NW NOGGIN: Neuroscience outreach group (growing in networks)

Noggin @ Rigler Elementary!
2022-05-10 15:45 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Rigler Elementary School, 5401 NE Prescott Street, Portland, OR, 97218, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit with SUN Program students at Rigler Elementary!
We did it!

LEARN MORE: We love SUN!

WHERE: Rigler Elementary School, 5401 NE Prescott St, Portland, OR 97218
WHEN: TUESDAY, May 10, 3:45pm – 5:00pm

Noggin LOVES SUN!
We got our start running a free, all-volunteer art and neuroscience SUN program in 2012!

We’re excited to meets students at Rigler Elementary in Portland Public Schools and talk about brains, make art and examine some extra human brain specimens.

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Kristin Preston, PSU
4. Kaya Burd, PSU
5. Kass Fitzgerald, PSU
6. Sara Aldrich, OHSU
7. Mercy Siro, PSU
8. Tira Gaston, PSU

Noggin @ Pathways!
2022-05-19 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Bridges to Pathways Detox Center, 58646 McNulty Way, Saint Helens, OR, 97051, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Bridge to Pathways residential drug/alcohol treatment program
We did it!
Hope through Change
This week, NW Noggin returned to the amazing Bridges to Pathways Residential Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center in historic St. Helens, Oregon, about 30 miles west of Portland.
READ MORE

WHERE: Columbia Community Mental Health, 58646 McNulty Way, St Helens, OR 97051
WHEN: Thursday, May 19, 2021; 11:00am – 1:00pm
Contact: Rain Marie Carroll, ​MS, QMHP, CADC-R
We’re excited to meet with residents and providers in St. Helens!
See what we did at Pathways last fall!
Pathways Under Change

From Rain Marie Carroll, the Residential Clinical Administrator

Pathways Residential Treatment Facility: Pathways is a 16-bed substance use disorder treatment center. The facility is not gender specific. Clients complete ~8 hours of SUDs treatment programming and individual counseling sessions with our Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors each day.
Alternatives Residential Treatment Facility: Alternatives is a 9-bed treatment facility for individuals that are under the jurisdiction of Oregon’s Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB). This occurs when an individual commits a felony and successfully pleads guilty with the exception of insanity. The facility is not gender specific. Clients are required to complete a set number of group and individual counseling hours each week. Clients are assigned to a level system, and they are afforded greater freedom as they achieve lower levels.
Cornerstone Residential Treatment Facility: Cornerstone is a 16-bed treatment facility for individuals that are suffering with severe, persistent mental illness. The facility is not gender specific. This is the least restrictive facility as clients are not required to complete any group or individual counseling sessions.
Bridge to Pathways Medical Detoxification Center: We provide detoxification services for all substances except benzodiazepines. This is a 9-bed detox center that is not gender specific.

To join us, please contact griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS

Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
Ellie Phelps, PSU
Quinn Westlynd, PSU
Tira Gaston, PSU
Britta Harbury, PSU
Tonia Bautista, PSU
Kira Rosen, PSU
Sienna Cenere, Sienna Art Studios
Anna Traylor, PSU
Lillian Chen, PSU
Kaya Burd, PSU

Noggin @ Roosevelt!
2022-05-26 12:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Roosevelt High School, 6941 N Central St, Portland, OR, 97203, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Roosevelt High School, Portland Public Schools
We did it!
LEARN MORE: “What makes people struggle?”

WHERE: Roosevelt High School, 6941 N Central St, Portland, OR 97203; head to courtyard next to cafeteria
WHEN: Thursday, May 26, noon – 3:45pm (if you get there a little earlier than noon we could use your help with set-up too 🙂
Contact: Ezra Whitman, Academic Coordinator/Instructional Specialist, Roosevelt High School

We’re excited to join sophomores and juniors at Roosevelt High School for an afternoon of neuroscience research, extra brains and art! Looking forward to insights and questions from developing adolescent noggins 🙂

From Ezra: “NWNoggin.org will be coming to Roosevelt! Among that team are some RHS grads!!! Students will listen to an intro and presentation from the brilliant folks of NWNoggin and then create artwork in response. I have ordered an array of pipecleaners, fuzzy pom pom balls, beads, elastic string, glue, cotton swabs, rubber bands, and nitrile gloves. I will also spend the week drumming up any random materials I come across. Each session will have anywhere from 50-80 students.”

7th Period (12:21 – 1:52)
1 Health class (sophomore- junior) – Macon
1 Creative Writing class (junior-senior) – Ambrosio
1 AVID class (sophomore) – Valiente
1 Psych/Social Studies (junior-senior) – McCants
8th Period (1:59 – 3:30)
1 Health class (sophomore- junior) – Macon
1 Creative Writing class (junior-senior) – Ambrosio
1 AVID class (sophomore) – Valiente
1 Psych/Social Studies (junior-senior) – McCants

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Skye Skalbeck, PSU
4. Lucille Thornhill, PSU
5. Aaron Eisen, OHSU
6. Grace Taylor, PSU
7. Bella Showerman, PSU
8. Nazzy Hassan, PSU
9. Gabriel Latcu, PSU
10. Emerson Ross, PSU
11. Sara Aldrich, OHSU
12. Bobby Gifford, PSU
13. Victoria Ambriz, PSU
14. Angel Flores Rosas, PSU
15. Yasaman Farhand, PSU
16. Tira Gaston, PSU
17. Zoie Harpole, PSU
18. Kaya Burd, PSU
19. Lauren Kuiper, PSU
20. Matthew Lindars, PSU
21. Hannah Shawo, PSU

OHSU/OMSI BRAIN FAIR CANCELLED!
2022-06-04 08:30 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
WHAT: OHSU/OMSI BRAIN FAIR CANCELLED
Sadly OHSU and OMSI weren’t able to resolve a vaccination requirement issue for Brain Fair this year.
Hoping to return in 2023!
WHERE: Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214
WHEN: Saturday, June 4, 2022, 9:00am – 5:00pm
(set up 8:30 – 9:30am! Event starts @ 10am)
One of the nation’s largest Brain Fairs is this Saturday at OMSI!
Come join Noggin and the PSU Neuroscience Club for an awesome day of FREE public learning!
The Brains at Brain Fair

Bringing BRAINS to Brain Fair 🙂

Putting the brains in Brain Fair!

Pipe Cleaners, Gel Prints, Electrodes & Brains!

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Kass Fitzgerald, PSU
4. Yasaman Farhand, PSU
5. Britta Harbury, PSU
6. Aspen Allred, PSU
7. Isaac Fuller, PSU
8. Sydney Watson, PSU
9. Lucille Thornhill, PSU
10. Tira Gaston, PSU
11. Zoie Harpole, PSU
12. Jessica Cary, PSU
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Noggin @ Paseo!
2022-07-16 12:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
WHAT: Northwest Noggin @ Paseo!
We did it!
Paseo, Plasticity & Portland Parks!

WHERE: South Park Blocks and Director Park, Portland, OR.
We’ll meet at Director Park.

NW Noggin is STALL #1!

WHEN: Saturday, July 16, noon – 5pm. Arrive a little before noon for set up.

The Portland Parks Foundation is proud to present Paseo, a free new festival and community gathering on July 15 – 17. Paseo will feature music, dance, spoken word, and other creative forms, along with yoga and healthful, family activities in the heart of downtown at the South Park Blocks and Director Park.

LEARN MORE: Paseo 2022

Northwest Noggin is excited to join Paseo with extra brains and neuroscience-related art projects on Saturday, July 16 from noon until 5pm!

Come join us – please email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu.

COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Kanani Miyamoto, NW Noggin/PNCA
2. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
3. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
4. Quinn Westlynd, PSU
5. Travis Christian, PSU graduate
6. Julian Gamez, University of Oregon/McNair scholar
7. Kaya Burd, PSU
8. Ben Bolen, PSU Neuroscience Club
9. Kierra Rogers, PSU
10. Kassidy Fitzgerald, PSU
11. Amanda Ngo, PSU
12. Randall Olson, OHSU
13. Bradley Marxmiller, PSU/OHSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
14. Brooke Searle, PSU

POSTPONED 🔥 Noggin @ Scott Elementary SUN!
2022-07-26 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Scott Elementary School, 6700 NE Prescott Street, Portland, OR, 97218, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit with SUN Program students at Scott Elementary School!
****POSTPONED DUE TO EXTREME HEAT 🔥
NEW EVENT: Noggin @ Scott Elementary SUN THURSDAY (8/4) 12:45 – 3:00pm

LEARN MORE: The neurological and cognitive consequences of hyperthermia
LEARN MORE: The Latest IPCC Report: What is it and why does it matter?
LEARN MORE: Climate Change and Human Health (NIH)
WHERE: Scott Elementary School, 6700 NE Prescott St, Portland, OR 97218
WHEN: TUESDAY, July 26, 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Noggin LOVES SUN!
We got our start running a free, all-volunteer art and neuroscience SUN program in 2012!
We’re excited to meets students at Scott Elementary in Portland Public Schools and talk about brains, make art and examine some extra human brain specimens.

We’ll be OUTDOORS, in a shaded covered area 🙂
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Kassidy Fitzgerald, PSU
4. Alex Heinrich, PSU
5. Roman Cimkovich, PSU
6. Randall Olson, OHSU
7. Denesa Lockwood, NW Noggin/OHSU
8.
9.
10.
See what we’ve done with SUN Programs in the past!
We love SUN!

Noggin @ RIGLER Elementary SUN!
2022-08-04 12:45 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Rigler Elementary School, 5401 NE Prescott Street, Portland, OR, 97218, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit with SUN Program students at Rigler Elementary School!
We did it!
Hearts & Brains

Experiencing the Human to Human Interface from Backyard Brains!
LEARN MORE: Brain Hacking is Electric!
WHERE: Rigler Elementary School, 5401 NE Prescott St, Portland, OR 97218
WHEN: THURSDAY, August 4, 12:45pm – 3:00pm

SUN SCHEDULE
12:15- 12:45 Recess
**12:45 – 1:35 Noggin Enrichment
1:35- 1:55 Break/ Second recess
**1:55 – 2:45 Noggin Enrichment

Noggin LOVES SUN!
We got our start running a free, all-volunteer art and neuroscience SUN program in 2012!

We’re excited to meets students at RIGLER Elementary in Portland Public Schools and talk about brains, make art and examine some extra human brain specimens.

We’ll be OUTDOORS, in a shaded covered area 🙂
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Denesa Lockwood, NW Noggin/OHSU
4. Randall Olson, OHSU
5. Bradley Marxmiller. PSU/OHSU/BUILD EXITO
6. Alex Heinrich, PSU
7. Aaron Eisen, OHSU

See what we’ve done with SUN Programs in the past!
We love SUN!

Noggin @ University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
2022-08-09 11:30 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
WHAT: Noggin visits the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities @ OHSU!

WHERE: Zoom
WHEN: Tuesday, August 9, 2022, 11:00am – 1:00pm

Noggin is invited to speak and talk brains with interns at the UCEDD this summer!

SLIDES (*.ppt): Noggin at OHSU UCEDD 8_2022
SLIDES (*.pdf): Noggin at OHSU UCEDD 8_2022

NW Noggin @ BRAINet
2022-08-15 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
WHAT: Northwest Noggin Presents “Letting Knowledge Serve through interdisciplinary neuroscience, art, and a few extra brains!” @ BRAINet (Brain Research and Information Network).
WHERE: Free Public Webex Presentation – REGISTER HERE
WHEN: Monday, August 15, noon – 1:00pm
The Brain Research Awareness and Information Network (BRAINet) is the volunteer outreach organization of the OHSU Brain Institute (OBI). BRAINet’s mission is to foster awareness and support for OBI and for neuroscience research by educating the public and engaging in community interaction.

Bill Griesar (PSU/OHSU) and Jeff Leake (PSU) will introduce Northwest Noggin.

We’re excited to speak about the journey of Northwest Noggin, the work we do, our challenges and successes, our amazing community collaborators and the role of art and creativity in outreach and teaching!

Northwest Noggin is a robust, creative, entirely volunteer driven non-profit organization (EIN: 81-3885713) that brings together scientists and artists and students of all ages to contribute their expertise, listen and learn from others, enthuse young people about science and art, share area educational resources and inform and excite the public about ongoing, taxpayer supported neuroscience research.

Since 2012 we’ve met over 55,000 K-12 students in Portland, Vancouver, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, rural Oregon and Washington, San Diego, Chicago and DC public schools! We’ve offered free talks from collaborating students in neuroscience and art, and informed our community about ongoing brain research, training graduates to present their work to a lay audience.

LEARN MORE: What is Northwest Noggin?
Come join us!

SLIDES (*.ppt): Noggin at BRAINet 8_2022
SLIDES (*.pdf): Noggin at BRAINet 8_2022

Music, Drugs, Brains & The Beatles!
2022-09-29 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | University Club, 1225 SW 6th Ave, Portland, 97204, United States
WHAT: Music, Drugs, Brains & The Beatles: A collaborative dinner presentation by David Hattner, Musical Director of the Portland Youth Philharmonic & Northwest Noggin!
We did it!
Brains, The Beatles, Television & Art

WHEN: Thursday, September 29, 6:00 – 8:00pm
WHERE: University Club, 1225 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97204

We did it!
An exciting evening of conversation, brains, music and fun!

We’re excited to join David Hattner, the Musical Director for the Portland Youth Philharmonic, for an informal discussion of brain research, drugs (including psychedelics, alcohol, cannabis and amphetamines), and the musical accomplishments of The Beatles!

DRAFT SLIDES (pdf): Brains_Beatles_Music_Drugs
DRAFT SLIDES (ppt): Brains_Beatles_Music_Drugs

PARTICIPANTS:
1. David Hattner, Portland Youth Philharmonic
2. Aaron Eisen, OHSU/PSU/NW Noggin
3. Jeff Leake, PSU/NW Noggin
4. Bill Griesar, PSU/OHSU/NW Noggin

NW Noggin on Everyday Northwest!
2022-10-04 08:30 - 10:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | KOIN Tower, 222 SW Columbia Street, Portland, OR, 97201, United States
WHAT: Northwest Noggin visits KOIN TV for an episode of Everyday Northwest!
WHERE: Koin Tower, 222 SW Columbia Street, Portland, Oregon 97201
WHEN: Tuesday, October 4, 8:30am – 10:30am
We did it!

PSU students Britta Harbury and Bradley Marxmiller ACED an impromptu brain quiz this morning on KOIN TV’s Everyday Northwest! Host Ashley Howard asked them questions we hear A LOT during volunteer outreach visits to K-12 classrooms, houseless youth nonprofits, art museums, correctional facilities, Congress and pubs.

LEARN MORE: What is Northwest Noggin?
LEARN MORE: Noggin Bloggin
HUGE THANKS to Ashley Howard and everyone at Everyday Northwest, Christina Williams at Portland State University for arranging this experience – and to Bradley and Britta for sharing their expertise and enthusiasm for neuroscience and art!

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Britta Harbury, PSU
4. Bradley Marxmiller, PSU/OHSU

“OMG, you guys were amazing! We loved having you on! Feel free to come back whenever you want!!”
Ashley Howard
Everyday Northwest
Host & Producer

Noggin + p:ear!
2022-10-06 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin @ p:ear!
We did it!

LEARN MORE: Portland is Beautiful
Portland is Beautiful

WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Thursday, October 6, 2022, 10:00am – noon
Contact: Jessica Kain, Education Coordinator, p:ear

NOTE: Noggin is visiting p:ear on October 6, October 13, and October 20!
NOTE: All volunteers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 & wear a mask.

Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland nonprofit aimed at building positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm their personal worth and help them create more meaningful and healthier lives.

We are excited to communicate science through the extraordinary volunteer efforts of our talented graduate and undergraduate Noggin participants from Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and other collaborators.!

Learning about brains and behavior, and genuine, evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including those who are experiencing anxiety, depression, drug use disorders, bias, chronic stress, insomnia – as well as poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia and our region’s extreme lack of affordable housing.

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
Come join us!
This fall we’re collaborating with students and Biology teachers at Fort Vancouver High School! Fort students are coming to listen, learn and act to create bags of essential and useful supplies for youth without access to safe, secure housing. They join us on October 6, and then again on October 20 to distribute the items they organize and prepare.

Please RSVP to bgriesar@nwnoggin.org and jleake@nwnoggin.org
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Brooke Searle, PSU
4. Hannah Shawo, PSU
5. Mackenzie Wang, PSU
6. Alex Heinrich, PSU
7. Britta Harbury, PSU
8. Anna Traylor, PSU
9. Roman Cimkovich, PSU
10. Kassidy Fitzgerald, PSU
11. Nancy MacKenzie, PSU Neuro Club
12. Bella Showerman, PSU
13. Luis Carrillo, PSU
14. Danny Leister-Gray, PSU

Noggin + p:ear!
2022-10-13 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin @ p:ear!
We did it!

WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Thursday, October 13, 2022, 10:00am – noon
Contact: Jessica Kain, Education Coordinator, p:ear

NOTE: Noggin is visiting p:ear on October 6, October 13, and October 20!
NOTE: All volunteers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 & wear a mask.

Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland nonprofit aimed at building positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm their personal worth and help them create more meaningful and healthier lives.

We are excited to communicate science through the extraordinary volunteer efforts of our talented graduate and undergraduate Noggin participants from Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and other collaborators.!

Learning about brains and behavior, and genuine, evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including those who are experiencing anxiety, depression, drug use disorders, bias, chronic stress, insomnia – as well as poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia and our region’s extreme lack of affordable housing.

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
Come join us!
Please RSVP to bgriesar@nwnoggin.org and jleake@nwnoggin.org
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Brooke Searle, PSU
4. Hannah Shawo, PSU
5. Mackenzie Wang, PSU
6. Alex Heinrich, PSU
7. Britta Harbury, PSU
8. Anna Traylor, PSU
9. Roman Cimkovich, PSU
10. Kassidy Fitzgerald, PSU
11. Nancy MacKenzie, PSU Neuro Club
12. Bella Showerman, PSU
13. Danny Leister-Gray, PSU

Noggin @ Oregon Youth Neuroscience Conference!
2022-10-15 10:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oregon Episcopal School, 6300 SW Nicol Road, Portland, OR, 97223, United States
WHAT: Noggin presents @ Oregon Youth Neuroscience Conference
We did it!
Neuroscience for Oregon Youth!

WHERE: Lincoln High School, 1750 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR 97205
WHEN: Saturday, October 15, 2022, 10:00am – 1:30pm

This is a free, public event for ALL middle and high school students!

MAKE YOUR OWN: BRAIN CELL GEL PRINTS

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Tiara Freeman, PSU
4. Austin Schubert, OHSU
5. Bella Showerman, PSU
6. Kaya Burd, PSU
7. Josie Borden, PSU/Rosenbaum Scholar
8. Bharani Nallamala, PSU
9. Natalie Partipilo, PSU
10. Selah Monsef, PSU
11. Martin Lembke, PSU
12. Conner Corbett, PSU
13. Amanda Jones, PSU

Thank you Tara Subramaniam and Catherine Zhang for organizing this conference!

“Thank you so much for coming! The pictures are fantastic, and everybody I talked to (even the parents) really enjoyed the activities. It was so cool to touch and feel the brains and the volunteers were so engaging. I’m planning to put a display of gel prints and pictures in my school.”
-Tara Subramaniam

Noggin + p:ear!
2022-10-20 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin @ p:ear!
We did it!

WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Thursday, October 20, 2022, 10:00am – noon
Contact: Jessica Kain, Education Coordinator, p:ear

NOTE: Noggin is visiting p:ear on October 6, October 13, and October 20!
NOTE: All volunteers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 & wear a mask.

Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland nonprofit aimed at building positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm their personal worth and help them create more meaningful and healthier lives.

We are excited to communicate science through the extraordinary volunteer efforts of our talented graduate and undergraduate Noggin participants from Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and other collaborators.!

Learning about brains and behavior, and genuine, evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including those who are experiencing anxiety, depression, drug use disorders, bias, chronic stress, insomnia – as well as poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia and our region’s extreme lack of affordable housing.

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
Come join us!
This fall we’re collaborating with students and Biology teachers at Fort Vancouver High School! Fort students are coming to listen, learn and act to create bags of essential and useful supplies for youth without access to safe, secure housing. They join us on October 6, and then again on October 20 to distribute the items they organize and prepare.

Please RSVP to bgriesar@nwnoggin.org and jleake@nwnoggin.org
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Brooke Searle, PSU
4. Mackenzie Wang, PSU
5. Alex Heinrich, PSU
6. Britta Harbury, PSU
7. Anna Traylor, PSU
8. Roman Cimkovich, PSU
9. Kassidy Fitzgerald, PSU
10. Bella Showerman, PSU
11. Kaya Burd, PSU
12. Danny Leister-Gray, PSU

TextileX: Noggin + PLACE Gallery
2022-10-21 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | PLACE Gallery, 735 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Stitching Networks @ PLACE Gallery for Textile Month!
We did it!
How to embroider your brain cell

WHERE: PLACE Gallery, 735 NW 18th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Friday, October 21, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
(Noggin arrives 6:00pm for set up)

TextileX and the Portland TextileX Month Festival are part of a social enterprise founded and organized by Textile Hive to build community and foster cross-pollination among textile enthusiasts, artists, businesses, schools, and cultural organizations.

PLACE is a Portland-based landscape design firm. The exhibition is held at their studio. It is an artist-in-residence and production is open to the public.

Noggin will bring brains and offer a hands-on art project creating a network of neurons using fabric and sewing textiles. We’ll explore brain cell regeneration to complement this year’s TextileX theme of Regeneration.

LEARN MORE: Embracing Connections Workshop with Northwest Noggin
Join artist Kindra Crick and NW Noggin in the gallery for a delightful workshop exploring brain cell regeneration to complement TextileX’s 2022 theme. NW Noggin will bring brains and offer a hands-on art project creating a network of neurons using fabric and sewing textiles. Regeneration and learning reestablish and creates new connections in our minds.

The human mind with its 86 billion neurons is a resilient force for adaptation and regeneration through its ever-changing landscape of connections. In magnifying and re-imagining these hidden molecular structures, multimedia artist Kindra Crick aims to evoke wonder and offer an imagined vision of the spectacular biological machinery which comprises the very core of our memories, sensations, thoughts and our essential sense of self.

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS

Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
Marc Chenard, PSU
Anna Traylor, PSU
Josie Borden, PSU
Martin Lembke, PSU
FULL

Noggin @ King Elementary!
2022-10-28 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School, 4906 NE 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97211, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit with K-5 students in Portland Public Schools!
We did it!
King Cortex!

We met with every student in the school – 13 classes of K-5 students!

WHERE: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, 4906 NE 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97211
WHEN: Friday, October 28, 9:00am – 3:00pm

CONTACT: Teresa Seidel, Principal, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School

“At Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School, we believe in the unlimited potential of everyone in our diverse community. We believe that a caring well-balanced student will be motivated to become a global citizen who is inspired to take action.”

Noggin volunteers are excited to hear from K-5 students at this Northeast Portland public school in October! We’ll bring some extra noggins for exploring student questions and interests, and make more pipe cleaner brain cells too.

Please join us! Email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to learn more.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Roman Cimkovich, PSU
4. Mackenzie Wang, PSU
5. Abigail Zoske, PSU
6. Brooke Searle, PSU (9:00am – noon)
7. Marc Chenard, PSU
8. Aaron Eisen, OHSU/PSU/NW Noggin
9. Conner Corbett, PSU
10. Alex Phanphackdy, PSU
11. Kass Fitzgerald, PSU (11am – 3pm)
12. Natalie Partipilo, PSU

“I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you! I have two children of my own and all they could talk about Friday evening was the brains! And I went to a soccer game over the weekend and several MLK Parents approached me asking about the brain activity and how cool they thought it was. They mentioned that their kindergartener was explaining at home that ‘there is a line that runs from my toes to my head and my brain makes my toes work!'”
I am surprised and overjoyed at the response to your visit. I sincerely hope you consider returning to Dr MLK Jr again next fall. TO all of the students, I wish you the best in your studies!”
Sincerely, Teresa Seidel, Principal, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School

Society for Neuroscience Conference!
2022-11-12 - 2022-11-16 | San Diego Convention Center, 111 W Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA, 92101, United States
WHAT: Society for Neuroscience conference 2022
We did it!
2000+ miles there and back again with #brains #art #volunteers!
LEARN MORE:
Observing Art & Brains @ SfN
Brains Beyond SfN

WHERE: San Diego Convention Center, 111 W Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101
WHEN: November 12 – 16, 2022

From their website: “The Society for Neuroscience is the world’s largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system.”

NW Noggin volunteers include neuroscience undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and artists, and both individually and collectively we present and attend local chapter meetings and international conferences for the Society for Neuroscience (SfN).
LEARN MORE: Noggin @ Society for Neuroscience
We’re excited to return to San Diego this fall to present our poster and visit local institutes and public schools!

BRAIN OBSERVATORY PUBLIC OUTREACH
Saturday, November 12, 10:00am – noon (aim to arrive @ 9:45am)
We did it!
Observing Art & Brains @ SfN

The Brain Observatory, 725 West Broadway San Diego, CA 92101

LEARN MORE: The Brain Observatory Open House
The Brain Observatory, founded in 2005 by Dr. Jacopo Annese, started as a research lab at The University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Today it is an independent institute bringing neuroscience knowledge and tools into the community. The Observatory is home to an exclusive neuroimaging data set relative to the most important brain in the history of neuroscience, that of the amnesic patient H.M.!

COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW/PSU
3. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
4. Monique Smith, University of San Diego
5. Tonia Bautista, PSU
6. Dan Jang, PSU Neuroscience Club
7. Bee Conn, PSU Neuroscience Club
8. Savanah Gipson, PSU Neuroscience Club
9. Ben Bolen, PSU Neuroscience Club
10. Julia Johnson, University of San Diego
11. Cali Boustani, University of San Diego
12. Egemen Tangun, University of San Diego
13. Katarina Matic, University of San Diego
14. Erin Jones, University of San Diego
15. Christiana Torres, University of San Diego
16. Randall Olson, OHSU
There will be an evening social gathering with art and artists at The Brain Observatory too!
Details here.

POSTER PRESENTATION
Saturday, November 12, 1:00pm – 5:00pm session

UP CLOSE: SFN San Diego poster 2022
BRAIN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN EVENT
Saturday, November 12, 2:30pm – 4:00pm session, Room SDCC 16
We did it!

JOIN US: We’re bringing the brains!
NIH BRAIN INITIATIVE EVENT
Sunday, November 13, 6:30 – 9:30pm, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 1 Park Blvd

Tools, Tech & Theory: A BRAIN Initiative Alliance Social
SCHOOL VISITS
NOTE: ALL VOLUNTEERS FULLY VAXXED, BOOSTED, WITH MASKS.
Monday, November 14, 9:00am – 2:30pm (aim to arrive @ 8:45am)
We did it!
Brains Beyond SfN

Webster Elementary, 4801 Elm Street, San Diego, CA 92102
COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW/PSU
3. Savanah Gipson, PSU Neuroscience Club
4. Bradley Marxmiller, PSU/OHSU
5. Ben Bolen, PSU Neuroscience Club
6. Kim Engeln, OHSU
7. Leigh Wilson, Kings College London
8. Alfredo Zuniga, The College of Wooster (9 – 12)
9. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
10. Dan Jang, PSU Neuroscience Club
11. Bee Conn, PSU Neuroscience Club
12. Sandeep Kishore, NIH BRAIN Initiative (9 – 12)
Tuesday, November 15, 9:30am – noon (aim to arrive @ 9:15am)
We did it!

Freese Elementary, 8140 Greenlawn Dr, S.D., CA 92114
COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW/PSU
3. Egemen Tangun, University of San Diego
4. Bradley Marxmiller, PSU/OHSU
5. Sophia Weber, OHSU
6. Ben Bolen, PSU Neuroscience Club
7. Sally Horton, Kings College London
8. Rachel Williams, Kings College London
9. Morgan Wirthlin, Allen Institute for Brain Science
10. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
11. Alex Henry, University of Minnesota
12. Anita Randolph, University of Minnesota
13. Yasmin Kloth, NIH BRAIN Initiative

See what we’ve done before with San Diego Public Schools!
Synapsing in San Diego @ SfN!

Cortical Connections in San Diego Schools!

NW Noggin Poster Abstract
NOGGINFEST: A free public celebration of music, art, brains and neuroscience research
GRIESAR, W.S.* ** *** ****, LEAKE, J.* ** ***
* Department of Psychology, Portland State University; ** NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org); *** Department of University Studies, Portland State University; **** Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University

Science needs investment, and engaging the public communicates discoveries and builds support for education and research. Integrating the arts, including painting and music in STEM (STEAM) fosters interdisciplinary engagement, and draws in more people not currently overrepresented in the academic study of neuroscience.

Nonprofit NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org) organizes undergraduates and graduates to collaborate, build community networks and inspire people about neuroscience and art. We bring diverse students excited by research and their own arts-integrated study of the brain and behavior into K-12 public schools, correctional facilities, Congress, houseless youth centers, coffee shops and pubs to hear to what people already know and what they’d like to know, and to see where our stories and discoveries from labs and classrooms intersect. We’ve talked with over 55,000 people since 2012!

NW Noggin is volunteer and free. Many science organizations in the Northwest are paywalled, and require you to come to them, excluding many, and largely serving those with existing resources and privilege. Yet despite minimal budgets, we successfully raised funds to bring accomplished outreach participants to SfN conferences to present posters and visit K-12 students in Chicago, San Diego and Washington DC public schools.

In 2017, through the efforts of undergraduate members of the Portland State University Neuroscience Club, we presented our first NogginFest, a free public celebration of music, art, research and brains! We offered live bands, an art auction, brain specimens, art activities and research speakers at the Alberta Rose Theater in Portland Oregon, and raised money to transport, house and feed 15 undergraduates at the SfN conference in Washington DC. Our students presented posters and met with 700 students in Turner Elementary School.

We presented NogginFest again in 2018 and 2019, with more live musicians, artists and neuroscience researchers, funding more student participation at SfN.
Noggin Fest 2018: The Beauty of the Brain
Noggins & Noodles @ SfN!

NOGGINFEST 2019!!!!

In 2020 we paused as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, but pivoted to a well-attended virtual NogginFest, supported by a brain awareness grant from the Dana Foundation in 2021.
NogginFest 2021: Threshold Potential!

In 2022, with support from the Dana Foundation, we returned to an in person NogginFest. The venue (Honey Latte Café) was donated, and the event brought out over 500 Portland residents who enjoyed music, held brains, asked questions, made art, heard about research and connected with each other from 2pm until midnight!
NogginFest 2022: A Mid-Pandemic Revival!

NogginFest is the largest student-run, free, all ages celebration of brains, art and music in the Pacific Northwest, enthusing and informing a diverse public about discoveries in neuroscience.
LEARN MORE: NOGGINFEST!

PSU Neuroscience Club Poster

POSTER: SfN22_Bolen_Ben_PDF

CLICK HERE: VIRTUAL POSTER

Noggin @ Fort Vancouver!
2022-11-22 07:15 - 14:05 (America/Los_Angeles) | Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E 18th St, Vancouver, WA, 98661, United States
WHAT: Noggin outreach at Fort Vancouver!
We did it!
Sleepy brains at Fort

WHERE: Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E 18th St, Vancouver, WA 98661
WHEN: Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 7:15am – 2:05pm
(Fort Vancouver starts TOO EARLY for healthy adolescent brain development)

We are super-excited to return to Fort!
COME JOIN US!
Please email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to get involved 🙂
ALL VOLUNTEERS VAXXED, BOOSTED AND MASKED
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS

Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, Portland State University, OHSU
Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, Portland State University
Anna Traylor, PSU
Natalie Partipilo, PSU (7:15am – noon)
Alex Heinrich, PSU
Marc Chenard, PSU
Joey Seuferling, WSU School of Medicine (Spokane)
Conner Corbett, PSU (7:15am – noon)
Roman Cimkovich, PSU
Kristin Preston, PSU
Hannah Shawo, PSU

We’ve visited Coreyanne Russell and James Cederstrom’s 9th through 12th grade classrooms on multiple occasions. More details at the links!
Tired Trappers at Fort

Uploading your brain from Vancouver

Why do you study the brain?

Trap Squad!

Brains, biofeedback & SLEEP

Ventricles in Vancouver!

Noggin @ NOGN & BraiNY!
2022-12-05 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
WHAT: Bill Griesar presents “Northwest Noggin: Action AND Potential in Outreach, Education & Research” in conjunction with BraiNY and the Greater NYC Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience and the Neuroscience Outreach Group at New York University (NOGN). (A fellow “Noggin” organization!!). FREE

THANK YOU!!

WHERE: New York University Langone Medical Center, Science Building 1220, 435 East 30th, New York City, NY; non-NYU visitors need to register in advance and should enter at 550 1stAve: Registration required (non-NYU): CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Also on ZOOM: CLICK HERE (Meeting ID: 957 3869 2957; Passcode: [REDACTED]
WHEN: Monday, December 5, 2022, 5:00 – 6:00pm Eastern

What is Northwest Noggin? What does art have to do with neuroscience? How does going places with brain specimens and art projects foster engagement, educate neuroscience undergraduates, graduate students and scientists, and connect the knowledge, expertise and understanding of people in our communities with the discoveries and stories we’re telling in classrooms and labs?
DOWNLOAD FLYER: NOGN x Bill Griesar, NW Noggin

Come join us – and make your own brain cell too!
Pipe Cleaner Brain Cells!

SLIDES (pdf): BraiNY_Noggins_12_2022
SLIDES (ppt): BraiNY_Noggins_12_2022

NOGGIN TALK: Neurobiology and Darkroom Photography: Schizophrenia Through Multiple Lenses
2022-12-07 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Honey Latte Cafe, 1033 SE Main St, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
WHAT: Neurobiology and Darkroom Photography: Looking at Schizophrenia Through Multiple Lenses, a talk by Cassie Ferguson, MFA and Michelle Kielhold, Ph.D. candidate at OHSU

They did it!

WHERE: Honey Latte Cafe, 1033 SE Main St, Portland, OR 97214

WHEN: Wednesday, December 7, 2022; 6:00pm – 9:00pm (talk starts @ 7:00pm)

Take a closer look at the neurobiology of schizophrenia through multiple lenses – literally! Michelle and Cassie draw from their respective practices to highlight the similarities between scientific and artistic experimentation. Discover the importance of collaboration as they discuss common threads between their unique perspectives.
Michelle Kielhold is a PhD candidate at Oregon Health & Science University under the mentorship of Dr. Bita Moghaddam. Her dissertation work focuses on a gene that has been identified as a potential risk factor in individuals with schizophrenia. By utilizing CRISPR technology to alter gene expression, she hopes to better understand how variants of this gene can affect behaviour and brain function.
Cassie Ferguson is a Portland-based printmaker and film photographer who received her B.S. in Biology with a Minor in Art from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and her MFA in Print Media from Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University. In her art practice, she draws from her experience as a skateboarder, and uses lithographs and photogravure etchings to document and showcase various aspects of skate culture.

Noggin @ Sunnyside!
2023-01-20 09:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Sunnyside Environmental School, 3421 SE Salmon St, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
WHAT: NW Noggin @ Sunnyside Environmental School
We did it!!!
Learning through mistakes!

WHERE: Sunnyside Environmental School, 3421 SE Salmon St, Portland, OR 97214
WHEN: Friday, January 20, 9:30am – 12:30pm
Contacts: Asa Gervich & Jeremy Thomas, 4th Grade Teachers, Sunnyside School

Brains and Skills:
Learning through Mistakes!
Brains are constantly changing, depending on what you do, and what happens to you when you do it.

Your brain is a mass of interconnected wires, made up of cells, that let you see, hear, feel, think and move. When you’re born you have about 200 billion brain cells called neurons, and another 200 billion cells called glia, that reach out worm-like projections and form connections – known as synapses – with each other. This process is ACTIVE, takes energy (food and air) and requires light, sound, touch, muscle movements and other forms of experience.

It also kills a lot of your cells! In fact, by the time you’re done with high school, you’ll have only HALF as many neurons and glia left in your brain! But the ones that remain will be wired up into adult networks that properly route information from your eyes, ears and body to your brain for perception, cognition, and decision making – and from your brain out to your muscles to let you move well and act.

4th grade teacher Asa Gervich demonstrates his skill on the drums!
Sometimes – like when you’re learning something new – you have to think hard about how you’ll move, and you’ll naturally make a lot of errors. But each error, each mistake, is important feedback for your neurons and glia, which respond by physically changing how they connect. Your brain’s wiring changes, you get more skilled, and you’ll require less hard thinking and effort to play the guitar, make a basket, give a speech, ride a bicycle, drum!

There is a LOT of new research pointing to the importance of the cerebellum – our little brain – in so much of what we do implicitly; that is, automatically and with ease and skill. And other deep areas of our brains, including the basal ganglia (a set of subcortical, “below the cortex” nuclei) – along with the cerebellum – also let us carry out these skilled, implicit, “feel the force” type behaviors.

We’ll join students to consider what skills and abilities we already have or are developing, and what it takes to re-wire frontal lobe, cerebellar and subcortical networks to make this happen (HINT: it takes practice, practice, practice – and learning from mistakes :).

Read for background
It’s Just Like Riding a Bike…Except It’s Not!

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, PSU/OHSU/NW Noggin
2. Jeff Leake, PSU/NW Noggin
3. Kai Hosea, PSU
4. Julian Rodriguez, PSU
5. Isabella Starr, PSU
6. Kristin Preston, PSU
7. Asha Powell-Stormberg, PSU
8. Kaya Burd, PSU
9. Allonte Barakat, PSU
10. Marc Chenard, PSU
11. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU/NW Noggin
12. Jadyn Harris, PSU
13. Martin Lemke, PSU
14. Roman Cimkovich, PSU

FROM NOGGIN VOLUNTEER KRISTIN PRESTON (PSU):

“It was wonderful to see the raw enthusiasm and excitement today at Sunnyside! The two fourth grade classes had so many intuitive questions including, why we do not understand the thoughts in our brains even though we are aware of our thoughts, and if a brain was transplanted, would the recipient gain a new brain or a new body? Such philosophers are ten-year-olds!
We also discussed the development of neural pathways in the brain by revealing what happens as we improve at a skill we are learning. We discovered too through Asa’s demonstration on jazz playing, a mistake can simply be a new note in the song. Like walking through a field of tall grass, the more we do a thing, the more fortified the pathway becomes, and through making mistakes, we learn and improve all the more!”
FROM NOGGIN VOLUNTEER ASHA POWELL-STORMBERG (PSU):

“Working at the station with different animal brains was super fun. The kids were all so shocked at the size differences and thought that the brain size was correlated with the intelligence. It was fun to point out the brains with more grooves (surface area) had more intelligence then those with brains with less surface area.
I also thought it was interesting that both groups of kids wanted to know why we have headaches. It is hard to believe that a 10 year old would be suffering from headaches but I thought it was a great question. Can’t wait for the next teaching experience.”
FROM JEREMY THOMAS, 4th GRADE TEACHER

“…the report I got from folks was that it was AWESOME as usual. One of my volunteers said it was the most focused my class has ever been! Thanks so much!”

Power Up @ Portland Art Museum
2023-01-21 13:30 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Portland Art Museum
WHAT: Power Up LGBTQ2SIA+ & Allies Event @ Portland Art Museum
WHERE: Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205
WHEN: Saturday, January 21, 2023, 1:30 – 4:30pm

Celebrate LGBTQ2SIA+ youth and allies at the Portland Art Museum! Meet new people. Immerse yourself in powerful art by Jeffrey Gibson and other queer artists. Join a drag workshop with Carla Rossi. Speak your truth at the open mic. Make art, make friends, and have fun!
Middle school, high school, and college-age are all welcome. GSA/QSA advisors and teachers are welcome, too.
Admission is FREE! Refreshments provided.

NW Noggin is exploring ways to contribute: STAY TUNED!

Noggin @ Sacajawea Elementary!
2023-01-24 08:30 - 14:35 (America/Los_Angeles) | Sacajawea Elementary School, 700 NE 112th St, Vancouver, WA, 98685, United States
WHAT: NW Noggin @ Sacajawea Elementary School (Vancouver Public Schools)
We did it!
How many neurons in a dinosaur brain?

WHERE: Sacajawea Elementary School, 700 NE 112th St, Vancouver, WA 98685
WHEN: Tuesday, January 24, 2023, 8:30am – 2:35pm
Contact: Carla Feltz, Family Engagement/Technical Assistance Coordinator, Vancouver Public Schools

Returning to Clark County!
Our Noggin volunteers will talk brains and make art with kindergarten through 5th graders in Vancouver Public Schools! All volunteers should be vaccinated, boosted and have n95/kn95 masks available – and we’ll seek a well-ventilated (potentially outdoor, depending on weather) location.

From Carla: “We have built in a lunch break and will provide lunch, snacks and coffee for you. :)”

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, PSU/OHSU/NW Noggin
2. Jeff Leake, PSU/NW Noggin
3. Julian Rodriguez, PSU
4. Bradley Marxmiller, PSU/OHSU
5. Mina Sattari, PSU
6. Allonte Barakat, PSU
7. Jadyn Harris, PSU

Noggin @ Leodis V. McDaniel High School!
2023-02-02 08:30 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Leodis V. McDaniel High School, 2735 NE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR, 97220, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit with students at Leodis V. McDaniel High School
We did it!
Your Inner Worm Bin

“Thank you all for such a wonderful experience! The kids and I had some great conversations today about what they learned and how they’ll apply it to this unit. Appreciate you all and the time you dedicated to McDaniel!”
– Darshanpreet Gill, Biomedical Science Teacher
Great questions!

Can we train our brains to overcome short term heart stopping?
How would giving up fast food affect the microbiome?
How does the hair cell absorb sound?
How long does it take to 3d print a brain?
How does lactose intolerance work?
Why do behaviors get aggressive when someone has dementia?
How does adrenaline keep you from feeling pain?
Why does coffee affect me differently in morning and night when I have ADHD?
When you agree to be an organ donor is that how you got the brains?
Why are the animals brains different colors?
How does diet affect ADHD?
What happens when you get a concussion?
When you go on a roller coaster does your brain slightly concuss when you go upside down?
What do you do as a high schooler to make yourself a more strong candidate for college/medical school?

WHERE: Leodis V. McDaniel High School, 2735 NE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97220
WHEN: Thursday, February 2, 2023, 8:15am – 1:30pm
Contact: Darshanpreet Gill, Biomedical Science Teacher

We’ll meet with 10th, 11th & 12th grade students at this Portland Public school, who are studying the relationship between diet and the gut-brain axis!

They are taking an interdisciplinary approach to this fascinating topic, with collaborative teaching from English, Chemistry and Biomedical Science.

A Portrait of Veronica, Who’s in Control, 2020 by Monica Aissa Martinez
From Darshanpreet Gill, Biomedical Science Teacher:
“I’ll teach students about the digestive system and the brain/gut axis, Karen (a Chemistry teacher) will talk about macromolecules and digestive enzymes, and Nicola (an English teacher) will have them do research and create poster presentations based on their actions plans. The action plans will be where they pick one thing in their diet to change and see how it affects them. The ultimate goal is to have them learn how what we eat affects how we feel. The inspiration for this is all the new research about the mind/gut axis.”

LEARN MORE: The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood & Mental Health
LEARN MORE: Gut Microbiota for Health: How Can Diet Maintain A Healthy Gut Microbiota?
LEARN MORE: The complexities of the diet-microbiome relationship: advances and perspectives
LEARN MORE: The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: From Motility to Mood

Period 5- 8:30am – 9:52am: ~45 juniors and seniors
Period 6- 9:59am -11:21am: ~22 sophomores
Lunch Break – 11:21am-11:54am
Period 7 – 11:59am – 1:21pm

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, PSU/OHSU/NW Noggin
2. Jeff Leake, PSU/NW Noggin
3. Julian Rodriguez, PSU
4. Angela Hendrix, NW Noggin
5. Kristin Preston, PSU
6. Asha Powell-Stormberg, PSU
7. Bradley Marxmiller, PSU/OHSU
8. Allonte Barakat, PSU
9. Josie Borden, PSU/Rosenbaum Scholar
10. Brin Rey, PSU (former McDaniel student!)
11. Juniper Warren, PSU (former McDaniel student!)

Noggin @ Hosford!
2023-02-07 09:00 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hosford Middle School, 2303 SE 28th Pl, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
WHAT: Noggin at Hosford Middle School (Portland Public Schools)
We did it!

WHERE: Hosford Middle School, 2303 SE 28th Pl, Portland, OR 97214
WHEN: Tuesday, February 7, 9:00am – 12:30; meet at the school office
CONTACTS: Amy Slaughter, Assistant Principal, Hosford Middle School; Jane VanDam, Science teacher; Kevin Marquardt, Science teacher

“Thank you, all, for your hard work in making such a memorable learning experience at Hosford. You are appreciated!”
— Amy Slaughter, Assistant Principal, Hosford Middle School
Noggin volunteers from Portland State University, OHSU and other area campuses will meet with students in Kevin Marquardt and Jane VanDam’s 6th grade classrooms at Hosford, introducing them to neuroscience research and art projects related to understanding the brain.
Some questions from the classroom:

Why do we get scared?
How do we move our body or does our body move itself?
How heavy is our brain?
What causes hunger and thirst?
How does the brain know what to say in the moment without thinking about it?
How does crying work?
Why do we get headaches?
How/when does the body know when it’s ready for puberty?

What hormones do you get during puberty?
Our moths move automatically, but how?
How does our mind tell our body parts to move but stop when hurt?
How do we hear, feel, smell?
Why do we get hungry?
What causes depression?
What causes sexual attraction?
Why do you dream?
How does brain freeze happen?
Why does your body have favorite things?

Committed participants
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Josie Borden, PSU/Rosenbaum Scholar
4. Julian Rodriguez, PSU
5. Kristin Preston, PSU
6. Khelen Walsh, PSU
7. Mina Sattari, PSU
8. Natalie Partipilo, PSU
9. Allonte Barakat, PSU
10. Martin Lemke, PSU

Hosford offers a Mandarin immersion program!
Here are some neuro-related words in Mandarin…

Brain: 脑 (nǎo)
Neuroscience: 神经科学 (Shénjīng kēxué)
https://nwnoggin.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Mandarin-Translation.m4a
Translation provided by Luyao Wang, undergraduate in Psychology at PSU
There are significant benefits to bilingual education in both children and adults, including evidence of changes in the white matter wiring of linked cortical regions essential for executive function (decision making, working memory, attentional control), and a reduced risk of cognitive decline with age…
LEARN MORE: Bilingual Two-Way Immersion Programs Benefit Academic Achievement
LEARN MORE: Language Experience Changes Language and Cognitive Ability
LEARN MORE: The effects of bilingualism on the white matter structure of the brain
LEARN MORE: Latino Network Learning & Lobes
See what we’ve done at Hosford before!
KGW did a story!
Getting kids excited about neuroscience

Hosford, Hippocampi & Hope

Brains examining brains

Honest selves @ Hosford

Brains, Art & Inquiry @ Hosford

High energy Hosford: Tumors, music & drugs!

Hito Steyerl Exhibit: NW Noggin Workshop on Neural Networks!
2023-02-15 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Portland Art Museum
WHAT: NW Noggin Workshop on Neural Networks at Hito Steyerl Exhibit
We did it!
LEARN MORE: WE ARE ALL NEURAL NETWORKS

“Thank you all for the wonderful workshop (and fantastic photos)! I really appreciated how each of you connected the exhibition with neuroscience and how clearly and helpfully you explain these complex systems. People clearly loved the brains and the hands-on neuron building. Thanks and hope to see you all soon!”
— Hana Layson, Head of Youth and Educator Programs, Portland Art Museum

WHERE: Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205
WHEN: Wednesday, February 15, 6:45pm – 7:30pm

Come check out some real neural networks, and reflect on the biological wiring that makes you who you are!

We’ll craft neurons from pipe cleaners, and synapse to form neural networks that detect, process and act in response to our environments, growing and changing connections to better predict consequences in a rapidly changing world. Join us, make art, ask questions and adjust your own network!

LEARN MORE: Evening for Educators: Hito Steyerl: This is the Future
COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Roman Cimkovich, PSU
4. Kanani Miyamoto, NW Noggin/PNCA
5. Brin Rey, PSU
6. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
7. Bradley Marxmiller, PSU

LEARN MORE: NW Noggin + Portland Art Museum

Noggin @ Ron Russell Middle School!
2023-03-02 08:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Ron Russell Middle School, 3955 SE 112th Ave, Portland, OR, 97266, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Ron Russell Middle School
We did it!
When I Grow Up: Learning, Memory, and LTP

“That was so awesome! Thank you so much, our kids learned a ton and they really enjoyed meeting professional scientists!”
— Elizabeth Archodominion, Sixth Grade Science & Social Studies, Ron Russell Middle School

WHERE: Ron Russell Middle School, 3955 SE 112th Ave, Portland, OR 97266
WHEN: Thursday, March 2, 2023, 8:30am – noon
Please check in at the school office. We’ll meet students in the commons area (cafeteria).
Contacts: Geoff Gailey, Science & Health Coordinator, David Douglas School District; Elizabeth Archodominion, Sixth Grade Science & Social Studies, Ron Russell Middle School

Noggin volunteers from Portland State University, OHSU and other area campuses will meet with 6th and 8th graders in this David Douglas District public middle school, to explore neuroscience research and make art related to understanding our brains.

MAKE A PIPE CLEANER BRAIN CELL
Class times (81 minutes!) are:
Period 1 – 8:44 – 10:00am; 6th graders
Period 2 – 10:15 – 11:30am; 8th graders

Come join us! Please contact Bill Griesar (griesar@pdx.edu) and Jeff Leake (jleake@pdx.com) to get involved.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Jadyn Harris, PSU
4. Justin Benner, PSU
5. Annik Hokanson, PSU
6. Saphya R. Lones, PSU
7. Mina Sattari, PSU
8. Asha Powell-Stormberg, PSU
9. Julian Rodriguez, PSU
10. Allonte Barakat, PSU

Nostalgia & Brains in Eugene (by Zoom!)
2023-03-10 09:00 - 21:50 (America/Los_Angeles)
WHAT: Online visit with 8th graders at Kennedy Middle School
We did it!

“Thank you so much for donating your time today to talk to my journalism students. It was a great conversation. (Sorry for the delay at the beginning of class!) It’s so important for students to hear from adults about topics they’re interested in. One thing they walked away with from this conversation with is just the variety of professions and things to study that are out there waiting to be studied.
We’ll be sending you a thank you card, but I didn’t want to let too much time pass without making sure you knew how much we appreciated your generosity today. Thanks again!”
– Sarah Case, Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher, Kennedy Middle School
WHERE: ZOOM @ Kennedy Middle School, Eugene, OR 97405 (link coming)
WHEN: Friday, March 10, 2023, 9:00am – 9:50am

From Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher Sarah Case:
“I teach an 8th grade journalism elective class at Kennedy Middle School in Eugene. My students have chosen topics of interest that they’re investigating. A topic of interest to one of my students is understanding more about nostalgia.”
Why does nostalgia affect people?
What goes on in your brain when you feel nostalgia?
Does everyone feel nostalgia?

We’ll meet with Sarah’s 8th grade students by Zoom to consider their questions on nostalgia and our brain! One of our Northwest Noggin volunteers, Grace Taylor, wrote about this topic in 2022:

Nostalgia and BRAINS!

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Denesa Lockwood, NW Noggin/OHSU
4. Hosanna Broderick, PSU
5. Asha Powell-Stormberg, PSU
6. Mina Sattari, PSU

OMSI BRAIN FAIR
2023-03-11 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
WHAT: NW Noggin Brings Brains to Brain Fair!
We did it!
Brain Awareness for ALL

“We drove all the way from Eugene for this – and it’s not only free, but so much better than anything we had to pay to see in the museum!” — Visitor at the Brain Fair @ OMSI
WHERE: Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214

WHEN: Saturday, March 11, 2023, 9:00am (set up) – 4:00pm
One of the nation’s largest Brain Fairs is this Saturday at OMSI!

This was the last big public event we joined prior to the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020, and it was cancelled for both 2021 and 2022.
NOW, Brain Fair is BACK!

Come join Noggin for an awesome day of FREE public learning! Coffee, snacks and pizza provided for volunteers by the OHSU Brain Institute! PLUS there’s free admission to OMSI for our outreach participants (though a publicly funded, “accessible” science museum should not be regularly charging $9 – $20 for folks to get in 🙄)
The Brains at Brain Fair

Bringing BRAINS to Brain Fair 🙂

Putting the brains in Brain Fair!

Pipe Cleaners, Gel Prints, Electrodes & Brains!

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Denesa Lockwood, NW Noggin/OHSU
4. Asha Powell-Stormberg, PSU
5. Natalie Partipilo, PSU
6. Aaron Eisen, NW Noggin/OHSU (Human to Human Interfacer!)
7. Shae Zeimantz, PSU
8. Travis Christian, PSU graduate
9. Kristin Preston, PSU
10. Benjamin Bui, Legacy Research Institute (9am – noon)
11. Martin Lemke, PSU
12. Kindra Crick, NW Noggin
13. Tonia Bautista, PSU
14. Randall Olson, OHSU
15. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU
16. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
17. Isabella Starr, PSU
18. Sami Wagner, PSU
19. Ben Bolen, PSU Neuroscience Club
20. Jasmine Bradley, PSU
21. Annabella Showerman, PSU
22. Reed Hall, Western University of Health Sciences
23. Bradley Marxmiller, PSU/OHSU/BUILD EXITO
24. Shelby Hansen, Legacy Research Institute
25. Simeon Novak, PSU
26. Leslie Salazar, PSU
27. Daniella Merid, PSU
28. Allonte Barakat, PSU
29. Julian Rodriguez, PSU (9:00am – 1:00pm)
30. Lidia Echeverria-Garcia, University of Oregon
