Dr. Kevin N. Morris, MBBS: In Pursuit of Healthcare Excellence, Every Step of the Way.
Dr. Kevin N. Morris, MBBS, has consistently demonstrated a passion for pursuing excellence in academics or extra-curricular activities throughout his journey. He earned the ‘Best Student Award’ multiple times during schooling and became the first medical doctor in his family. During his medical school training in India, he developed a strong interest in research, especially neurosciences and medical oncology. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nashik, India.
From Childhood to Medical School:
Coming from a family background rooted in business, he chose the difficult path of being the first person in his family to attend medical school and pursue a medical career. With hard work and dedication, he excelled throughout his medical school, not just in academics but also in extra-curricular activities. He started various clubs, including the first debate club in his school. He was among the only students to receive a scholarship and grant to conduct an off-campus project study on the effects of Acute Mountain Sickness in the Himalayan Mountain range of Leh-Ladakh. He has been awarded the best student award 6 years in a row during his school. He was among the toppers nationally in the National Physics Olympiad during high school. He has authored an extensive 10000-word essay on ‘Women Empowerment in India’ that won him an award from the Government of India.
Dr. Morris used his business talents wisely, and currently, he serves as the Medical Director of Mother Vailankanni Group of Companies and Bhagya Group, LLC in Maharashtra, India. Additionally, he is the founding director of Aklun Biotech LLC, a med-tech startup focused on developing innovative therapeutic solutions for patients in countries like India. He also founded Morris Lifesciences and Technologies, supporting young researchers, scientists, doctors, and engineers in pursuing higher education.
Coming to the USA and learning about SBMT: Covid-19 pandemic shakes the world
Dr. Morris moved to the USA to pursue a medical residency in neurology and learned about the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT). He joined as a graduate research fellow in 2020 and showcased his team skills and leadership qualities while being the lead fellow for the Neuroscience-20 Summit in Saudi Arabia held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He started working on the landmark policy paper under the guidance of Dr. Babak Kateb and Dr. Vicky Yamamoto, exploring the neurological burden of these diseases, culminating in the proposal of the “Neuroscience20 (BRAIN20, SPINE20, and MENTAL20) Health Initiative: A Global Consortium Addressing the Human and Economic Burden of Brain, Spine, and Mental Disorders Through Neurotech Innovations and Policies,” of which he is the first author. Dr. Morris was part of the team that authored the impactful paper “COVID-19: A Review of a 21st Century Pandemic, from Etiology to Neuropsychiatric Implications”. These papers were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (JAD). All these leadership and team skills earned him the Student Service and Leadership Award in 2021, awarded by the World Brain Mapping Foundation (WBMF). His exceptional abilities did not go unnoticed by senior leadership, and he got promoted to the Research Scientist position, where he mentored the fellows and interns.
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was offered a position as an Adjunct Clinical Professor in Urology (Voluntary) at the University of Southern California (USC), collaborating with Vasgene Therapeutics on research on prostate and bladder cancers. Dr. Morris initiated the SBMT Student Chapter at Los Angeles City College during his student days there. In 2021, due to the ongoing crisis caused due to COVID-19, he returned to India to help with relief efforts.
Life at SBMT
Dr. Morris’ leadership in various subcommittees has been instrumental in helping to put together the Annual World Congress of SBMT. Some of the subcommittees he has been part of are Neuro-Psychiatry, AD, Neurotech, Neuroscience-20, Neurosurgery, Spine Surgery, and Pain Management, among others. He has been instrumental in researching and writing the publication “A Proposed Brain-, Spine-, and Mental-Health Screening Methodology (NEUROSCREEN) for Healthcare Systems: Position of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics.” He has also authored numerous book chapters on topics ranging from clinical medicine to neurotechnology and FDA regulations. He is an assistant editor of the 2nd Edition of the Textbook of Nanoneuroscience and Nanoneurosurgery published by Springer Nature. He is currently working to contribute to the upcoming Neurophotonics and Brain Mapping textbook under the mentorship of Dr. Babak Kateb.
Returning to SBMT with Focus on Neuroscience Advancement:
In November 2022, Dr. Morris returned to SBMT to continue helping shape the textbook and the Annual World Congress. His active participation and dedication to the field of neuroscience are reflected by his leadership in his organizational skills for the 10th Neuroscience-20 Summit held in India in September 2023. He was conferred the N20 Global Leadership Award for his exceptional leadership skills.
Throughout 2023, he helped in the organization of the 20th Annual World Congress, peer-reviewing the abstracts and posters, finishing the textbook of Nanoneuroscience and Nanoneurosurgery 2nd edition, helped organize the 21st Annual World Congress, including managing the Hands-on Bioskills cadaver labs and being a peer-reviewer for the abstracts and posters. All these efforts led him to receive the 2024 Golden Axon Leadership Award at the hands of the Board of Directors of WBMF at the GFC Awards Gala 2024 at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
A Vision for the Future:
Dr. Morris was promoted to Academic Affairs Director in 2024. In this capacity, under the guidance of Dr. Kateb, he has envisioned helping transform and increase the publishing output and poster hall of the SBMT Annual Congress. He wishes to help all fellows and student interns get published and recognized for their efforts, as SBMT gave him the same chance in the past.
His inimitable intermingling of medical proficiency and technological prudence makes him a powerful force for constructive change in healthcare.
Outside his professional endeavors, Dr. Morris is an avid numismatist and philatelist, earning numerous awards and recognition. In his leisure time, he participates in marathons, showcasing his commitment to intellectual and physical pursuits, thereby leading by example.
The Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) was founded in 2004 to break boundaries in healthcare. The society promotes policies that support rapid, safe, and cost-effective translation of new technology into medicine.
