Ben Barres (1954 – 2017)

Ben Barres was a neuroscientist who focused his attention on relatively unstudied group of cells called glia. Glia were long dismissed as the brain’s support crew—there simply to provide nutrients or structural scaffolding. As reported in The Atlantic, Barres showed that glia are stars in their own right, revolutionising our understanding of the brain. He was a strong mentor for young scientists, had a strong moral compass and was an advocate for groups traditionally marginalised in the sciences, including women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ people.

In Nature in 2006, Ben said “We can teach young scientists how to survive in a prejudiced world. Self-confidence is crucial in advancing and enjoying a research career. From an early age, girls receive messages that they are not good enough to do science subjects or will be less liked if they are good at them. The messages come from many sources, including parents, friends, fellow students and, alas, teachers. When teachers have lower expectations of them, students do less well. But we are all at fault for sending these messages and for remaining silent when we encounter them. Teachers need to provide much more encouragement to young people, regardless of sex, at all stages of training. Occasional words of encouragement can have enormous effects.”