Brain Awareness Week 2023
Brain Awareness Week 2023 will officially begin on Monday, March 13th, marking its 28th annual campaign to unite neuroscience’s many stakeholders. Even more than funding agencies, academic centers, and non-profits, the most important stakeholder in our pursuit of understanding the brain is and has always been society and the people living in it. As corny as it sounds, it’s always worth recognizing that everyone who has a nervous system and is curious about the mind is invested in the enterprise of neuroscience. The Dana Foundation, parent to Brain Awareness Week, said it best in their June 2022 envisioning of a future in which brain science both informs and reflects society:
“What researchers choose to focus on, how they do their research, and how their results are interpreted and received are influenced by the societies they live in. We believe that neuroscience would benefit greatly from increased input from diverse stakeholders—including the people who will potentially use the new brain discoveries and technology in their lives.”
- Dana Foundation’s New Focus: Neuroscience and Society
During this year’s Brain Awareness Week in New York City, BraiNY encourages all (neuro)scientists to engage with your communities. Whether that’s the neighborhood home to your research institute or the patient community personally affected by the disorder that you study, we hope you find a way to get connected and explore our collective investment. Since last year’s Society for Neuroscience meeting, BraiNY has drawn inspiration in connectedness from the Developmental Neurobiology Academy (DNA) at King’s College London, a summer program built on the tenets of creating equitable opportunities for A-level students from historically disenfranchised backgrounds, and the North American Spinal Cord Injury Consortium, an advocacy group focusing on connecting researchers, people living with spinal cord injury, and other players to improve research, care, cures, and policies. We encourage you to check out their work and let it inspire yours as well.
March 2023 will see the largest number of BAW events that New York City has hosted since 2019—a welcome return that will nonetheless stay on trend with options for both in-person and virtual engagement. In truth, Brain Awareness Week Month began on March 2nd with a brain health webinar about the PD Movers, a group of African American/Black and Brown individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease who are joining together to establish a network of trust and support. The post below will share details about ten upcoming BAW events, running from tonight, March 10th, to Wednesday, March 22nd.
Brain Awareness Week 2023. Come for the brains, stay for the beauty, the laughs, the stories, the lessons, and the community.
If you’re planning to volunteer or attend any Brain Awareness Week events, use #BrainAwarenessWeek and #ComeBeBraiNY in your posts, and we encourage you to tag us @ComeBeBraiNY on Twitter and @comebebrainy.nyc on Instagram.
See you soon,
Casey Lardner, PhD
BraiNY President
Friday, March 10th, 9pm | Virtual & in person
SCIENCE 101: Are you your brain? Visit Caveat (21A Clinton St., Manhattan) for games, ridiculous audience polls, blistering hot takes, "art" challenges, votes for tenure, and real, actual scientists. Join guest expert (aka "guestpert") neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Dr. Heather Berlin and hosts Dustin Growick, Kristina Gustovich, Dr. Justin Charles Williams, and Noah Guiberson for a special BAW edition. Remember, SCIENCE 101 is the only "class" where attendance is 99% of your grade.
Tickets can be purchased here! 21+ in-person, 18+ livestream.
Tuesday, March 14th, 3pm to 5pm | In person
Back in person for the first time in years, the Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai hosts its annual fan-favorite Brain Fair. Attendees of all ages will stream into the Guggenheim Pavilion (1468 Madison Avenue, Manhattan) at the Mount Sinai Hospital for a 3D surgery simulator, pipe cleaner neuron models, a ‘Meet the Experts’ booth featuring some of Mount Sinai's most prominent neuroscientists, and NYC’s only portable, inflatable, walk-through brain exhibit. The annual Brain Fair is always an enormous success, with 100 Mount Sinai volunteers and over 500 participants.
Mark your calendars and follow the FBI on Twitter for more event info @SinaiNeuro and @SinaiBrain. There is no need to RSVP to attend – just show up, learn, and play from 3pm to 5pm on Tuesday, March 14th.
Tuesday, March 14th, 8pm, “doors” open at 7:30pm | Virtual
Live via Zoom on Tuesday, March 14th, join a mind-blowing edition of the Secret Science Club as they present the Dana Foundation’s Neuroscience & Society Lecture with pioneering brain researchers Francis Shen & Adriana Galván. In honor of Brain Awareness Week, Francis Shen and Adriana Galván will discuss groundbreaking discoveries about the adolescent brain—and how these scientific insights are affecting our legal system, public policy, and society. Shhh... everyone on their (secret) mailing list will receive the Zoom link the night before. To join the Secret Science Club mailing list (or request the Zoom link), send them an email (secretscienceclub@gmail.com).
Before & After
--Mix up our cocktail (and mocktail!) of the night, the "Legal Limit"… (recipe to come!)
--Groove to synapse-soothing tunes
--Bring your questions for the live Q&A
This is a FREE event.
Wednesday, March 15th | In person
Set your sights near and far on BioBase Harlem (3227 Broadway, Manhattan) on the way home from school on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 15th. The BioBase will host an afternoon of activities all about the neuroscience of seeing. From vision to perception, how do we see the world around us? You’ll have the chance to see real brains and dissect an eyeball. Ever seen anything cooler than that?
RSVP at www.biobus.org/events. For groups of 6 or more, please register with Rob (rob@biobus.org).
Thursday, March 16th through Sunday, March 19th | Virtual
The annual NeuroYoga online conference brings together the best, down-to-earth neuroscientists and yoga teachers to help you transcend misinformation and improve how you practice and teach yoga. Throughout the three days of this conference, you’ll build your knowledge of the brain science of yoga in three key areas:
1. Yoga + trauma
2. Yoga + empathy
3. Yoga + neurological conditions like stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease
No less than 100% of past attendees would recommend NeuroYoga to their friends.
“This conference went well beyond my expectations! The presenters were extremely knowledgeable and graciously answered everyone’s questions. The yoga classes were not to be missed as they were taught by world class yoga masters.”
Sign up now (for free!) to join hundreds of like-minded people interested in yoga and the brain. Visit NeuroYoga’s website for more information about the schedule, featured speakers, and what you’ll learn about the interconnectedness of yoga and neuroscience.
Friday, March 17th, all day | Virtual
The Art of the Brain Exhibition is back again. Brought to you by the Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, this exhibition of photographs, paintings, illustrations, and videos celebrates the beauty of the brain as seen through the eyes of some of the world’s leading researchers. These images will symbolize the latest technological advances scientists are using to better understand how the brain works and accelerate treatment for brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, autism, substance use disorder, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and many others. Follow @SinaiBrain to grab the link for the virtual, “walkable” gallery.
Friday, March 17th, 7pm | In person and virtual
Facts Machine: Taking a Brain Check is back at Caveat (21 A Clinton St.) on Friday, March 17th. Scientists Noah, Em, and Rob who moonlight as pub trivia hosts will do deep dives on the deepest recesses of the mind in this neuroscience-inspired comedy show featuring guest neurobiologists and science communicators, Paula Croxson and Thiago Arzua!
Join us as we get tangled up in neural nets, celebrate Dendritic Arbor Day, and fight for neurite to party!
This event is 21+. Purchase tickets here, $18 in advance, $22 at the door, and $10 livestream.
Saturday, March 18th 10am to 2pm | In person
Beauty and the Brain: A celebration of neuroscience & Harlem culture
This annual collaborative event will feature the BioBus, BraiNY, and RockEDU coming together around two beautiful themes: celebrating Harlem and the neuroscience of beauty. All day at the Adam Clayton Powell Plaza (163 W 125th Street, Manhattan), attendees will explore ideas like color perception, how symmetry manifests in human faces, and the neuroscience of choice and identity. Brains from animals of all sizes will be there too (whales, bears, and rodents, oh my!) and participants will be able to touch a real human brain.
In addition to these games and activities, representatives from L'Oréal will share how the relationship between structure and function shows up in our hair, just as it governs the neurons in our brains. Finally, participants shouldn’t leave until they’ve had a chance to participate in a collaborative, collective art project that will feature sensations from all around Harlem — from sights and smells to memories – called “Sensational Harlem.”
Sunday, March 19th, 11am to 4pm | In person
BraiNY x The Happiness Experiment
The New York Hall of Science (47-01 111th St., Queens) has on ongoing exhibit, The Happiness Experiment, that BraiNY volunteer researchers were more than happy to get in on. From 11am to 4pm on Sunday, March 19th, museum-goers at NYSCI will be able to delve even further into the neuroscience of happiness through games, activities, neuron art, and a scavenger hunt. Participants who complete the scavenger hunt will be entered to win 2 all-inclusive tickets for a future visit to NYSCI! What a happy prospect.
Wednesday, March 22nd | In person and virtual
The Story Collider will team up with the Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai at Caveat (21A Clinton St., Manhattan) to bring you five true, personal stories from folks at all career stages in “Stories of the Brain and Beyond.”
Join hosts Latasha Wright and Paula Croxson for stories from Luis Melo, Dr. Ismail Nabeel, Dr. Abha Karki Rajbhandari, Dr. Saren Seeley, and Sanutha Shetty as they journey through the brain… and beyond!
21+. Purchase tickets here. $5 for in person and livestream.
Casey Lardner received her bachelor’s degree from William & Mary and her doctorate from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where her work focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying substance use disorder. Currently, she is a Program Coordinator in the Neuroscience Institute at NYU Langone Health focusing on development, outreach, and communications.