WSU provides outreach for Brain Awareness Week

Faculty members from the Wayne State University School of Medicine brought buckets of brains to junior high and high school classrooms all across metro Detroit, in celebration of Brain Awareness Week, March 13-19.

Volunteers met with nearly 2,000 students, who asked questions about brain function, discussed the effects of drugs and disease, and helped dissect rat, sheep and human brains to learn how the organ controls the rest of the body.

Michael Bannon, PhD, organized and directed Wayne State’s Brain Awareness Week effort. He mobilized students and faculty members to visit nearly 2,000 people, discussing the importance of the neurosciences.

“We have an important message to take to the students,” Dr. Bannon said. “At some point, almost all of us will be affected by a neurological disorder, either personally or with a family member’s struggle. Brain-related diseases and disorders include Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, learning disorders, Huntington’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, depression and epilepsy. In addition, it’s often shocking for students to see firsthand the damage that drugs and alcohol can do. This very early intervention can be a great preventive measure.”

The week’s events culminated in a special hands-on exhibit at the Detroit Science Center. Adults and children learned about the brain through interactive displays and workstations. “WSU  neuroscientists and their colleagues have made great strides in unraveling the mysteries of the brain,” said Dr. Bannon. “This week was a great way to celebrate.”