Fun and games at Brain Awareness Week outreach event in Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience

10 Apr 2023

Staff and Postgraduate students of the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience hosted a fun open day welcoming the public of all ages to a day of Brain themed activities, games, tutorials, and an opportunity to view brain cells under a microscope!

The event one of two organised by Dr Sarah Nicolas, lecturer and Ms Patricia Flynn, PhD student in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience to coincide with Brain Awareness Week 2023 and was held in the Western Gateway Building on Saturday 18th March 2023 from 11am-4:00pm. 

Photo: Event organiser Dr Sarah Nicolas (right) creating a brain hat with a young visitor

The event was very well attended with over 200 attendees on the day and a fun and interesting hands-on event ensured that all attendees were kept busy with the many and varied brain games and educational activities. Laughter was frequent at the 'say the colour not the word event and lots of concentration needed for the 'draw while looking at your hand in the mirror' activity. Colourful 'memory card games' allowed participants to discover the many different brain cells in the human brain, and a very popular event saw parents and children 'making their very own brain hats' to learn about the different brain regions their functions and to help remember their names! 

Microscopes were available for attendees to view slices of brain and examine the cells in the brain! Models of healthy and diseased neurons were displayed to demonstrate the working of neurons and to view the effect of diseases such as Alzheimer disease.

Photo: Event organiser Patricia Flynn (left) working with Dr Martina Mazzocchi and young visitors at the mirror writing station

The star attraction of the day was without doubt the wearing of a head piece which allowed each user to see their own brain waves and monitor the electrical changes that occurred within the brain as they closed one or both eyes, or when they moved their head.

The organisers thanked the many attendees and of course the many helpers which made this a Brain Awareness event a great success.

Brain Awareness Week is a global campaign that aims to raise awareness about the importance of brain health and neuroscience research.

The campaign is held annually in March, this year between the 13^th-19^th of March, and involves a series of events and activities that promote public education and engagement in brain-related topics.

The goal of Brain Awareness Week is to increase public awareness about the brain, how it works, and how it can be affected by disease, injury, and other factors. By promoting education and understanding about the brain, the campaign aims to encourage individuals to take steps to protect and maintain their brain health.

Through Brain Awareness Week, individuals can learn about the latest advances in brain research and discover strategies for promoting brain health and preventing brain-related illnesses. The campaign also aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in neuroscience and other brain-related fields, helping to ensure a bright future for brain research and discovery.

Other links:

Two exciting events to mark Brain Awareness Week 2023

Brain Awareness Website

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Photographs and event flyers: Brice Cortadi

News item Bereniece Riedewald