What’s it like to volunteer in a neurobiology lab? (Part 1: Training)

Post by Elana Kananykhina, undergraduate at Portland State University. Elana is pursuing a minor in interdisciplinary neuroscience, and volunteers in Adie Rae Wilson-Poe’s cannabinoid research lab at Legacy Research Institute. How did I get here?  Ever since I was a young girl, I put a lot of effort into finding answers to life’s questions. I…

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Brains With Little Brains

Post by Andrea Rano, NIH BUILD EXITO undergraduate at Portland State University NW Noggin was invited to return to the Helen Gordon Child Development Center at PSU last week. LEARN MORE: Meet your brain cells! We had plenty of curious and enthusiastic Portland State undergraduate volunteers, including Bharani Nallamala, Krystal…

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Pathways Under Change

LEARN MORE: Whose land are you on? Northwest Noggin traveled along the Columbia River to St. Helens, Oregon, named for the local volcano that erupted in 1980. We spent the morning with clients at the Pathways Residential Treatment Facility, a program of Columbia Community Mental Health, discussing substance use disorders…

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How to visit public schools

On two gorgeously colorful, drizzly fall mornings we gathered at one of our favorite Portland Public Schools. While some people (many from outside Portland) chose to disrupt this week’s PPS board meeting by melodramatically pulling off their masks and shouting “freedom,” we arrived fully vaccinated at Sunnyside Environmental School with…

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Threshold through TRIO

What is TRIO? The federal TRIO Programs reach out and support individuals who are not currently overrepresented in higher education. Upward Bound, Talent Search and Student Support Services were the original “trio,” founded in the 1960s – but they’ve been joined by Educational Opportunity Centers, the Ronald E. McNair Scholarships…

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Viking, Shark, Fishermen & Bandit Brains!

“Amazing the things you find when you bother to search for them.” ― Sacagawea We’re approaching a full decade of volunteer outreach amidst a landscape of extensive public “STEM Hub” investments, well-funded institutional outreach positions, paywalled conferences and museum exhibitions aimed at communicating science. But we’re pretty excited about the…

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Faces at p:ear!

We kicked off fall term with a return to p:ear, a remarkable Portland nonprofit aimed at building positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation. NW Noggin has collaborated with p:ear for SEVEN years (!), and we were honored to serve as their Community Partner of…

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Gresham Cool

Last week’s brain-baking temperatures gave way to a more traditional Oregon summer day – a few clouds, “sunbreaks” and some welcome morning cool. Our use of fossil fuels changes climate, and the data could not be more clear. Thankfully the latest IPCC report also identified steps we can take, crucial…

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