Where is NW Noggin?
NW Noggin is a locally sourced, 501(c)(3) ALL-VOLUNTEER shoestring nonprofit organization. Your tax-deductible contribution supports the purchase of sheep brains, pipe cleaners, electrodes and clay for innovative, arts-integrated outreach, and helps send volunteers from local universities (including Portland State University, OHSU, and other area institutions) to public school classrooms, conferences and free community events.
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NW Noggin: Art + Brains
Rewiring Youth Justice in Oregon
Join us in Chile in *2027*!
In 2027 we'll return to Valparaíso, Chile, home of the Humboldt squid! 🦑⚡️🧠🎨😃 Just like in 2025, and 2023, we'll explore how neurons carry information, and how research in Chile (involving the squid’s giant fused axons) informed our understanding of the electrical signaling that links our experiences to the world. We’ll visit laboratories to examine the rich history and exciting present of brain research, make art (including arpilleras, woven depictions of events that help people express challenging memories and preserve them for accountability), and contribute to community engagement with Ciencia al Tiro, a local STEAM (STEM + Arts) outreach nonprofit. LEARN MORE: LAS NEURONAS SON BACANES. LEARN MORE: Arte y Cerebros en Chile LEARN MORE: ARTS & BRAINS IN CHILE
Protected: The Art of Being Understood
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Protected: Why Do We Need to Learn About This?
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Protected: The Power of Doing
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Protected: Who is in control?
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From Papyrus to EEG
Post by Ameru Mohammed Zaki, a senior at Portland State University pursuing majors in Biology and General Science with minors in Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience. Ameru is on the Pre-Medicine track at PSU. As a first-generation Iraqi college student, I am interested in research that supports underserved populations, especially communities…
Rare, But Not Invisible
Hello there! My name is Bahar Madani and I am a senior at Portland State University studying Public Health with a minor in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience. As a URISE and NIH BUILD EXITO scholar, my work centers on bridging clinical research, public health, and neuroscience, with a focus on improving outcomes…
Is AI bad for brains?
Post by Haile Wells, undergraduate in Psychology with a minor in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Portland State University. Haile is a research trainee for the TALENT lab at PSU. In her free time, she volunteers with Art on the Brain, an art therapy program for traumatic brain injury survivors. As a…
Can computer tools help with depression?
Post by Ambika Vyas, undergraduate in Computer Science with a minor in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Portland State University. Ambika is working under Dr. Suresh Singh as part of her undergraduate thesis studying machine learning techniques used in mental health research. One of the main reasons I chose a computer science…
Listening to macaques
Post by Josue L., an undergraduate in Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Portland State University. Josue is a research intern at the Oregon National Primate Research Center where he studies animal vocalizations using computational methods. Language is all around us Language is all around us, extending far beyond human…
NOGGINFEST 2026!!!!
We did it! Our scrappy, informed, practiced outreach volunteers from the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Association at Portland State University and graduate programs at Oregon and Health and Science University put together yet another fantastic eight hour celebration of brain awareness!! This is the largest student-run, accessible, FREE, all ages, public celebration…
What is outreach like?
“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.” ―Maya Angelou
Our Northwest Noggin undergraduate and graduate outreach volunteers are enthusiastic and informed, and regularly let knowledge serve by going places, making art, exploring brain research, sharing stories and listening to community questions and interests in urban and rural K-12 public schools, coffee shops, museums, correctional facilities, houseless youth nonprofits, research conferences, Congress and more! LEARN MORE @ What is outreach like?.