messages to other target cells, the founding principle of the Axon Award is to recognize a highly regarded individual in the public sector who helps raise awareness and funding of SBMT and its mission in the community via fundraising event(s) and activities.
Deborah Zelinsky, O.D. is an optometrist noted for her work in neuro-optometric rehabilitation. She is the founder of The Mind-Eye Institute, based in Northbrook, IL.
Her key innovation uses the fact that the retina is composed of brain tissue and is part of the central nervous system, along with the spinal cord. Further, the often-overlooked peripheral retina contains important receptors. As a result, individually customized eyeglasses, which affect the frequency and direction of light dispersed on the retina can be used to influence neural pathways. Specifically, this can affect awareness of external space and auditory stimuli as well as internal biochemical processes.
The Mind-Eye Institute was created to train other doctors on these unique techniques of evaluating retinal processing. The Institute evaluates patients with a variety of symptoms, ranging from autism, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia and traumatic brain injury. The Institute also conducts research on brain mapping and other neuro-optometric techniques.
In addition to her work with the Mind-Eye Institute, Dr. Zelinsky is a fellow in both the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association, and a board member of the Society for Brain Mapping.
