Open house caps Brain Awareness Week
By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on March 19, 2024.
The Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience held an open house on Saturday to wrap up University of Lethbridge Brain Awareness Week activities on Saturday.“I think one of the most important things about the event is the fact that we’re able to connect the public not only with the research that we’re doing here at the university but also with some amazing organizations that are brain related or brain focused in terms of the services they provide,” said Jade Oldfield, Brain Awareness Week coordinator.
Attendees could learn about brain advancements.
“Around the dry labs, all of the students are currently talking about the different research that’s going on in each of the professor’s different labs which spans everything from human focused research and MRI all the way to animal focus research,” said Oldfield.
There were students presenting their three-minute thesis topics and their posters to discuss more about what they are working on at the CCBN.
More organizations were brought in this year that benefitted the brain either directly or indirectly.
“This year we have guests like Lethbridge Public Library, United for Literacy, graduate studies here at the University of Lethbridge just to promote those activities that keep your brain strong and healthy,” she said.
Actual sheep brains were brought into the kids room so young attendees could observe and experience them.
“The engaging activities that we have in the kids room are designed to kind of strengthen brains through play,” said Oldfield.
There was also mirror tracing and mystery boxes for the kids.
A takeaway that Oldfield would like the attendees to take with them is that the space is open for them.
“And that if they have questions about some of the neat stuff that goes on in university, there’s no barriers for them to access that,” said Oldfield. 2
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