Events
International Brain Week 2010: the Contribution of the FMUL
During the week of the 15th to the 21st of March the 15th edition of the International Brain Week was held. The Faculty of Medicine, just as what happened over the last five years, was one of the 700 entities on a global level that gave dynamics to the activities in order to motivate society towards knowledge of the brain, to divulge research in neurosciences and to bring neuroscientists closer to the population, particularly young people.
Under the coordination of the neuroscientists Luísa V. Lopes and Paula A. Pousinha, from the Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, 33 researchers from different units of the Institute of Molecular Medicine (Unit of Neurosciences, Unit of Development Biology, Unit of Cell and Molecular Neurosciences, Unit of Bioimaging and Unit of Communication and training) made it possible to hold the different activities, namely: scientific photography exhibition in the main entrance of the building, open day for neurosciences – “What’s going on in your head” – as well as many talks aimed at young people from secondary schools.
The scientific photography exhibition was kindly lent to us by the Portuguese Neurosciences Society and was on display in the Egas Moniz Building all week, arousing the curiosity of all those who go through the building on a daily basis.
The open day took place on the 19th of March in the Egas Moniz Building. Its theme was “What’s going on in your head”, and the participants included 235 students and 15 teachers from secondary schools, from eight schools in the Lisbon area. Due to the high number of participants four cycles of visits were organized, spread over the morning and afternoon periods. After being received by a group of researchers, the visitors were led to an amphitheatre where they got to know the work that is carried out in the Faculty and in the Institute of Molecular Medicine, in particular.
The showing of the film “O Potencial de Acção” introduced the visitors into the spirit of the activity, stimulating curiosity towards neurosciences and for the interactive challenges proposed. The visitors, aroused by the researchers, corresponded to the enthusiasm and got down to work. The experiments were presented in a youthful and creative manner, providing students with the opportunity to observe “Parkinson yeast” in the Fluorescence Microscope, to understand how mice cells, embryo chicken cells or stem cells are important for understanding the working of the brain, to learn how neurons are formed, to verify the importance that environmental factors have on the capacity to memorise, to test their cognitive dexterity, to observe sheep brains, understanding their organization and relating the different areas to the different functions. At the end of the visit the students were challenged to give their contribution towards the building of a mural. This involved two hours of fun and knowledge.
Like what happened over recent years, many schools signed up for the activity “Neuroscientists go to the Schools”. The researchers made themselves available to hold talks suited to the students’ age levels, as well as to the interests they had set out on their enrolments. Thirteen secondary schools enrolled this year, from different geographical areas, such as: Vila Franca de Xira, Almeirim, Viana do Alentejo, among others. In total fifteen neuroscientists were involved and over 1,000 participating students. Different subjects were dealt with, including: general aspects of the working of the brain, the action of drug abuse and mechanisms of addiction, the routine of a neuroscientist in the laboratory, among others.
The activities referred to are a part of a Project that was submitted to an international competition. The experience shown over recent years and the quality of the activities proposed justified its selection and consequent financing, granted by the ‘Dana Foundation’. The activity “What’s going on in your head” was also sponsored by Zeiss and by the Portuguese Neurosciences Society.
Over the years the participation of the Faculty of Medicine in International Brain Week has been characterized by increasing ambition in order to attract society, stimulating debate about the brain, dignifying neurosciences and creating experiences in young people (and adults) which will certainly arouse interest, enthusiasm and respect for neurosciences in the future.
Luísa V. Lopes and Paula Pousinha Luís
Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, FMUL, IMM.
ppousinha@fm.ul.pt
Under the coordination of the neuroscientists Luísa V. Lopes and Paula A. Pousinha, from the Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, 33 researchers from different units of the Institute of Molecular Medicine (Unit of Neurosciences, Unit of Development Biology, Unit of Cell and Molecular Neurosciences, Unit of Bioimaging and Unit of Communication and training) made it possible to hold the different activities, namely: scientific photography exhibition in the main entrance of the building, open day for neurosciences – “What’s going on in your head” – as well as many talks aimed at young people from secondary schools.
The scientific photography exhibition was kindly lent to us by the Portuguese Neurosciences Society and was on display in the Egas Moniz Building all week, arousing the curiosity of all those who go through the building on a daily basis.
The open day took place on the 19th of March in the Egas Moniz Building. Its theme was “What’s going on in your head”, and the participants included 235 students and 15 teachers from secondary schools, from eight schools in the Lisbon area. Due to the high number of participants four cycles of visits were organized, spread over the morning and afternoon periods. After being received by a group of researchers, the visitors were led to an amphitheatre where they got to know the work that is carried out in the Faculty and in the Institute of Molecular Medicine, in particular.
The showing of the film “O Potencial de Acção” introduced the visitors into the spirit of the activity, stimulating curiosity towards neurosciences and for the interactive challenges proposed. The visitors, aroused by the researchers, corresponded to the enthusiasm and got down to work. The experiments were presented in a youthful and creative manner, providing students with the opportunity to observe “Parkinson yeast” in the Fluorescence Microscope, to understand how mice cells, embryo chicken cells or stem cells are important for understanding the working of the brain, to learn how neurons are formed, to verify the importance that environmental factors have on the capacity to memorise, to test their cognitive dexterity, to observe sheep brains, understanding their organization and relating the different areas to the different functions. At the end of the visit the students were challenged to give their contribution towards the building of a mural. This involved two hours of fun and knowledge.
Like what happened over recent years, many schools signed up for the activity “Neuroscientists go to the Schools”. The researchers made themselves available to hold talks suited to the students’ age levels, as well as to the interests they had set out on their enrolments. Thirteen secondary schools enrolled this year, from different geographical areas, such as: Vila Franca de Xira, Almeirim, Viana do Alentejo, among others. In total fifteen neuroscientists were involved and over 1,000 participating students. Different subjects were dealt with, including: general aspects of the working of the brain, the action of drug abuse and mechanisms of addiction, the routine of a neuroscientist in the laboratory, among others.
The activities referred to are a part of a Project that was submitted to an international competition. The experience shown over recent years and the quality of the activities proposed justified its selection and consequent financing, granted by the ‘Dana Foundation’. The activity “What’s going on in your head” was also sponsored by Zeiss and by the Portuguese Neurosciences Society.
Over the years the participation of the Faculty of Medicine in International Brain Week has been characterized by increasing ambition in order to attract society, stimulating debate about the brain, dignifying neurosciences and creating experiences in young people (and adults) which will certainly arouse interest, enthusiasm and respect for neurosciences in the future.
Luísa V. Lopes and Paula Pousinha Luís
Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, FMUL, IMM.
ppousinha@fm.ul.pt