His mother, Anne (née Johnson), was a nurse and his father managed businesses, but died prematurely of a heart attack.

[2] As a neuroscientist, his research focused on nerve, muscle and auditory physiology as well as diagnosis of brain injury.

[2] In 1981 Counter worked with Harvard President Derek Bok, Dean Henry Rosovsky, and Reverend Peter Gomes to create the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, for which Counter became the founding director.

[5] In addition to his work at Harvard, Counter was also adjunct professor of neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and served as Consul General of Sweden in Boston and New England.

[8] In 1986, Counter was approached by an Inuit who claimed, without adducing any evidence, to be the child of Matthew A. Henson who subsequently introduced Counter to another Inuit who claimed, again without evidence, to be the child of Robert E.