WHAT: Series of events during March aimed at teaching the public about the importance of brain research to understanding, treating, and ultimately curing brain-related diseases. Events are open to the public and are sponsored by the Vanderbilt Brain Institute (936-2637, brain.institute@vanderbilt.edu, http://braininstitute.vanderbilt.edu).
WHO, WHEN, WHERE: Hands-on family activity and national speakers at various dates and times during March, as follows:
March 2 – The Path to Autism – Catherine Lord, Ph.D., director of the Autism and
Communication
Disorders
Center at the
University of
Michigan, will discuss early diagnosis and follow-up of children with autistic spectrum disorders. 4:10-5:10 p.m., 241 MRL/Kennedy Center. Parking is available in Wesley Place Garage, spaces 52-170.
March 4 – Brain Blast! Family Fun at the
Adventure
Science
Center – Enjoy a variety of hands-on activities led by Vanderbilt neuroscience undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. Brain Blast is included in the science center entry fee. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.,
Adventure
Science
Center.
March 9 – A New View of Alzheimer’s – John G. Csernansky, M.D., director of the
Silvio
O.
Conte
Center for Neuroscience Research at
Washington
University,
St. Louis, will describe using brain scans to detect Alzheimer’s Disease. 4-5 p.m., 202 Light Hall. Parking is available in South Parking Garage, 2200 Children’s Way.
March 15 – Brain Awareness Keynote Address: Tracking Schizophrenia – Stephan Heckers, M.D., the James G. Blakemore Chair in Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, will describe efforts to understand if there is a neuroanatomy of schizophrenia. 4:10-5:10 p.m., 103
Wilson Hall. Parking is available in Wesley Place Garage, spaces 52-170.
March 23 – Meeting Addiction Head On – Mary Jeanne Kreek, M.D., from the Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases at The Rockefeller University, will discuss endorphins, stress and the addictions. 1:15-2:15 p.m., 214 Light Hall. Parking is available in South Parking Garage, 2200 Children’s Way.
March 30 – You Snooze, You Lose! – Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., from the Department of Medicine at the
University of
Chicago, will describe the national sleep debt and whether it has a role in the epidemic of obesity. 6-7 p.m.,
Adventure
Science
Center, Jack Wood TEC Auditorium.
Media Contact: Leigh MacMillan (615) 322-4747
leigh.macmillan@vanderbilt.edu