The Scarecrow wished he had one; Johns Hopkins'
neuroscience undergraduate honor society wishes the public
knew more about it — a brain, that is.
NuRhoPsi, in conjunction with the Neuroscience
Program in KSAS'
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, will
host the school's inaugural Brain Awareness Week, a series
of panel and information sessions on the most sophisticated
of organs.
The series, which starts today, ties in with national
Brain Awareness Week, an educational outreach initiative
started in 1996 by the Dana Alliance to increase the
public's awareness of the importance of brain and nervous
system research.
Today at 2 p.m. all JHU undergraduate neuroscience
majors are invited to gather for a social meeting in
Levering's Great Hall on the Homewood campus.
The first public event will be a talk by Linda Gorman,
held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, in the Glass
Pavilion, titled "Do Drugs Really Make You Happy?" Gorman,
a lecturer in Psychological and Brain Sciences, will warn
of the short- and long-term adverse effects associated with
the use of drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine.
On Wednesday, Guy McKhann, a professor in the
Zanvyl Krieger
Mind/Brain Institute, and his wife, Harvard neurologist
Marilyn Albert, will present a lecture based on their book
Keep Your Brain Young: The Complete Guide to Physical
and Emotional Health and Longevity. McKhann has said
that three of the key factors to keeping the brain healthy
and well-functioning in old age appear to be physical
activity, mental activity and a person's confidence in his
or her ability to play a positive role. The couple's talk
will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Mattin Center's Offit
Building, room 160.
Several members of the Psychological and Brain
Sciences faculty will lead a panel discussion, held at 4
p.m. on Thursday in 233 Ames Hall, geared toward students
who are interested in the field.
The week ends with a student poster session from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday in Levering's Great Hall. Every
spring, the Neuroscience Program holds a campuswide
undergraduate poster contest to promote student research.
The posters will be judged by professors from the Biology,
Chemistry and Psychological and Brain Sciences
departments.
Jasmine Lew, co-coordinator with Jonathan Nizar of
Hopkins' Brain Awareness Week, said that the events are
intended to expose students to careers in the brain
sciences and to inform the public on some of the latest
research in the field.
"Johns Hopkins has a very strong Brain Sciences
program," said Lew, pointing out that neuroscience is one
of the most popular undergraduate majors. "We wanted to
draw attention to the program and let people know what kind
of work is going on here and provide an opportunity to meet
some of our faculty."
Those who attend any event will be presented with a
hardcover copy of the Society for Neuroscience's Brain
Facts: A Primer on the Brain and the Nervous System.
Attendees will also receive a "brain resource kit" that
includes a Brain Awareness Week T-shirt, a packet of 25
pencils, 25 brain-shaped erasers, an educational CD-ROM, a
copy of the Society for Neuroscience's Brain Awareness Week
report and SFN's guide to public advocacy.
NuRhoPsi, the JHU honor society for neuroscience, was
founded in spring 1997.
For more information, go to
www.jhu.edu/baw.