Celebrate the Brain! - Brain Awareness Week

Have you ever wondered how the brain works? What the work of brain researchers looks like? How do scientists actually gain new insights that might eventually complete the puzzle?

Especially if you are not a neuroscientist but are fascinated by learning the answers behind these questions, join the annual Brain Awareness Week (BAW) in March! The BAW is a worldwide campaign that invites non-scientists of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate the brain and to learn about the progresses and promises of brain research.

The USA-based campaign was founded in 1996 by the ‘Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives’ and the ‘European Dana Alliance for the Brain’. Today, it spans more than 50 countries in which various partner facilities such as universities, governmental agencies, educational organizations, libraries, research facilities, and more show their unique perspectives and messages about the brain. The program covers a broad spectrum of activities. It offers movies, workshops, lab visits, symposiums, and art exhibitions. 

In Berlin, a neuroscience research center and two neuroscience research schools join forces this year: the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, and the International Graduate Program Medical Neurosciences. They will be presenting a four-hour workshop introducing high school kids to programming and computer simulations of neuronal communication. Their activities also include a talk about how the brain generates illusions and workshops about food and the brain, pain, emotions, and stress.

This year, the BAW will take place every day from March 12th until March 18th. Want to connect with the rest of the world? Check out www.dana.org/BAW/ or join www.facebook.com/BrainAwarenessWeek to see the event calendars and participating partners.