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 27, 2017. Having welcomed around 70 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 deputy director, Prof. Onodera gave a speech first, followed by the lab tours split into eight groups for the students to take part in and watch. In the research laboratories, which are usually closed to the public, students were introduced to explore a number of models and specimens and allowed to try out some of the researches that were actually conducted. 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 "Getting to know our brains" (Prof. Kakita, Dept. of Pathology Neuroscience) and "What is the mechanism of memory in the brain?" (Prof. Sakimura, Dept. of Cellular Neurobiology).

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.