NW NOGGIN: Neuroscience outreach group (growing in networks)

Synaptic Community Connection: La Grande!
2017-05-19 - 2017-05-20
We’ve been invited by the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center to present neuroscience research and related art projects – and real human brains! – in La Grande, Oregon, along the lines of what we did in March in Davenport (details of that experience at the link below)…
UPDATE: We did it! Learn more about brains & art in eastern Oregon at the link below!
Blue Mountain Brains!

Public school students in grades 6 through 12 from La Grande, Nyssa, Cove, Milton-Freewater, Boardman and other eastern Oregon communities will participate! They’ve already thought of some terrific questions to consider: “How can you recharge brain cells? Why is the outside of the brain a different consistency than the inside? How is a dyslexic brain different? At what age does the brain stop growing and developing? Is it a different age for girls versus boys?”
We’ll drive to La Grande on Friday, May 19th, and work with ~100 students on Saturday, May 20th.
Friday, May 19th
Drive to La Grande, Oregon
261 miles from Portland; 4.5 hour drive
STAY: Americas Best Value Sandman Inn

Saturday, May 20th
La Grande High School cafeteria, 708 K Ave, La Grande, OR 97850
7:30am – 11:30am, Outreach with 6th through 12th graders

Dopamine in Davenport!

https://nwnoggin.org/2017/03/20/dopamine-in-davenport/

CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
1. Leota Wolford, PSU
2. Joella Deal, PSU
3. Heather Hamilton, PSU (and NIH BUILD EXITO)
4. Joey Seuferling, WSU (and NW Noggin Resource Council, health care)
5. Kirk Wydner, Oregon State University (NW Noggin Resource Council, technology)
6. Alfredo Zuñiga, OHSU
7. Andrea Anaya, PSU
8. Rebecca Hood, OHSU
9. Scott Jones, OHSU
10. Travis Christian, PSU
11. Alison Mack, PSU
12. Brad Dowling, WSU
13. Aliese Poole, PSU
14. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin
15. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin

Noggin @ Sitton Elementary (1st graders)
2017-05-25 11:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Sitton Elementary, 9930 N Smith St, Portland, 97203, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Sitton Elementary
WHEN: Thursday, May 25, 11:00 – 2:30pm
WHERE: Sitton Elementary, 9930 N Smith St, Portland, OR 97203
First grade teachers (including Michele Interian, Kim Condron, Meera-Rosa Edgar, and Natalia Pruessler, and principal Dana Nerenberg) at Sitton Elementary School have been engaging in trauma informed teaching practices this year. They have been educating students about the brain and self regulation…

Noggin will visit Sitton twice this spring (5/11 and 5/25) to talk about neuroscience, and introduce some brain-related art projects (and real brains!) to both students and teachers. In fact, we have several graduate volunteers from OHSU who study emotional regulation in the context of development who are particularly eager to participate…
SEE WHAT WE DID ON TUESDAY, MAY 11…
A Synapse with Sitton

On Thursday, May 25, we’ll meet with 75 first graders in three, 50 minute sessions (about 25 students/session). According to teachers, these students have been studying the amygdala, frontal lobes and hippocampus, and how they interact…

Our volunteers will arrive early to create a brain out of colored paper on the floor, highlighting relevant regions, including cortical lobes, cerebellum, amygdala and hippocampus. We’ll introduce these regions, let kids ask questions, practice some mindful listening while considering how various brain areas interact. How are these different parts of the brain connected? How do they develop? Students can then draw what these different parts of the brain do directly on the paper…

We’ll also examine some real brains…

More about Sitton: Sitton Elementary is located in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland. We are a school that welcomes and nurtures students and families, creating a close-knit and comfortable community. We strive to use our students’ diverse skills and backgrounds to help them reach their greatest potential as learners, leaders, and as agents of change in our school, community, and world.
Committed volunteers
1. Jennifer Jensen, PSU
2. Rebekah Hough, PSU
3. Alison Mack, PSU
4. Travis Christian, PSU
5. Mikey Smith, PSU
6. Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
7. Adam Bishop, PSU
8. Jessica Trottier, PSU
9. Austin Abshire, PSU
10. Ellie Sceeles, PSU
11. Shawna Erickson, PSU

First Thursday: "place" @ p:ear!
2017-06-01 17:00 - 20:00 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
“place” Featuring the art of Kanani Miyamoto, Jillian Barthold and p:ear youth

The p:ear gallery is thrilled to announce their June/July 2017 showcase of “place” a new collection of work by Kanani Miyamoto, Jillian Barthold and p:ear youth artists.
Kanani Miyamoto is the Noggin Resource Council member for arts integration, and is often involved in outreach efforts at p:ear, Velo Cult, and through her current residency at the Right Brain Initiative.
LEARN MORE: The Art & Science of Stress @ Velo

This amazing new collection of work from Portland based artist Kanani Miyamoto and Jillian Barthold engages culture, relationship, space, objects and personal identity and ranges from playful landscapes to dramatic print work. These elements challenge the often mundane and overlooked concept of “Place” and how it plays a pivotal role in who we are and the relationships we have. This collection will be accompanied by print work from p:ear youth.
Also on display in the p:ear gallery in June: THROUGH OUR LENS//PhotoVoice Project Presented by Sisters of the Road
“Through our Lens” – PhotoVoice Project is an update on a project that was originally created in 2005. The original project provided individuals experiencing houselessness with photography classes and black-and-white disposable cameras in order to document their lives in a way that many others never see or consider.
As with all of Sisters’ community organizing work, “Through our Lens” – PhotoVoice Project will serve as a tool to provide a face to houselessness, so that we may decrease the “us” vs. “them” phenomenon that must be overcome in order to work together toward viable solutions. This project gave community members, who are currently unhoused, the opportunity to share their lived experiences through their own lens. It lets the photographs tell their own stories.
Opening Date: June 1st 2017
Opening Time: 5pm – 8pm

Noggin @ Ardenwald Elementary
2017-06-06 09:15 - 13:30 | Ardenwald Elementary, 8950 SE 36th Street, Milwaukie, OR, 97222, United States
NW Noggin has been invited by teacher Sarah Powers to meet with all the second grade students at Ardenwald Elementary in the North Clackamas School District in Milwaukie, Oregon…
UPDATE: See what we did at the link!
Axons @ Ardenwald!

We’ll arrive at ~9:15am to set up our classroom, and meet with three groups of students for 45 minutes each…
Group 1: 10:00-10:45am
Group 2: 11:35am-12:20pm
Group 3: 12:20-1:05pm
We’re currently planning a “brain map” project like the one we just completed at Sitton…

Please RSVP if you can join us: griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu…
LIST OF COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Gil Brady, PSU
2. Gaile Parker, PSU
3. Uyen Nguyen, PSU
4. Kim Engeln, OHSU
5. Holly D’Andrea, WSU
6. Travis Christian, PSU
7. Alison Mack, PSU
8. Jannea Mantz, Providence Hospital in Vancouver
9. Andrea Anaya, PSU
10. Jennifer Jensen, PSU
11. Shawna Erickson, PSU

Noggin Fest Planning @ Velo
2017-06-08 18:00 - 19:30 | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
Music! Bands! Art! Brains! We’re planning the inaugural Noggin Fest 17 for October, to enthuse and inform our community about neuroscience research, and multi-institutional, arts-integrated education and outreach..!
WHAT: Planning for Noggin Fest
WHERE: Velo Cult (where else?), 1969 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97213
WHEN: Thursday, June 8, 6 – 7:30pm

We’re also building support for #sciart outreach on a national scale with a return to DC this fall…
Learn more at…
#brains2DC!

John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Award ceremony
2017-06-09 15:00 - 17:00 | Smith Ballroom, Portland State University, Smith Center (3rd floor), 1825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR, 97201, United States
WHAT: John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Award ceremony
WHEN: Friday, June 9, 3:00 – 5:00pm (from 3 – 4pm there will be food & drink!)
WHERE: PSU Smith Center Ballroom, third floor
The John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Awards were established in 1998 by Dr. Scott Burns, Professor Emeritus of Geology, to recognize exceptional teaching and leadership in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The awards are named in honor of John Eliot Allen, an outstanding professor who taught for more than 35 years.
LEARN MORE: The John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Awards

Bill Griesar, Neuroscience Coordinator for NW Noggin, received the award this year for teaching in Psychology (he won previously in 2013, 2010 and 2007). At his request, the $500 award check will go to NW Noggin outreach volunteers planning to bring brains and art to DC this fall…
LEARN MORE: #brains2DC!

Healthy Kids Fair @ Salmon Creek!
2017-06-10 09:30 - 14:00 | Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, 2211 NE 139th St, Mount Vista, WA, 98686, United States
UPDATE: We did it! Learn more @ the link!
Lobes @ Legacy: Nourishing Noggins for Healthy Kids!

Please join us!
WHAT: Healthy Kids Fair at Salmon Creek Medical Center
WHERE: Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, 2211 NE 139th St, Mount Vista WA 98686
WHEN: Saturday, June 10th, 9:30am – 2:00pm
We’ll have brains and brain art projects!
See what we did last year…
Igniting interest with Blaze and Brains!

LIST OF CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
1. Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council member for hospitals/health care
2. Gaile Parker, PSU
3. Mary Marigomen, WSU
4. Mallory Huerta
5. Leota Wolford, PSU
6. Jesse Hamlin, PSU
7. Sulema Rodriguez, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
8. Christina Williams, Noggin Resource Council member for Instagram
9. Uyen Nguyen, PSU
10. Jessica Patching-Bunch, Noggin Resource Council member for Communications

NW Noggin Reddit Science AMA!
2017-06-13 10:00 - 11:00
Teaching brain science through art for K-12 and the public AMA
WHAT: Noggin Reddit Science AMA
WHEN: Tuesday, June 13, 10:00 – 11:00am
WHERE: Science Outreach AMA

Hi Reddit, we’re Bill Griesar and Jeff Leake, instructors in Psychology at Portland State University and co-founders of the art and science outreach nonprofit nwnoggin.org. We train graduates and undergraduates in neuroscience and art to collaborate, and use art projects to enthuse and inform K-12 students and the public about how our brains work. Ask us anything!

Science needs investment, and engaging young people and the public prepares young scientists to clearly explain exciting and relevant new discoveries, enthuses K-12 students about educational and career possibilities, and builds support for further research. Integrating arts in STEM (an approach known as STEAM) fosters learning, creativity and engagement.

Our outreach volunteers (from Portland State University, Oregon Health & Sciences University and other campuses) have worked with over 14,000 academic priority students since 2012, presenting art projects and research in public schools, museums, homeless youth centers, breweries, theaters, Congress, the Obama White House, and even bike shop pubs! Recently we’ve hit the road to discuss federally funded research on the brain and drugs, anxiety, depression, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, adolescent brain development and other compelling topics in rural communities throughout the inland Northwest. Ask us anything!

Homelessness + Brain @ p:ear
2017-06-20 10:00 - 12:00 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: “Homelessness & the Brain” sessions @ p:ear
WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th, Portland, OR 97209; http://pearmentor.org
WHEN: Tuesday, June 20 and Tuesday, June 27; 10am – noon
UPDATE: See what we did @ p:ear!

NW Noggin is partnering with p:ear to welcome area graduates and undergraduates studying anxiety, depression, resilience, drug use disorders, employment discrimination, implicit bias, schizophrenia and sleep, along with homeless youth who are writing sleep diaries and creating art and testimony from their own experience, public officials who develop and implement policy, and representatives and clinicians from p:ear and Central City Concern to plan a public “Homelessness and the Brain” event this fall.
We know from our own outreach how transformative art can be in exploring concepts and ideas, and permitting significant, effective expression by academic priority students, those currently under-represented in STEM, and the extraordinary young people we’ve met at p:ear…
This opportunity is invite only; however, the formal p:ear training is not a requirement for participation in these two sessions. More details about these efforts below – please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu if you can join us in June!

Homelessness and the Brain
https://nwnoggin.org/2017/04/29/homelessness-and-the-brain/

P:ear

NW Noggin volunteers LOVE collaborating with this critical community center for services and support for homeless youth. P:ear provides a warm, welcoming, arts-filled educational space in downtown Portland, filled with caring staff and volunteers for young people, many of whom lack access to safe housing.

Noggin Brainwaves @ Shannon Entropy Album Release Show!
2017-06-25 20:00 - 23:30 | Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison Street, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
SHANNON ENTROPY
MOOD BEACH, SHEERS, THE WILD WAR
Check out pictures, video and details from the event!
EPSPs & Entropy!

Join NW Noggin and members of the award winning PSU Neuroscience Club as they present live brain activity from listeners to Shannon Entropy, Moodbeach, Sheers and The Wild War at Holocene on June 25th! How does your brain respond to music..?
FACEBOOOK EVENT PAGE
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
PRESS KIT

Homelessness + Brain @ p:ear
2017-06-27 10:00 - 12:00 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: “Homelessness & the Brain” sessions @ p:ear
WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th, Portland, OR 97209; http://pearmentor.org
WHEN: Tuesday, June 20 and Tuesday, June 27; 10am – noon
NW Noggin is partnering with p:ear to welcome area graduates and undergraduates studying anxiety, depression, resilience, drug use disorders, employment discrimination, implicit bias, schizophrenia and sleep, along with homeless youth who are writing sleep diaries and creating art and testimony from their own experience, public officials who develop and implement policy, and representatives and clinicians from p:ear and Central City Concern to plan a public “Homelessness and the Brain” event this fall.
We know from our own outreach how transformative art can be in exploring concepts and ideas, and permitting significant, effective expression by academic priority students, those currently under-represented in STEM, and the extraordinary young people we’ve met at p:ear…
UPDATE: See what we did (6/27) at the link..!
Sweetness, Shelter & Savants

See what we did last Tuesday (6/20) at the link…
In an old Tri-Met bus on a landfill…

More details below – please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu if you can join us in June!

Homelessness and the Brain
https://nwnoggin.org/2017/04/29/homelessness-and-the-brain/

P:ear

NW Noggin volunteers LOVE collaborating with this critical community center for services and support for homeless youth. P:ear provides a warm, welcoming, arts-filled educational space in downtown Portland, filled with caring staff and volunteers for young people, many of whom lack access to safe housing.

Kanani Miyamoto @ p:ear
2017-07-06 17:00 - 20:00 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
First Thursday Art Show, 7/6

The p:ear gallery is thrilled to announce their June/July 2017 showcase of “place” a new collection of work by Kanani Miyamoto, Jillian Barthold and p:ear youth artists.
This amazing new collection of work engages culture, relationship, space, objects and personal identity and ranges from playful landscapes to dramatic print work. These elements challenge the often mundane and overlooked concept of “Place” and how it plays a pivotal role in who we are and the relationships we have. This collection will be accompanied by print work from p:ear youth.
WHAT: “place” art show
WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97209-3611, United States
WHEN: Thursday, July 6 at 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Noggin Brain Board meeting
2017-07-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Great Notions, 2204 NE Alberta St #101, Portland, OR, 97211, United States
The Noggin Brain Board meets @ Great Notions Friday, July 7th @ 7pm!

Lots to discuss: summer plans, fall outreach, Noggin Fest, Homelessness & the Brain, #brains2DC…
New brains from BioGift and Medcure!
Jeff is working on an article (with Bill’s pics) for SciArt magazine…
New pipe cleaner neuron network going up at the Oregon National Primate Research Center..!
Fundraising ideas for outreach
PARC/OHSU support; new emotiv research-grade EEG headsets
Grant submitted: Spirit Mountain Community Foundation (“Synapses & Stories: Coyote, Grizzly and their Brains”; We plan to bring 12 Portland area undergraduates and graduates studying neuroscience and art to the Lincoln County School District in fall or spring (potentially Toledo Elementary and Siletz Valley Charter School) for a series of three, day long visits aimed at making connections between figures in Grande Ronde tribal stories (including Coyote, and Grizzly) and their relevant neuroanatomy)
Bill is donating money he received from the state of Washington after administrators at WSU Vancouver (and other state institutions) intentionally misclassified many of their part-time employees to avoid providing them with basic health care coverage. (More about this settlement here: Moore v. Health Care Authority)
Bill is also donating his John Eliot Allen Outstanding Teaching Award from Portland State University 🙂

Visit to MedCure - and brains!
2017-07-12 08:45 - 09:30 | MedCure, 18111 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR, 97230, United States
WHAT: Meet with surgical lab technicians at Medcure/Brain donation
WHERE: Medcure, 18111 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97230
WHEN: Wednesday, July 12, 2017, 8:45 – 9:30am
MedCure is an Oregon company that connects people donating their bodies to science with doctors learning to successfully perform surgical procedures, and researchers developing medical devices. It was founded in 2006, and has a state of the art surgical training center on Sandy Boulevard…

LEARN MORE: MedCure expanding in Gresham as whole-body donation business flourishes
NW Noggin requested and was granted two human brains for outreach! We are hugely excited to develop this partnership, and are invited by April Jenkins, the Surgical Courses Operations Manager for MedCure, to visit and meet briefly with their talented and knowledgeable lab technicians on Wednesday, July 12th…

Space is limited, and preference is given to frequent volunteers. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn about body donation, anatomy (including neuroanatomy), and potential career opportunities related to science and medical research.
Please RSVP to Bill Griesar (bgriesar@nwnoggin.org) and Jeff Leake (jleake@pdx.edu)
Participants
Christina Williams, Noggin Resource Council member
Leota Wolford, PSU
Sulema Rodriguez, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Aliese Poole, PSU
Jacob Schoen, PSU/Noggin Resource Council member/ONPRC
Travis Christian, PSU
Alison Mack, PSU
John Harkness, Noggin Brain Board member
Kim Engeln, OHSU
Heather Hamilton, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Binyam Nardos, OHSU
Ruth Marigomen, WSUV
Jessica Patching-Bunch, Noggin Resource Council member
Sam Carpenter, OHSU

Noggins on T's: Screen printing for #brains2DC!
2017-07-18 17:00 - 19:00 | Thurman Street Collective, 2384 NW Thurman St, Portland, OR, 97210, United States
WHAT: Screen-printing night to create t-shirts for NogginFest and #brains2DC!
WHERE: Thurman Street Collective, 2384 NW Thurman St, Portland, OR 97210

WHEN: Tuesday, July 18, 5 – 7pm
UPDATE: We made over 100 shirts!!

Come join us! And bring extra shirts 🙂
We’re gathering Tuesday to make shirts to help support our undergraduate volunteers present brains and art this fall in Washington, DC. We’ll meet at the Thurman Street Collective (owned by Noggin Resource Council member Kanani Miyamoto) on Tuesday night in Northwest…
Please RSVP to bgriesar@nwnoggin.org and jleake@pdx.edu – see you Tuesday & cheers!
Confirmed
Andrea Anaya, PSU
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU/Noggin Resource Council member
Christina Williams, Noggin Resource Council member
Travis Christian, PSU
Alison Mack, PSU
Gaile Parker, PSU
Heather Hamilton,
Alex Kunz, PSU

Noggin @ Lane Middle School
2017-07-19 09:30 - 12:00 | Lane School, 7200 SE 60th Ave, Portland, 97206, United States
Noggin is invited to introduce brains and art to about forty entering 9th grade Portland Public School students enrolled in the free Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) program at Lane School this summer!

UPDATE: See what we did with Franklin SUN!
Cellphones & Receptors at Franklin SUN

WHAT: Visit to Franklin SUN Program (~ 40, 1st – 6th grade students)
WHERE: Lane School, 7200 SE 60th Ave, Portland OR 97206
WHEN: Wednesday, July 19, 2017; 9:30am – 12:00pm

We’ll begin with introductions, build pipe cleaner neurons, and examine some brains (including two NEW brains donated by Medcure!)
Please join us! You must RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and aspragus@yahoo.com…
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Scott Jones, OHSU
Rebecca Hood, OHSU
Heather Hamilton, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO/Noggin Resource Council member
Jessica Patching-Bunch, Noggin Resource Council member
Sulema Rodriguez, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Gaile Parker, PSU
Travis Christian, PSU
Alison Mack, PSU
Ruth Marigomen, WSU
Mieya Romine, PSU
Christina Williams, Noggin Resource Council member
Shawna Erickson, PSU
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council member
Firas Saad, PSU
Rebekah Hough, PSU
Jordan Ray, PSU
Laura Mateo, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Raul Vega, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Aliese Poole, PSU
Adam Bishop, PSU
Jennifer Jensen, PSU

Planning session for #brains2DC!
2017-07-19 12:30 - 14:00 | Delta Cafe, 4607 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR, 97206, United States
WHAT: Meet to start planning #brains2DC
WHERE: Delta Cafe, 4607 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97206
WHEN: Wednesday, July 19th, 12:30 – 2:00pm
The purpose of the meet up is to discuss travel plans for DC. We can start talking about group AirBnB’s, room sharing, and money saving ideas. Group planning can be a bit difficult, but it can also save us a lot of money and stress, so it will be worth it. Anyone planning to be in DC in November is welcome to join us. This could also serve as a good time to talk about Noggin Fest progress, as well as poster plans between the ten of us that submitted the outreach abstract for SfN…

Please contact Christina Williams (honey8bee6@hotmail.com) to confirm & cheers!

Noggin @ OHSU/PSU SAIL!
2017-07-20 10:30 - 12:30 | OHSU, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239-3098, United States
Noggin is running a session for SAIL (the Summer Academy to Inspire Learning).
UPDATE: See what we did!
Synapsing with Summer @ SAIL!

The mission of SAIL at Portland State University and the Fair Imaging lab at OHSU is to encourage under-privileged middle and high school students to pursue higher education. The values that guide this mission include “interdisciplinary education, community outreach, and socially responsible attitudes” – all values that we share!
WHAT: Noggin outreach at OHSU/PSU Summer Academy to Inspire Learning
WHERE: Meet at the fountain outside MacKenzie (Mac) Hall, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland OR 97239-3098
WHEN: Thursday, July 20, 10:30am – 12:30pm

We’ll bring brains and art projects for two hours of questions and exploration. Lunch included!
We’ll begin by introducing ourselves and what we study and research. What interests you about the brain? How did you get involved in learning more? What have you discovered about university and graduate education that you wish you’d known about in high school?

We’ll then examine some real human brains up close, and offer students the chance to ask questions of their own! We’ll also make our own neuron prints using gels and found natural materials, including grasses, mosses, flowers and twigs…

Please join us! RSVP to Bill Griesar (griesar@pdx.edu) and Jeff Leake (aspragus@yahoo.com)…
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Travis Christian, PSU
Alison Mack, PSU
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
Gaile Parker, PSU
Christina Williams, Noggin Resource Council member
Heather Hamilton, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Jennifer Jensen, PSU
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council member
Firas Saad, PSU
Rebekah Hough, PSU
Jordan Ray, PSU
Aliese Poole, PSU
Ian Anderson, PSU
Leota Wolford, PSU
Denesa Oberbeck, OHSU
John Mootz, OHSU

Mad Pursuit: Exploring Science through the Lens of Art
2017-07-29 18:00 - 21:00 | Ford Gallery, 2505 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR, 97202, United States
WHAT: A Sci-Art group exhibition curated by Sara McCormick, featuring NW artists:
Kindra Crick
Julian Voss Andreae
Elise Wagner
Lawrence Morrell
Sienna Morris
Opening Reception: PLUS live performance (with brainwave display!) from Shannon Entropy!
WHERE: Ford Gallery, 2505 SE 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202
WHEN: SATURDAY, July 29 from 6 PM – 9 PM (and beyond…)
UPDATE: See what we did!
Awe, amazement & delight

Come join us!
Celebrated artist Sara McCormick presented her extraordinary fractal images at a NW Noggin Velo Cult event last fall…

LEARN MORE: Is Your Brain Fractal?
And both Sienna Morris and Noggin Brain Board member Kindra Crick have engaged in public #sciart outreach at Velo Cult as well…

LEARN MORE: Your brain is plastic @ Velo!

LEARN MORE: Changing Brain Waves of Depression
The gallery show will be accompanied by a live performance (starting at 8:00pm) of the band Shannon Entropy, while EEG brainwaves are recorded from listeners and displayed on screen!

LEARN MORE: EPSPs & Entropy!
How does brain activity change in response to music? What patterns can you see?

And (shhh…) there may be an after-party (with limited space for guests) for a science/art salon, real (extra!) human brains and more music and EEG in The Mechanical, in the basement of the Ford, following the show…

LEARN MORE: Last Saturday Salon: Your Brain On Mechanical

Noggin @ Camp Monkey!
2017-08-04 10:00 - 12:30 | ONPRC, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR, 97006-3448, United States
WHAT: Noggin @ Primate Center Camp Monkey
WHERE: Oregon National Primate Research Center, 505 NW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006-3448 (email contacts below for details on how to reach the ONPRC)
WHEN: Friday, August 4, 10:00am – 12:30am
Help introduce brains to K-12 student participants in OHSU ONPRC’s annual Camp Monkey…

Please contact Jeff Leake (aspragus@yahoo.com) and Jacob Schoen (jschoen@pdx.edu) if you can join us!

"Here We Are" with NW Noggin!
2017-08-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Portland State University, Cramer Hall, Room 317Z, PO Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207-0751, United States
Great conversation this morning with Shane Mauss, a professional stand-up comedian who produces the popular “Here We Are” science podcast. Each week, Shane speaks with a different scientist about their recent work or area of study, bringing their ideas to the public in a fun and accessible way…

LEARN MORE: Here We Are
Today Shane held a brain, examined pipe cleaner photoreceptors, and together we co-hosted and planned a second conversation (potentially next week) with Noggin Art Coordinator Jeff Leake. We also considered the following question…

What do you wish everyone in the world knew about neuroscience (or anything in general really)?! What are the top things about the brain & behavior that captivate you – and your students?

I put this query to our accomplished Noggin Resource Council members, and here are their thoughts…
Jessica Patching-Bunch: I love the ability we have to rewire and create neuro pathways. I think that it is important that people know that at any given time (though it’s not always easy!) they can choose to create different habits, thoughts and daily practices that help their brain to change and grow which in turn helps them in their daily life.

Brianna Jacobs: That neuroscience isn’t isolated to academia and clinicians; that it’s something that can be accessible to children, and those of all educational backgrounds. We all strive to know what makes us human, what drives our needs and desires, what makes us similar and different.

Sulema Rodriguez: I wish that people knew that neuroscience is not something that can only be learned by a few elite. Once you start to learn about neuroscience your world view changes. You begin to understand that these neuronal connections are what make up who you are. It’s honestly pretty amazing.

Ruth Marigomen: I wish everyone knew that studying neuroscience is a form of introspection. With every single discovery we make about the inner workings of the brain, we are not only answering pertinent scientific questions—we are also addressing our long-time question of “What make us human?” I must say that before I entered the field, I had a lot of these philosophical questions: inquiries I thought would be hushed by the austere, more tangible answers I would get as I learn about the brain. I thought that neuroscience would enlighten me about concepts like perspective, memory, and behavior, and oh, was I wrong. The more I studied it, the more I felt ignorant. The more concepts I dove into, the more philosophical inquiries I have triggered: “Are our emotions nothing but a surge of a cocktail of neurotransmitters?” “Are our cherished memories not as real and accurate we thought?” The enthralling questions abundant in the field of neuroscience can trigger the intrinsic queries we have about ourselves as humans. And those are the questions worth asking anyway.

Christina Williams: So, first of all I wish everyone knew that the 10 percent myth, is exactly that, a myth! It’s surprising how many people truly believe this. I think Hollywood is largely to blame. Hence movies like limitless, and that hideous movie Lucy! Ugh! I shudder just thinking of it! Yuck! The second thing I wish we could all know about neuroscience, is the nature of consciousness. If it’s the sum of all parts of the brains inner workings, or if it’s the result of certain structures or functions of the brain. I’ve heard many theories and some too wild to consider. But I’m sure this is a piece of neuroscience knowledge that everyone in the world would want to know. Also: What is the nature of brain death? As someone who has been involved in the medical field for over a decade, I am quite familiar with all the facets of code blue, and the situations where people are clinically dead for extended periods of time before being resuscitated. I once saw I women be brought back after nearly 15 minutes with no measurable vital signs whatsoever! It was truly astonishing! However, in a more recent incident at my last job, I had a patient who coded while I stood there, and even after several of us performed CPR, and the medics came and used the paddles, he was gone. What determines that moment, when and where in the brain is this spark held. What is the neurological, or neurophysiological nature of this electrical signal and what determines its on off function?

Joey Seuferling: Neuroscience is a field with so much left to discover, and the idea that our brain allows us to experience a world full of excitement and wonder is very special. Our brain is who we are!

Here We Are podcast: Part 2!
2017-09-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Portland State University, Cramer Hall, Room 317Z, PO Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207-0751, United States
“Here We Are” with NW Noggin!
Another in-depth conversation this afternoon with Shane Mauss, a professional stand-up comedian who produces the popular “Here We Are” science podcast. Each week, Shane speaks with a different scientist about their recent work or area of study, bringing their ideas to the public in a fun and accessible way…

LEARN MORE: Here We Are
This week, artist and educator Jeff Leake joined Bill Griesar and Shane in the NW Noggin office at Portland State University to talk more about mixing art and education with neuroscience and embodied cognition…
Noggins + Education
This week’s guest: Bill Griesar and Jeff Leake | Charity of the week: NW Noggin

Drunk Mice on Espresso @ Astoria's Street 14!
2017-09-08 14:00 - 16:00 | Street 14 Cafe, 1410 Commercial St, Astoria, OR, 97103, United States
UPDATE: See what we did on Friday!
Noggins in Astoria
Tipsy Mice on Espresso @ Street 14!

WHAT: Drunk Mice on Espresso: The Science of Brains & Brews
WHERE: Street 14 Cafe, 1410 Commercial St, Astoria, OR 97103

WHEN: Friday, September 8, 2017, 2 – 4pm

A Negroni, an Irish coffee, a Red Bull & vodka…
What is it about caffeine and alcohol – how do they change your brain? How do these popular chemicals swirl into your synapses to affect mood, memory and behavior?
Alfredo Zuñiga & Kim Engeln from OHSU discuss the neuroscience and art of alcohol and caffeine!
ALL ages, FREE talk, REAL human brains to examine – & specialty drinks for purchase!

Planning session: Noggin training for Latino Network staff
2017-09-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
Noggin will run a training for staff at the nonprofit Latino Network on Tuesday, October 10th…
The “founder” of modern neuroscience was an artist and anatomist from Spain (Ramon y Cajal of course), and fundamental advances in our understanding of electrophysiology were made in Chile.

Tonight we’ll discuss how we’ll organize and present our upcoming training…

Some ideas from the meeting…

We are preparing a free training for staff and teachers at the Latino Network, a respected local nonprofit that serves to elevate Latino students in Portland public schools, and offer enrichment opportunities. We were thinking about how so many Spanish speaking scientists were fundamentally involved in the development of neuroscience as a field, starting of course with Ramon y Cajal. Letting young Latino kids (and other kids) know about this rich history might encourage them to consider pursuing research into how our brains function to make us who we are, as part of an extraordinary tradition of people just like themselves.

We have a group of young Spanish speaking Noggin outreach volunteers (several from Mexico and Central America, one with family in Spain) who are preparing this training – and they were extremely enthused about welcoming a working scientist or grad student from Chile to join us, too, via Skype. We’d be thrilled to welcome grad students, postdocs and scientists for introductions (en Español) – to talk about CINV and the history of neuroscience research in the Valparaíso region.

We are excited about furthering this connection – perhaps by inviting more Chilean outreach participants from CINV/Ciencia al Tiro to introduce themselves and their research to Portland public school classrooms by Skype later this year. If this works well, we’d like to pursue support to bring volunteers from Chile to Portland, and perhaps send our volunteers to visit schools in Valpo!

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Andrea Anaya, PSU
Sulema Rodriguez, Noggin Resource Council member for PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Jessica Patching-Bunch, Noggin Resource Council member for communications
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council member for healthcare and hospitals
Angela Gonzalez

Camas 4 Kids Health Fair!
2017-09-16 09:30 - 14:00 | Doc Harris Stadium, 1125 NE 22nd Ave, Camas, WA, 98607, United States
UPDATE: See what we did in Camas!
Dancing dendrites @ Camas 4 Kids!

Noggin Resource Council member Joey Seuferling is looking for graduate and undergraduate volunteers to help introduce kids to brains at the annual Health Fair in Camas, Washington..!

See what we did last year!
Pikachu or Purkinje?

Please email Joey directly if you can assist: joseph.seuferling@wsu.edu
WHAT: Noggin @ Camas 4 Kids Health Fair
WHEN: Saturday, September 16th, 9:45am – 2:00pm
WHERE: Doc Harris Stadium, 1125 NE 22nd Ave, Camas, WA 98607
LEARN MORE: Camas 4 Kids Free Health Fair

List of Noggin participants
Jessica Patching-bunch, PSU
Krystal Nguyen, PSU
Rebeca Hough, PSU
Denesa Oberbeck, OHSU
Kateryna Bondarenko, WSU
Andrea Anaya, PSU
Austin Howard, PSU
Ruth Marigomen, Noggin Resource Council member for WSU Vancouver
Eric Polch, WSU

Velo Cult: Andre Walcott (OHSU) + Bryn Harding
2017-09-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
UPDATE: See what we did at the link!
Drink Together, Stay Together?

WHAT: Drink Together, Stay Together: Alcohol’s Effects on Social Relationships; Velo Cult with Andre Walcott (Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU) and Bryn Harding (a recent graduate of PNCA); How drugs influence relationships, with changes revealed by behavior and brain structure, and through the art of portraiture…
WHERE: Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97213
WHEN: Thursday, September 21, 6 – 8pm

Does drinking keep a relationship healthy – or split couples apart? Do you drink more, or less, than your partner? What if one person drinks and the other doesn’t? What can prairie voles teach us about drugs and relationships, and can portraits of people under the influence reveal subtle aspects of connection, strengthened or frayed – connections illuminated by analysis of behavior and structures in our brains?

IMAGE: At the Cafe, 1878 by Edouard Manet
Discover the art and neuroscience of drugs and social relationships with Andre Walcott (OHSU) and Bryn Harding at Velo Cult THURSDAY (9/21) from 6-8pm!

IMAGE: Vasopressin and Pair-Bond Formation
Bryn is a Portland artist with a persistent interest in portraiture. Portraits show much more than what their subjects look like; they show the nature of the relationship between the sitter and the artist, the space between two people where identity and the self are formed. In this project, Bryn is exploring what happens to that space when one or both participants are impaired.

NW Noggin Velo Cult events are always free, open to the public, child friendly, and feature access to amazing beer (scroll here for current tap list), wine, coffee, tea, sodas and sandwiches…

INTRODUCTION: NW Noggin introduction 2017 (ppt)
INTRODUCTION: NW Noggin introduction 2017 (pdf)

OHSU Behavioral Neuro Retreat
2017-09-22 | Red Barn Park, 4943 Baseline Drive, Parkdale, OR, 97041, United States
Affiliate Graduate Faculty member Bill Griesar will present (briefly!) on outreach opportunities for graduate students at OHSU at the Behavioral Neuroscience retreat in Parkdale (Red Barn Park, 4943 Baseline Drive, Parkdale, OR 97041)…
LEARN MORE: OHSU Presentation 2017 (pdf)
LEARN MORE: OHSU Presentation 2017 (ppt)
Get Involved: Oregon Health & Science University

P:ear volunteer training!
2017-09-23 09:00 - 13:00 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Training for regular volunteer participants at P:ear
(though not required for participation in Homeless & the Brain event October 19th!)
WHEN: Saturday, September 23rd, 9:00am – 1:00pm
WHERE: P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave. Portland, OR 97209

NW Noggin has several multiple visit outreach efforts in the planning stages for the year ahead at P:ear, and if you’d like to participate, you must complete the training offered there on Saturday, September 23rd! Again – not required for one day Homelessness & Brain event 10/19/17…

Noggin/PSU Neuro Club @ Viking Days!
2017-09-24 16:00 - 18:30 | Portland State University, Cramer Hall, Room 317Z, PO Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207-0751, United States
WHAT: Noggin and PSU Neuroscience Club Viking Days welcome event!

“Hold brains, learn brains & manifest brainpower with the PSU Neuroscience Club!”
WHERE: Portland State University
1825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 – SMSU Rm. 238
WHEN: Sunday, September 24, 4-6:30pm
Please join us! RSVP to bgriesar@nwnoggin.org
List of Participants
Alison Mack, PSU
Alex Kunz, PSU

IMAGE by Katie Griesar
SLIDES: Viking Days LSD presentation 9_17 (ppt)
SLIDES: Viking Days LSD presentation 9_17 (pdf)

Homelessness & the Brain prep @ p:ear
2017-09-26 10:00 - 13:00 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Brains & art at p:ear, and discussion of Homelessness & the Brain event 10/19
WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave. Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Tuesday, September 26, 10:00am – 1:00pm
