Brain Awareness Week 2010 - find out how to be a part of Bristol's biggest brain event of the year
Posted: 28/01/2010
See article and photos of BAW2009 and the last Discover (then called Science Alive) in 2008
Brain Awareness Week 2010 is fast coming upon us - here's how you can join in!
All members of Bristol Neuroscience - lecturer, clinician, student, postdoc....
there's something for everyone in this worldwide celebration of the brain
Why?
And, thanks to partnerships with the University's Centre for Public Engagement (CPE) and the Science Centre At-Bristol, BN provides lots of easy ways for you to take part in 2010.
When?
BAW proper is 15-21 March, but we are doing events from 11th to 19th MarchHow?
THere are two BAW events: 1. Discover and 2. At-Bristol. You can do either or both.
1. 
DISCOVER (main contact = CHARLIE cg8092@bristol.ac.uk)
- 11, 12 and 13 March (Thurs - Saturday)
- The Galleries shopping centre, Broadmead
- Hands-on activities about neuroscience and memory (and more)
- Age-range of visitors: school parties Thurs-Fri, mostly aged 7-12, plus general public at any time
- Number of places: the more the merrier! (timetabled to be 4-12 people at any one time)
- Preparation: one short briefing and meeting the team session (date TBC)
- Time commitment - as much or little as you wish - From 1 hour to the whole day/s, with late night shopping hours available on Thurs evening too
- Perks: too many to mention....
- including...T-shirts, refreshments, enjoyment, camaraderie, .... and being part of a really special and important event in the University year
HOW do I find out more? - email CHARLIE GEORGE cg8092@bristol.ac.uk
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2. AT-BRISTOL (main contact = Katy McDonald katy.mcdonald@at-bristol.org.uk)
- 15-19 March (Mon- Friday)
At-BRISTOL Science Centre, Millennium Square
- Being ‘brain experts’ at the Lab, part of At-Bristol’s brand new multimillion redevelopment plans by doing
(a) Hands-on activities about neuroscience, same or similar to those at DISCOVER or
(b) opportunity to come up with your own ideas for activities and create new ones! See more below - Age-range of visitors: mostly age 6-12 in school parties, plus visiting families
- Number of places: 15-30 (3-6 people at any one time)
- Preparation:
For (a) and (b) one briefing and meeting At-Bristol team (date TBC)
For (b) prior development of your ideas with At-Bristol (see below) - Time commitment: runs 9:30-2:30 each day, can do less or more depending on what you want to do
- Perks:
- get stuck into BAW with everything organised and funded
- chance to try out and test your own ideas fully supported by science engagement professionls, around neuroscience topic of your choice
- any consumables etc you want for your activity provided (within reason!)
- free lunch and refreshments
- free 'Pick my brains' T-shirts
PLUS all the perks for Discover
and celebratory de-briefing session (details TBC)
HOW: email Katy McDonald katy.mcdonald@at-bristol.org.uk and/or Anne Cooke b-n@bristol.ac.uk
More info on option b (creating your own brand new activities)
Got ideas of your own, around your research or any other topic? Want the chance to see public engagement from the inside? Take the chance to work with science engagement professionals, with resources, kit and consumables provided, to try them out....
At-Bristol would like to invite you to develop your own ideas for taking neuroscience out of the lab and into the public, making use of their resources of expertise, time, kit and consumables*. No need to do any fundraising, organising, and with help at all stages, this is a brilliant way to develop activities around your own research (or other topics) which you could use again in future. Especially good for funded scientists and budding science communicators - BUT everyone welcome
Please email Katy McDonald, katy.mcdonald@at-bristol.org.uk
What if I don't take part?
You will miss out on the biggest brain celebration of the year..
What, exactly, is Brain Awareness Week?
Brain Awareness Week is an international effort organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives to advance public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. With over 70 countries running ever more events worldwide, Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is an increasingly important platform to inform and discuss the brain - something of relevance to everyone in society.
The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives is a non-profit organization of 260 leading neuroscientists, including ten Nobel laureates. The Dana Alliance is committed to advancing public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research. It is supported by the Dana Foundation, a private philanthropic organization with particular interests in neuroscience, immunology, and arts education. The corresponding organisation in Europe is EDAB - the European Dana Alliance for the Brain
Under the theme Get Connected BAW includes a huge variety of activities and events held to take brain-related topics to all sectors of the public. From busking on the streets of Spain, to making plasticine brains in India, from lectures in Slovakia to trying your hand at brain surgery with neurosurgeons, BAW opens people’s minds to the marvels and wonders of the brain, and gives the chance to learn how to protect this unique and precious organ against injury and disease.
The emphasis on direct involvement of practising neuroscientists and clinicians allows people to hear about the very latest treatments and discoveries in brain research.
Such opportunities are essential to enable informed public discussion on issues of social importance - such as the ethics of treating patients in permanent vegetative state, why autism seems to be on the increase, what can be done to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and whether cognitive enhancers bring more benefit or harm.
Further information about BAW worldwide
Further information
Katy McDonald, katy.mcdonald@at-bristol.org.uk
Charlie George, cg8092@bristol.ac.uk
Dr Anne Cooke, b-n@bristol.ac.uk
