NINDS is excited to participate in Brain Awareness Week during March 11-17. This week-long celebration of the marvels of the human brain began in 1996, established and still coordinated by the Dana Foundation, a private philanthropic organization that works to advance neuroscience research that benefits society. Today, Brain Awareness Week offers opportunities for brain scientists and enthusiasts around the world to bring their knowledge and passion to the public and communicate about the progress and promise of brain research.
Anyone wishing to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for the brain can host Brain Awareness Week activities, and all are welcome to attend and participate. The Dana Foundation provides resources to help in developing and promoting activities for a range of audiences, both in person and virtually. Follow the hashtags #BrainAwarenessWeek and #BrainWeek on social media and locate a science center near you to find activities to join in your community.
NINDS has been proud to join Brain Awareness Week for over a decade to impart our love of brain science, inspire the next generation of brain scientists, and enhance public awareness about the brain. This year, I am happy to let you know that we will continue our partnership with the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland at their Brain Awareness Day celebration on March 16, a free community event that brings together medical professionals and brain researchers to provide hands-on learning about the brain, brain injury, and careers in brain science. We will also share virtual Brain Awareness Week activities on social media, including videos quizzing you about brain facts, testing your knowledge on brain truths and myths, and demystifying traumatic brain injury research. You can find even more videos and brain science activities for all ages on our NINDS Brain Educational Resources page.
Although Brain Awareness Week is a prominent time to disseminate information about the brain in fun and creative ways, NINDS promotes online and in-person neuroscience education and outreach activities throughout the year. NINDS has developed additional partnerships with local organizations to bring neuroscience into the communities surrounding the NIH campus. Since 2015, the Prince George’s County (Maryland) Memorial Library System has invited NINDS to summer and after school events where students take part in imaginative activities lead by NINDS staff volunteers to encourage students’ curiosity about the brain and learn about paths to careers in science. In addition, our passionate volunteers have brought the NINDS Lobe-oratorium to community events since 2019, such as Scout Day at the National Museum of Health and Medicine. This exhibit uses colorful graphics and real-world examples to tell the story of the lobes of the brain and how the brain allows our bodies and minds to do all the amazing things they do every day! This April, the Lobe-oratorium will travel to Rockville Science Day, hosted by the Rockville Science Center, where more than 3,000 visitors will learn the fascinating functions of their brain from NINDS scientists and research staff. I am grateful to our volunteers who demonstrate that science is for everyone while inspiring students to explore their curiosity about the brain and careers in brain science.
One of the goals of NINDS outreach is to inspire young people to learn about the brain and careers in brain research, and we hope these efforts also can help to broaden the diversity of the neuroscience workforce. By engaging in outreach efforts throughout the year, volunteers from NINDS’ talented workforce showcase the diversity of scientists and STEM professionals who are essential to the everyday processes of brain research, while bringing fun science to the public. A new endeavor called the NINDS Diverse Pathways to Science Video Series spotlights NINDS scientists, the many different paths they have taken, and the challenges they have overcome along their science journeys. The first scientist featured in this series is Dr. Lataisia Jones, NINDS Scientific Review Officer, who is also known to her many students as “Dr. Tay.” She described her journey, from childhood dreams of becoming a basketball player to thrilling neuroscience research experiences that led to her success as the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University.
Visit the NINDS Diverse Pathways to Science Video Series for more videos in this series.
You can stay up-to-date on Brain Awareness Week and other events as well as scientific advances by following us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. For learning resources from across the NIH’s 27 institutes and centers including games, virtual laboratories, printable activity books, and videos, check out the NIH STEM Teaching Resources page.
You can also use the NINDS Health Information page to learn about more than 400 brain disorders and find out how you can participate in research at ClinicalTrials.gov. For updates on advances in brain technologies research, you can subscribe to The BRAIN Blog from the NIH BRAIN Initiative, including updates from NIH BRAIN Director, Dr. John Ngai.
I welcome you all to take part in Brain Awareness Week through our in-person and virtual activities and in your local communities this week and throughout the year.