Today@Dal

From March 14 to 20, 2022, the Brain Repair Centre is celebrating the 27th annual Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science and research. The event will be held virtually this year, providing online learning opportunities for students and showcasing some of the great things happening in neuroscience right here in Halifax.

Brain Awareness Week will feature resources for all ages, with an emphasis on youth outreach and engagement. Videos, virtual lab tours and creative contests have been created to educate and garner interest in brain science for various levels of learning. Students can also enjoy videos, podcasts and interviews with scientists and researchers who are working to improve brain and spinal cord injury and illness.

A highlight of the week features a creative Make Your Own Neuron schools contest for kids from grades P-12, with varying instructions for each grade level. Prizes for students include BRC t-shirts and neuroscience-themed game card decks and notebooks.

The Neuroscience as Art competition aims to bring together both researchers and artists by recognizing that neuroscience-related research can generate brilliant, artistic images. The field of neuroscience can inspire artists to create stunning works of art that showcase the complexities of the brain and spinal cord and its components. These art creations will be up for auction and proceeds this year will be donated to the Epilepsy Association of the Maritimes. BRC member Dr. Alon Friedman is the William Dennis Chair in Epilepsy Research at Dalhousie University.

“The Brain Repair Centre is a world-class hub for neuroscience research and innovation, right here in Halifax,” says Dr. Victor Rafuse, Director of the Brain Repair Centre, “This week, we are celebrating the many academics and trainees in our region who are making valuable contributions to neuroscience, and encouraging young people to discover more about the importance and impact of our work.”

Dr. Rafuse is one of a number of local neuroscientists who was recently awarded funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), designed to elevate ideas with the greatest potential to improve human health. Other BRC recipients were Dr. Friedman and Dr. Jamie Kramer.

All proceeds raised through Brain Awareness Week are donated directly to various non-profit organizations. This year, all proceeds will go to the Epilepsy Association of the Maritimes. Past recipients include The Health Minds Cooperative, MS Canada (Halifax Chapter), Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia, (BIANS), Laing House, Direction 180 and Aphasia Nova Scotia.

The Brain Repair Centre is located at the Life Sciences Research Institute at Dalhousie University. The BRC has a website at www.brainrepair.ca and Brain Awareness Week’s resources can be found at www.hfxbaw.org.

Follow Brain Repair Centre on social media to join the neuroscience conversation:

Facebook: @BRCHFX

Twitter: @BRCHFX