BRAIN SCIENCES WILL BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT DURING
12th ANNUAL
BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK AT
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE
February 14, 2011, Washington, D.C.: Approximately 850 area middle school students will fill the National Museum of Health and Medicine as they learn about traumatic brain injuries, brain anatomy, and more during the Museum’s upcoming 12th annual Brain Awareness Week. Brain Awareness Week at NMHM is produced in conjunction with the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.
Brain Awareness Week activities will take place at the Museum, located in Washington, D.C., over the course of five days -- March 14-18, 2011. After a brief introductory lecture about brain anatomy, students will rotate through hands-on activity stations to learn about different brain functions, influences on the brain and brain disorders. Those activity stations are managed by the Museum’s Partners in Education (listed below):
Examples of hands-on activities include:
- NIDA Brain Derby: Guided by staff from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, students are divided into two teams and compete to answer questions on how abused drugs act in the brain and body. The winners will receive a “Brain Scientist” certificate.
- Brain Pain: Communicating After Brain Injury: The Speech-Language Pathology Clinic at Walter Reed Army Medical Center will teach students about how traumatic brain injuries impact speech through a collaborative hands-on activity involving no verbal communication.
- Brain Basics- What You Need to Know to Prevent Brain Injury: Using a gelatin brain mold, Penn State Hershey Rehabilitation Hospital will teach students about general neuroanatomy and how traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) affect different parts of the brain.
Brain Awareness Week 2011 Partners in Education
Background
- National Brain Awareness Week programs were first established by the Dana Alliance in 1996, linking scientists, clinicians, journalists, and other educators in an annual effort to raise public awareness about the brain and brain science. In 2000, Dana joined forces with NMHM to develop a program designed especially for middle school students. Brain Awareness Week has helped instill a sense of excitement of science, while bringing awareness and understanding of current research and its translation into clinical practice to young audiences.
Media Availability
- Media representatives are invited to cover Brain Awareness Week activities. Advance notice is required to allow for proper security processing.
- Contact Melissa Brachfeld, NMHM Public Affairs Specialist, phone (202) 782-2671
Links
About the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives
- The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, a nonprofit organization of more than 265 leading neuroscientists, is committed to advancing public awareness about the progress and promise of brain research and to disseminating information on the brain in an understandable and accessible fashion. Supported entirely by the Dana Foundation, the Dana Alliance does not fund research or make grants.
About the National Museum of Health and Medicine
- The National Museum of Health and Medicine, established in 1862, inspires interest in and promotes the understanding of medicine—past, present, and future—with a special emphasis on tri-service American military medicine. As a National Historic Landmark recognized for its ongoing value to the health of the military and to the nation, the Museum identifies, collects, and preserves important and unique resources to support a broad agenda of innovative exhibits, educational programs, and scientific, historical, and medical research. The Museum is presently located at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. Visit www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum or call (202) 782-2200 for more information.
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