World Brain Awareness Week event held at BRI

Brain Awareness Week is the global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research. BRI staged the event, "Let's take a look at the human brain and mind" in March 26, 2018. Having welcomed around 65 attendees from high schools and universities across Niigata, the lab tours and talks carried out by BRI scientists attracted the students who came to learn about neuroscience.

BRI director, Prof Hiroyuki Nawa gave a speech first, followed by the lab tours split into six groups for the students to take part in and watch. Some laboratories allowed students to try out microsurgery and DNA extraction under the guidance of lab staff. That has made these lab visits all the more real and exciting for students who enthusiastically and actively participated.
After the lab tours, BRI professors gave lectures on topics such as "How to shape mind in the brain" (Prof Shibuki, Dept of Neurophysiology) and "Dopamine: the brain's reward system" (Prof Sasaoka, Dept of Comparative & Experimental Medicine).

The aim of the event was to increase students' interest and understanding of neuroscience. We hope they can see research as one of their career paths.

■See the online article in the Niigata Nippo More
(Page 34, March 27, 2018, the Niigata Nippo)