Events on tap to raise awareness about the brain

by Bill Snyder | Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, 8:47 AM

March is Brain Awareness Month at Vanderbilt University, and the public is invited to hear national experts discuss their research on autism and other brain disorders.

This year’s event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, March 5, at Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks, 719 Thompson Lane.A popular annual highlight is “Brain Blast,” a half-day of free, hands-on activities for children and adults.

On the first floor of Entrance D, Vanderbilt students and neuroscientists will guide participants as they “build a neuron,” explore brainwaves and touch a real brain.

Brain Awareness Month is sponsored annually by the Vanderbilt Brain Institute to raise awareness about the brain in health and disease. Public events include two neuroscience seminars on the “Brain, Mind and Society,” to be held at 4:10 p.m. in room 1220, Medical Research Building III.

The dates and topics are:

• March 2 — “Autism: Neurochemical and molecular genetic findings,” by Edwin Cook Jr., M.D., director of the Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and

• March 23 — “Gestational risk factors for schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder,” by Alan Brown, M.D., MPH, director of the Program in Birth Cohort Studies at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

The Brain Awareness Keynote Lecture will be given on March 31 by Marsha Mailick, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research and graduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Her lecture, entitled “Variation in FMR1 (fragile X mental retardation gene) CGG repeats and the impact of parenting children with disabilities,” will begin at 4:10 p.m. in room 241 of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

Three Brain Blast Brown Bag Lectures also will be offered at noon next week in room U-1202, MRB III. They are geared for Vanderbilt staff members who are non-experts but want to learn more about the brain. Dates and topics are:

• Feb. 29 — “Family History of Alzheimer’s Disease: What does it mean?” by Emily Mason, neuroscience graduate student;

• March 1 — “The Mathematical Brain,” by Eric Wilkey, neuroscience graduate student; and

• March 4 — “Wellness and the Brain,” by Nicole Baganz, Ph.D., research instructor.

For more information, contact Beth Sims at beth.sims@vanderbilt.edu or 615-936-3705.

Media Inquiries: 
Bill Snyder, (615) 322-4747 
william.snyder@Vanderbilt.Edu

On January 21st, 2016 CPF joined forces with the Meyer Family, Vanderbilt Specialists, and Kellygirl studios to record heart warming interviews between Jessica Meyer and her specialists. Jessica will be the feature presentation at this year’s Annual Meeting. One year ago Jessica completed treatments for brain cancer at Vanderbilt and is now eager to share her story and experience with everyone. Jessica hopes to inspire people everywhere to see the world through a joyful, childlike perspective and to remind pediatricians why they do what they do. 

These interviews uncovered a lot of raw emotion and brought up excellent points that CPF can’t wait to share with you on March 1st! 

Jessica’s talk: Do You Have What It Takes to Be My Doctor?

Objectives:

·         Creating the bond.

·         Explaining the diagnosis 

·         What does it take to make me feel comfortable? 

·         We are not just kids we are people too 

·         What my parents liked about you 

·         Make the hurt not hurt 

·         Knowing the kid lingo 

·         Why you wanted to be a Pediatric Doctor?

·         Jessica Theory

RSVP Here: http://cumberlandpediatric.org/content/2016-annual-meeting 

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