“Brain Rail” is the theme of the initiative in 2022 and aims to raise awareness of the importance of studying the brain and its fundamental role in a healthy life.
The Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology (CNC) and the Clinical and Biomedical Research Institute of Coimbra (iCBR) (members of the CIBB research consortium), both from the University of Coimbra (UC), are once again celebrating the Brain Awareness Week.
This year, the initiative has hands-on and remote activities throughout the month of March. “Brain Rail” is the theme of the initiative in 2022 and aims to raise awareness of the importance of studying the brain and its fundamental role in a healthy life, as well as taking science and scientists to different places. Several free science communication activities will be promoted:
- “Neuroscientists go to schools” between the 14th and 25th of March to promote science communication actions with school audiences, associations and senior universities;
- The “Brain Gain: Discovering Neurosciences” is an initiative aimed at higher education students, which aims to enhance the areas of Neurosciences in Portugal, inspiring students to pursue careers in this area. This initiative, which takes place on March 9, 16, 23, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, will bring together professionals from various institutions and address different topics such as: Neurosciences, Psychiatric and Addiction Diseases, Cognition, Action and Consciousness. There will also be a competition from April 4th to 13th, “The Brain Challenge”, in which the winners will have the opportunity to intern with neuroscientists from the Portuguese Society of Neurosciences network. This activity is online and funded by the Portuguese Society of Neurosciences, the Biochemical Society and IBRO. The program can be found here;
- On March 18, “World Sleep Day” is celebrated, a day dedicated to raising awareness of sleep and associated disorders, such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). In this context, a play, “Morfeu e Apnea” will be premiered at the Convento São Francisco, in Coimbra, as a result of a partnership between the CNC and the Marionet theater company. On this day there will also be space for a colloquium on sleep, also at the Convento São Francisco, and it will be possible to visit an exhibition of drawings, resulting from a competition launched to schools on sleep habits. The initiative has the support of Associação Portuguesa do Sono, Gasoxmed and Coimbra City Council;
- The “Brain Fair” takes place on May 20 at the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra. This activity will allow the public to develop “hands on” activities, small experiments and have brief conversations with neuroscientists. Admission is free and takes place between 10 am and 5 pm;
- Neurosciences will also be the subject of pieces on Radio Universidade de Coimbra on the 15th, 22nd, 24th and 29th of March.
Brain Awareness Week is an international initiative promoted by the Dana Foundation and the European Federation of Neuroscience Societies (FENS). In Portugal, it is promoted by the Portuguese Society of Neurosciences and Ciência Viva. At the CNC, it also has the support of the Interdisciplinary Research Institute of the University of Coimbra.
Information via email scicomm@cnc.uc.pt.
