NW NOGGIN: Neuroscience outreach group (growing in networks)

Noggin @ Alzheimer's Association of Oregon!
2018-04-26 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Alzheimer’s Association of Oregon, 1650 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 190, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin @ Alzheimer’s Association!
We did it! See all the fun we had at the link..!
Taking children (& extra brains!) to work

WHERE: Alzheimer’s Association of Oregon, 1650 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 190 | Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Thursday, April 26, 9:00am – 11:00am

Drawing by Camillo Golgi: Hippocampus from Opera Omnia, 1903
We’re bringing our volunteers to introduce brains, answer some questions, and learn more about research and advocacy at the office of the Alzheimer’s Association of Oregon!
Please join us! RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Justin Navarro, PSU
Aaron Eisen, PSU
Deza’Rae Collins, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO

A particularly affecting series of self-portraits by artist William Utermohlen, stricken with Alzheimer’s, helps bring home, powerfully, the relentlessly devastating nature of this disease…
LEARN MORE : What Is Alzheimer’s?
LEARN MORE: Beethoven, Brains, and Bloody Mary’s
LEARN MORE: NW Noggin @ the Newmark: Nicholas Bazan

Noggin @ Lane Middle School!
2018-05-01 15:45 - 17:45 | Lane School, 7200 SE 60th Ave, Portland, 97206, United States
WHAT: Visit to Lane Middle School w/Latino Network
WHERE: Lane Middle School, 7200 SE 60th Ave, Portland OR 97206
WHEN: TUESDAY, May 1, 2018; 3:45 – 5:45pm

CONTACT: Oscar Betancourt, Youth Engagement Specialist, Latino Network
LEARN MORE: Latino Network Learning & Lobes
We’ll begin with introductions, build pipe cleaner neurons, and examine some brains..!
Please join us! RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu…
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Sulema Rodriguez, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO/Noggin Resource Council
Jordan Ray, PSU
Austin Lewis, PSU
Jade Osilla, PSU
Ashley Keates, PSU

Velo Cult: The Secrets of Parkinson's & Dance
2018-05-02 18:00 - 20:00 | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
WHAT: What do mistakes teach us? @ Velo Cult with Rebecca Hood, Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU and Krystal Ngene, Danielle Ali-Cassim, and 20 dancers from the Kúkátónón African Children’s Dance Troupe
We did it! LEARN MORE at the link!
Parkinson’s, Dance & Mistakes

WHERE: Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97213
WHEN: Wednesday, May 2, 2018, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Mistakes are essential to learning in research and dance.
Discover the role of error in acquiring skills, and advancing both science and art with Rebecca Hood of OHSU and brilliant performers from the Kúkátónón African Children’s Dance Troupe!
All the inventions that the world contains,
Were not by reason first found out, nor brains;
But pass for theirs who had the luck to light
Upon them by mistake or oversight.
–Samuel Butler
Scientists aren’t perfect, as much as they’d like to be. The mistakes that researchers make aren’t usually mentioned in the papers they produce, leaving out a valuable (and often huge) part of the story. From a botched brain surgery that revolutionized the way we understand Parkinson’s disease to the discovery of anesthesia, join us as we talk about mistakes in science and the discoveries that can come from them.
“While music alone can unlock people with parkinsonism, and movement or exercise of any kind is also beneficial, an ideal combination of music and movement is provided by dance (and dancing with a partner, or in a social setting, brings to bear other therapeutic dimensions).” – Oliver Sacks

Learning to dance involves extensive trial and error, exquisite timing, and trains some of the same brain networks involved in acquiring other fluid skills, networks also impacted by Parkinson’s.

LEARN MORE: Basal ganglia @ Beaumont!
Kúkátónón’s mission is to inspire confidence, commitment and vitality among the children in the dance troupe, their families and communities; and to broaden awareness of African and African American cultural traditions throughout Oregon. Our Troupe performs to West African rhythms through song, instrument and dance.
Upcoming Events:
Public African Dance Workshop on Saturday, May 12th from 1:30-3pm at Peninsula Community Center
Partner with the Pan African Festival on Aug 11, 2018
Kukatonon End of Year Show – June 9th

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…

SfN ABSTRACTS DUE!
2018-05-03
Abstracts for the annual Society for Neuroscience (SfN) conference are DUE Thursday, May 3 by 5pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)…

LEARN MORE: Call for Abstracts
SEE WHAT WE DID LAST TIME IN SAN DIEGO…
A network grows in San Diego

NW Noggin is submitting an abstract for the conference, which is scheduled for November 3 – 7 in San Diego, California. An evolving draft version is below…

NW Noggin: homelessness and the brain – seeing us all through research and art
GRIESAR, W.S.* **, LEAKE, J.* ** ***
“It’s like people see me as an object, not as a human being.”
Science needs investment, and engaging people builds support for research and education. Integrating arts in STEM (“STEAM”) fosters innovative engagement. Here we report on efforts to bring together new researchers and outreach volunteers, clinicians, policy makers and, as equal participants, young members of our community who lack safe, secure places to call home.

Nonprofit NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org) organizes graduates and undergraduates to collaborate and engage, building networks and inspiring people about discovery in neuroscience and art. Volunteers benefit from working across disciplines and institutions, serving as “near peer” role models, gaining skill explaining work and thinking creatively about careers. We’ve met with over 20,000 K-12 students since 2012!

Noggin loves to visit p:ear, a nonprofit for homeless youth. P:ear offers community, services, and a welcoming educational and gallery space in Portland, Oregon, filled with caring staff and volunteers for young people without safe places to sleep.

We’ve had powerful conversations with adolescents struggling to overcome drugs, anxiety, depression, abandonment, bias – and a strong sense that many people pass them by as if they weren’t valuable human members of our community.

Harris & Fiske (2006) found that people respond harshly to those in “extreme outgroups,” including those without homes. These street kids are correct – some respond to them with “dehumanized perception.” Yet by asking subjects to engage with images of outgroup members, there is more activation of frontal lobe networks essential for responding to others as relatable human beings. Young people at p:ear created landscapes on plaster brain casts that powerfully conveyed their feelings, significant locations, and both actual and aspirational aspects of their lives in our shared community.

In fall 2017, we put on a “Homelessness and the Brain” day at p:ear, and policy makers, clinicians, members of the public, young researchers from OHSU and PSU and houseless youth talked, listened and learned from each other about research on stress, anxiety, depression, sleep, emotional regulation, drugs, development, bias and resilience, and explored data, art and testimony from p:ear youth to illuminate links between a lack of affordable housing and all our brains.

LEARN MORE: Landscapes of the Brain: Seeing us all through research & art
Building excitement and awareness of discoveries in neuroscience through arts-integrated outreach across institutional, state, federal and generational lines trains new scientists to collaborate on important community concerns, and increases awareness and support for investment in brain research and the arts.

* Department of Psychology, Portland State University; ** NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org); *** Department of University Studies, Portland State University

STEM Week Oregon
2018-05-05 - 2018-05-13
WHAT: STEM Week Oregon
WHERE: All over Oregon!
WHEN: May 5 – 13th, 2018

May 5th through the 13th is STEM Week Oregon 2018, a state-wide movement to raise awareness, celebrate and engage in activities involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Celebrate STEM:
Quality STEM education is critical for our students’ academic and professional success. Engaging students, families, and community members in STEM related activities will help promote the importance — and fun — of STEM!
LEARN MORE: STEM Week Oregon

OHSU Lecture: Suzana Herculano-Houzel
2018-05-07 17:30 - 20:30 | Newmark Theater, Portland, OR
Trade Food for Thought to Power 86 BILLION Neurons

How much energy does a #brain require? How many brain cells do you have? Are we unique in terms of brain size, number of neurons, or social skills, tool use, deception, play..?
LEARN MORE HERE AT THE LINK!
Soup for Brains!

Monday, May 7, 2018
5:30 (for volunteers!)–8:30 p.m.
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205
Noggin volunteers should arrive by 5:30pm for set up…
If an elephant has such a large brain, why aren’t they smarter than primates? What biologic discovery led some primates to an evolutionary crossroads of cognitive capability? You may be surprised by the answer.

Suzana Herculano-Houzel, Ph.D.

Suzana Herculano-Houzel is a Brazilian-born neuroscientist and associate professor at Vanderbilt University, where she studies what different brains are made of, what changes (or doesn’t change) with different brain sizes, how much energy they cost, and what difference does all that make – especially in the context of how human brains compare to others. She recently published a trade book, The Human Advantage, telling the back story to her research on human and elephant brains – and how cooking allowed us into existence.
She is also the author of a biweekly column on the neuroscience of everyday life for Folha de São Paulo, the major newspaper in Brazil. Going on to its 11th year, the column has featured over 270 appearances since 2006. Suzana is also the author of six other books (in Portuguese) on the neuroscience of everyday life, including Our Daily Brain, Sex, Drugs, Rock’n’Roll… and Chocolate, Why is Yawning Catching? and Drops of Neuroscience for a Better Life.
She lives in Nashville, TN, with her husband, son and two dogs.
COMMITTED NOGGIN VOLUNTEERS
1. Alex Chao, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
2. Dustin Lao, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
3. King Tran, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
4. Ashley Keates, PSU
5. Heather Hamilton, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
6. Austin Lewis, PSU
7. Aaron Eisen, PSU
8. Jacob Schoen, OHSU Oregon National Primate Research Center

Noggin Tuesdays @ p:ear!
2018-05-08 09:30 - 11:30 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin Tuesdays @ p:ear!
We did it!
Questions on zombies, sleep, humor, ear worms, and the role of various brain regions. We painted sections of the brain based on functional associations (e.g., graffiti “tags” could belong in the temporal lobe, for visual object recognition 🙂
Tagging the temporal lobe

WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Tuesday, May 8, 2018, 9:30 – 11:30am

Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland organization 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 the brain, and behavior, and the evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including young people struggling, like many, with anxiety, depression, drugs, chronic stress – and the poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia, lack of affordable housing and other factors that can impact development.
LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Jordan Ray, PSU
Jade Osilla, PSU
Aaron Eisen, PSU
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council

PCC Newberg, Color Theory with Kanani Miyamoto
2018-05-08 16:30 - 18:20 | pcc newberg, 135 Werth Blvd, Newberg, OR 97132
What: Talk about color perception with brains and projects at PCC Newberg
Where PCC Newberg, Newberg Education Center room 112, 135 Werth Blvd, Newberg, OR 97132
When: Tuesday May 8, 4:30-6:20 pm

Noggin @ Fort Vancouver!
2018-05-10 07:30 - 13:30 | Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E 18th St, Vancouver, WA, 98661, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Fort Vancouver High
We did it! Questions on weed, ayahuasca, bipolar disorder, DID, hallucinations, gender identity, memory, intelligence, autism, ADHD – and sheep brains! Learn more at the link!
Trap Squad!

WHERE: Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E 18th St, Vancouver, WA 98661
WHEN: Thursday, May 10th (& 17th), 2017, 7:25am – 2:05pm
Join us at Fort Vancouver High School to talk (and DISSECT) brains!

We’ll be returning to Fort to tackle sheep brain dissections on two visits this month…

Directional terms handout; prepared by Angela Hendrix
Sheep brain dissection; handout prepared by Angela Hendrix
Please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu…
See what we’ve done previously at the Home of the Trappers…
Brains, biofeedback & SLEEP

Ventricles in Vancouver!

CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
Ruth Marigomen, WSUV
Iris Guttierez, WSUV
Tyler Braly, PSU
Aaron Eisen, PSU
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council
Denesa Oberbeck, OHSU/Noggin Board
Ali Mack, PSU

OHSU Lecture: Adele Diamond
2018-05-14 17:30 - 20:30 | Newmark Theater, Portland, OR
The “Secret Sauce” to Honing the Mind

New post! Learn more at the link…
Diamond advice: brains, art, stories & play

Monday, May 14, 2018
5:30pm (for Noggin volunteers!)–8:30 p.m.
Newmark Theatre
Noggin volunteers should arrive by 5:30pm for set up…

Executive function skills – self-control, perseverance, creativity – are more predictive of success than IQ. What supports and what hinders these skills? The surprisingly nutritious brain benefits of play and movement.

Adele Diamond, Ph.D.

Adele Diamond is the Canada Research Chair Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada and was recently recognized as one the 15 most influential neuroscientists alive today.
Prof. Diamond is at the forefront of research on ‘executive functions’ and on the brain’s prefrontal cortex on which they depend. Executive functions include ‘thinking outside the box’ (cognitive flexibility), mentally relating ideas and facts (working memory), and giving considered responses rather than impulsive ones, resisting temptations and staying focused (inhibitory control, including selective attention).
She has made discoveries that have improved treatment for two different medical disorders and discoveries that have impacted education, improving the lives of millions of children. Her work has shown that executive functions can be improved even in the very young.
Adele Diamond was educated at Swarthmore (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa), Harvard (Ph.D.), and Yale Medical School (postdoc). Her many awards include an honorary doctorate (Honoris Causa) from Ben-Gurion University, the Bronfenbrenner Award for Lifetime Contributions to Developmental Psychology in the Service of Science and Society, named a “Woman of Distinction” by the YWCA, and named one of the “2000 Outstanding Women of the 20th Century.”
COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Sun Ho Kim, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
2. Avery Crowell, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
3. Skyler Crowell, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
4. Rebecca Hood, OHSU
5. Jade Osilla, PSU
6. Ashley Keates, PSU
7. Heather Hamilton, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
8. Jeehoon Jung, WSU Vancouver
9. Andrew Stanley, PSU
10. Jacob Schoen, OHSU Primate Center
GET TICKETS: Nourishing Your Neurons: How you fuel your brain creates pivotal changes
LEARN ABOUT THE FIRST LECTURE WITH SUZANA HERCULANO-HOUZEL…
Soup for Brains!

How much energy does a brain require? How many brain cells do we have? Are humans unique in terms of brain size, number of neurons – or social skills, tool use, deception, or play..? How do you make “brain soup?” And what’s the best way to bring fresh cerebrums on an international flight?!

Noggin Tuesdays @ p:ear!
2018-05-15 09:30 - 11:30 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin Tuesdays @ p:ear!
We did it! See what we learned at the link…
Giant brains @ p:ear!

WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 9:30 – 11:30am

Learn about our visits so far this spring…
Tagging the temporal lobe

P:ear: “He LOVES this”

Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland organization 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 the brain, and behavior, and the evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including young people struggling, like many, with anxiety, depression, drugs, chronic stress – and the poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia, lack of affordable housing and other factors that can impact development.

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Justin Navarro, PSU
Aaron Eisen, PSU
Ashley Keates, PSU

Noggin @ Fort Vancouver
2018-05-17 07:30 - 13:00 | Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E 18th St, Vancouver, WA, 98661, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Fort Vancouver High
WHERE: Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E 18th St, Vancouver, WA 98661
WHEN: Thursday, May 17th, 2017, 7:25am – 2:05pm ****RESCHEDULING****
Join us at Fort Vancouver High School to talk (and DISSECT) brains!

We’ll be returning to Fort to tackle sheep brain dissections on two visits this month…
Please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu…
See what we did last week!
Trap Squad!

See what we’ve done previously at the Home of the Trappers…
Brains, biofeedback & SLEEP

Ventricles in Vancouver!

CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council
Iris Guttierez, WSUV
Denesa Oberbeck, OHSU Behavioral Neuroscience/NW Noggin Board
Aaron Eisen, PSU
Veronika Lobova, WSUV

STEAM Night at Boise-Eliot/Humboldt
2018-05-17 17:30 - 19:30 | Boise Eliot/Humboldt
WHAT: STEAM Night event to celebrate STEAM education and engage in the community!
We did it! Learn more at the link…
Applied neuroscience – & STEAM

From STEAM Instructional Specialist Darcy Gill: “Thank you again for coming to our STEAM Night–your station was definitely the talk of the event. I had students do a short write up on their favorite part of STEAM Night and the brains came up a lot! Thanks for the excellent experience you gave our students and families.”

WHERE: Boise-Eliot/Humboldt PK-8 School – 620 N Fremont St, Portland, OR 97227
WHEN: May 17th from 5:30-7:30
Boise-Eliot/Humboldt is a STEAM-focused public school!

LEARN MORE: Boise-Eliot/Humboldt STEAM Vision Statement
From Darshanpreet “Darcy” Gill, the STEAM Instructional Specialist: “So pumped! The brains are already the talk of STEAM Night!”

From their website…
STEAM education is active and has student-centered learning at its core. Through a focus on inquiry-based instruction, we seek to build a STEAM program that focuses on integrated units of study that are place-based and relevant to our students and community.
​We will use experiential learning opportunities to ignite curiosity and provide an opportunity for reflection, challenging students’ initial beliefs and guiding them in the formation of deeper questions from multiple perspectives. Through this work, we hope to build a program that connects the classroom to stewardship empowering Boise-Eliot/Humboldt students to take action and educate others as they move along the path toward college and 21st century careers.
The Portland Metro STEM Partnership is a regional collaboration of public and private organizations with a shared goal of transforming science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for K-12 students.
Through the development and implementation of innovative STEAM teaching and learning practices, all Oregon students will develop the necessary scientific literacy and technological knowledge they need to excel as citizens of our increasingly complex world.
The STEAM transformation of Boise-Eliot/Humboldt will be accomplished by striving towards the following student goals/outcomes:
1. Motivational Resilience: Constructive Coping
Students will demonstrate proficiency in adaptive strategizing skills and persistence in the face of academic challenges, obstacles, and setbacks
2. Motivational Resilience: Academic Engagement
Students demonstrate high quality participation in academic work, including effort and enthusiasm
3. Cognitive Skills: Metacognitive Skills
Students will know a variety of problem solving strategies and tools and be able to choose and strategically use these tools
4. Cognitive Skills: Problem Solving
Students will be able to identify, frame, and solve complex problems and apply knowledge and skills to novel problems and/or situations across STEAM subjects
5. Academic Identity
Students will feel a sense of belonging, competency, autonomy and purpose as they view themselves and their potential to enjoy and succeed in STEAM classes and careers
We visited STEAM Night at another Portland Public School earlier this year..!
STEAM Ahead @ Ionotropic Irvington

Come join us! Please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
McKenzie Figuracion, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Sam Carpenter, OHSU
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council
Jacob Schoen, PSU/Noggin Resource Council

OHSU Lecture: Bita Moghaddam
2018-05-21 17:30 - 20:30 | Newmark Theater, Portland, OR
Anxiety and Learning Problems: Could it be the Fats you Eat?
Monday, May 21, 2018
5:30pm (for Noggin volunteers!)–8:30 p.m.
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205
“I’m here to talk about two of my favorite things,” began Dr. Moghaddam. “Brains – and eating fat!” More details at the link!
Diet vs. Brain

Noggin volunteers should arrive by 5:30pm for set up…

As essential nutrient our brains need for developing and maintaining our mental muscle and moods has been systematically removed from the modern diet – for convenience and “health food.” Without it, we can’t think, focus or control ourselves as well. Find out how brain food matters in youth and in age.

Bita Moghaddam, Ph.D.
Bita Moghaddam, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU. (OHSU/Fritz Liedtke)
Bita Moghaddam is the Chair of the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at OHSU. She received a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Kansas and postdoctoral training in pharmacology at Yale University. She joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University in 1990 where she quickly rose to the rank of full professor. In 2003 she moved to the University of Pittsburgh as professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry. She joined OHSU in 2017. Her research focuses on understanding the neuronal basis of complex behaviors that are critical to mental health, and is distinguished by the substantial impact on the field (H-index 68, overall citations ~ 14,000).
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Lola Latham, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
2. Melissa Purdy, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
3. Abeer Alabbad, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
4. Jade Osilla, PSU
5. Alex Kunz, PSU
6. Sara Moreno, PSU
7. Sulema Rodriguez, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
8. Madeline Ogle, PSU
9. Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council
10. Angel Nichols, PSU
11. Kate Gilworth, Neuroscience of Creativity FRINQ (PSU)
12. Ashley Keates, PSU
13. Veronika Lobova, WSUV

LEARN ABOUT THE FIRST LECTURE WITH SUZANA HERCULANO-HOUZEL…
Soup for Brains!

How much energy does a brain require? How many brain cells do we have? Are humans unique in terms of brain size, number of neurons – or social skills, tool use, deception, or play..? How do you make “brain soup?” And what’s the best way to bring fresh cerebrums on an international flight?!

LEARN ABOUT THE SECOND LECTURE WITH ADELE DIAMOND…
Diamond advice: brains, art, stories & play

What’s the best way to educate a child? How do we help them grow, and develop self-control, focused attention, working memory, social skills, discipline and the motivation to meet life’s challenges and persevere? What have we learned from brain research about the role of schools and families, academics, assessments – and play?

Noggin Tuesdays @ p:ear!
2018-05-22 09:30 - 11:30 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin Tuesdays @ p:ear!
WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Tuesday, May 22, 2018, 9:30 – 11:30am
We did it! Music, art, brains, storytelling, science!
Music & Brain: Rewarding Rhythms for Houseless Youth

THIS WEEK: MUSIC AND THE BRAIN!

Jesse Hamlin from Shannon Entropy & Internet Beef (& Noggin Fest!) explores some new music + neuroscience outreach ideas this week at our favorite community resource for young people who need access to safe, secure places to call home…

LEARN MORE: Music Brain Pilot Curriculum Jesse Hamlin
LEARN MORE: Community Music for Human Development _ A Brain-Centered Approach
See what we’ve been up to at p:ear earlier this month…
Giant brains @ p:ear!

Tagging the temporal lobe

P:ear: “He LOVES this”

Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland organization 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 the brain, and behavior, and the evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including young people struggling, like many, with anxiety, depression, drugs, chronic stress – and the poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia, lack of affordable housing and other factors that can impact development.
LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
Join us! Please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu
CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
Jesse Hamlin, PSU/Noggin Resource Council
Maverick Johnson, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Jade Osilla, PSU
Jordan Ray, PSU
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council
Jade Osilla, PSU
Ashley Keates, PSU

Health Fair @ Jefferson High School!
2018-05-23 11:00 - 12:30 | Jefferson High School
WHAT: High School Health Fair
WHERE: Jefferson High School, 5210 N Kerby St., Portland, OR 97217
WHEN: Wednesday, May 23rd from 11:15-12:30

Lynn Zimmerman always organizes a terrific mid-day outreach opportunity that draws crowds of curious high schoolers at the Home of the Democrats in North Portland! Learn more about this event from past year’s visits:
Lunchtime learning @ Jeff!

Healthy Gyri @ Jeff!

Please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu – thank you for sharing your knowledge of the brain and behavior & cheers!
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Heather Hamilton, PSU/NIH BUILD EXITO
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council
Ruth Marigomen, Noggin Resource Council/WSUV
Iris Gutierrez, WSUV

Noggin @ Lakeshore Elementary!
2018-05-24 09:00 - 11:30 | Lakeshore Elementary School, 9300 NW 21st Ave., Vancouver, WA, 98665, United States
WHAT: Noggin at Lakeshore Elementary School (Vancouver School District)
We did it!
WATCH THIS SPACE: Post by Denesa Oberbeck coming soon

WHERE: Lakeshore Elementary, 9300 NW 21st Ave. Vancouver, WA 98665
WHEN: Thursday May 24th, 9:00 am-11:25 am

Brains and art at the Home of the Seagulls!
We’re visiting with Mrs. Moody’s 3rd grade class… 🙂

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Iris Guttierez, WSUV
Ruth Marigomen, WSUV
Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council
Denesa Oberbeck, Noggin Brain Board
Anthony Almonte, WSUV

Noggin @ Helen Gordon
2018-05-24 10:00 - 11:50 | Helen Gordon Childhood Development Center, 1609 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR, 97201, United States
WHAT: Noggin at Helen Gordon (and Vikings kids included)
We did it! Amazing 3, 4 and 5 year old scientists and artists!
Meet your brain cells!

“I like having conversations with kids. Grownups never ask me what my third favorite reptile is.” – Simon Holland
WHERE: Helen Gordon Child Development Center, Portland State University, 1609 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97201
WHEN: Thursday, May 24th, 10am – 11:50pm in the Butterfly room

The classroom teacher is teaching about the brain this week, and the children are especially interested in the brain processes of smell (what happens when you smell a flower?) and springtime (pollen, allergies,…)
LEARN MORE about Noggin pre-K/Kindergarten outreach: I am thankful…for my brain!
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Ashley Keates, PSU
Justin Navarro, PSU
Jeremiah Hansen, PSU

Noggin @ PSU Sleep & Dreams!
2018-05-29 17:30 - 18:30 | Portland State University, Cramer Hall, Room 317Z, PO Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207-0751, United States
WHAT: Noggin visits the PSU Sleep & Dreams class (PSY 410)
WHERE: Academic & Student Rec Center 240, Portland State University, 1800 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97201
WHEN: Tuesday, May 29, 5:30 – 6:30pm

Noggin volunteers Ashley Keates and Jade Osilla from PSU Psychology will discuss sleep, dreams and brains with some extra human and animal brains in the undergraduate classroom…
LEARN MORE: Noggins in Nod, The Science of Sleep

Spinning Wheels at Velo Cult: Anorexia Research & Art
2018-05-30 18:00 - 20:00 | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
WHAT: Spinning Wheels: What we can learn about anorexia nervosa from rodents on running wheels with Tara Chowdhury (Behavioral Neuroscience @ OHSU) & Kayla Townsley (PSU, OHSU, NIH BUILD EXITO scholar)…
We did it! More details at the link…
Spinning Wheels: Anorexia in Research & Art

WHERE: Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97213
WHEN: Wednesday, May 30, 2018, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by restricted food-intake, excessive exercise, and distorted body image. While research in rodent models aims to uncover the neurobiological basis of the disease, art helps to uncover the complex emotional and physical relationship between the human figure and our perception of self.

“Throne of Bones,” by Sonja Jacobsen, The Dalles High School
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…

BioGift Dissection..?
2018-06-05 12:00 - 16:00 | BioGift, 17819 NE Riverside Pkwy, Portland, OR, 97230, United States
WHAT: Visit to BioGift for head dissection/discussion
We did it! Learn more at the link…
Adventure A-Head

WHERE: BioGift, 17819 NE Riverside Pkwy, Portland, OR 97230
WHEN: Tuesday, June 5, 2018, 12:00pm – 4:00pm
BioGift is offering assistance with the preparation of animal head specimens for our Synapses & Stories project..! We’ll be visiting schools in Lincoln and Yamhill Counties to discuss characters from Native tales and comparative neuroanatomy this fall…

LEARN MORE: Synapses & Stories: Coyote, Grizzly & their Brains!
All the animals heads, including cougar, badger, fox and squirrel, were generously donated by Wayne’s Taxidermy in Yoncolla, Oregon…

LEARN MORE: Wayne Sherrard of Wayne’s Taxidermy
See what we did previously with BioGift!
BioGifting brains

A BioGift of Brains

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Denesa Oberbeck, OHSU
Matt Marcell, PSU
Jordan Ray, PSU
Jeehoon Jung, WSUV
Jade Osilla, PSU
Robert Martin, University of San Diego

Noggin + Storytelling + Song @ Siletz Valley
2018-06-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Siletz Valley Early College Academy, 245 NW James Franks Ave, Siletz, 97380, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Siletz Valley School
WHERE: Siletz Valley Early College Academy, 245 NW James Franks Ave, Siletz, OR 97380
WHEN: Thursday, June 7, 10:00am – 12:00pm

How to say “brain” in Dee-Ni (“day-nee”)…
http://siletz.swarthmore.edu/media/siletz/aud/2b-325.mp3

LEARN MORE: Language and oral traditions of the Siletz
LEARN MORE: Phonology of Smith River Athapaskan (Tolowa)
LEARN MORE: SILETZ DEE-NI
We are returning to Siletz Valley to meet with Theresa Smith, a Siletz tribal member and second grade teacher, and Cassondra McDonnell, a school counselor at Siletz Valley Early College Academy, and Bud Lane III, Vice Chairman of the Tribal Council for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Joanne Trzcinski, Education Coordinator for the Oregon Pacific Area Health Education Center (OPAHEC) will join us too!

LEARN MORE: Alfred “Bud” Lane III: Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
We listen to elders and storytellers, and invite them to our fall Synapses & Stories project. Stories are seasonal, and those who closely observe the natural world tell instructive tales about the richness of animal behavior. Brain scientists are only now discovering how neuroanatomy relates to this complexity – how the underlying structure and function of cerebral networks contributes to what each of us perceives, thinks and does…

Cougar brain dissection at BioGift
LEARN MORE: Synapses & Stories: Coyote, Grizzly & their Brains!
We did it! We confirmed TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9th for our all day visit with K-12 students at Siletz Valley. And the project is now “Synapses, Stories & Songs!“

According to a science teacher at Siletz, our earlier visit had impact – students are advocating for opportunities to hear and play more music, they are more aware of their changing circadian cycles in adolescence, and more understanding of diverse developmental experiences and how they are not alone in facing challenges…

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ Siletz Valley!
Also struck today by depictions of Siletz students formally greeting crows, watching crows use pennies as tools, and performing the Crow Dance, reflecting their distinctive movements. Great meeting; more details coming soon…

“When we see a landscape, mountains, valleys, ridges, we see the skeletal structure underneath; when we look at the stars, we see bodies, stories.” -Bud Lane

This resonates – neuroscience researchers and artists explore landscapes too, and study the fascinating structure and function of cellular and biochemical networks that act beneath the surface and determine who we are.

Talking brains at the Little Chief diner in Siletz, Oregon
Tremendously honored to be presented with a copy of The People are Dancing Again: The Siletz Tribe of Western Oregon by Charles Wilkinson…

Very excited to return to Siletz in October…
CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
1. Jordan Ray, PSU
2. Denessa Oberbeck, OHSU, Noggin Brain Board
3. Joey Seuferling, Noggin Resource Council
4. Sami Friedrich, OHSU

PSU Brain Ball!
2018-06-07 18:30 - 21:30 | Smith Center, Portland State University, 1825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR, 97201, United States
WHAT: PSU Neuroscience Club BRAIN BALL!
WHERE: SMSU 101 (near the Smith cafeteria) at Portland State University
WHEN: Thursday, June 7, 6:30 to 9:30 PM

New Club officers!

President: Louis Sumrall
Vice President: Jesse Benefiel
Club Liaison: Michael Chapek
Events Outreach Coordinator: Aaron Eisen
Science Officer: Mary Lerner
Communications Officer: Julia Schmidt
Treasurer: Dee Ishwar
General Officer 1: Roberto Garduno
General Officer 2: Jonathan Uriarte
General Officer 3: Heather Hamilton
General Officer 4: Sai Kiersarsky
General Officer 5: Ali Javaheri
General Officer 6: Olivia Helback

Some exciting outreach opportunities to look forward to this fall..!
Synapses & Stories: Coyote, Grizzly & their Brains!

Society for Neuroscience conference!

Noggin @ Siletz Tribal Camp!
2018-07-12 - 2018-07-14
WHAT: Brains and art and storytelling at Siletz Camp
We did it! See how to do the Crow Dance at the link!
Stories, Singing, Dancing & Brains!

WHERE: Mservey Meadows, Oregon (near Agness)
WHEN: Thursday & Friday, July 12th & 13th

LEARN MORE: Synapses & Stories
We’ll drive towards Agness early on Thursday, aiming to arrive by the afternoon. Storytelling, dances, brains and art on Thursday afternoon through Friday evening!

Esther Stutzman organizes this annual gathering, and tells traditional Coos and Kalapuya stories. She recently won a 2017 Governor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement!
From the Siletz News (10/17)…
“Esther Stutzman is a native Oregonian and traditional American Indian storyteller of Kalapuya/Coos heritage. She learned the stories from her grandmoth- ers and she has been telling stories of the ancient ways for more than 50 years. She is a descendant of the Headman Camafeema (Halo) of the Komemma/ Kalapuya and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

Stutzman works with Title VII Indian Education and Arts in Education programs throughout Oregon as a cultural resource specialist with children as well as with teacher in-service programs.
She is the primary storyteller for Mother Earth’s Children, an American Indian theatre group that has performed for school assemblies and a variety of events and conferences for the past 42 years. She has been a long-time presenter for the Oregon Chautauqua History Series and is a recipient of several Oregon Historical Society Folk Life awards.”

LEARN MORE: Turtle Island Storyteller Esther Stutzman
LEARN MORE: Governor Kate Brown announces 2017 Governor’s Arts Awards
LEARN MORE: Governor’s Arts Awards, revived
We’re bringing some extra brains – and pipe cleaners! Sincere thanks to Eileen Torres of the Raber Lab at OHSU Behavioral Neuroscience for freshening up the brain juice!

Volunteers please bring tents, sleeping bags, lights. Campsites and camp food provided 🙂

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Kanani Miyamoto, Noggin Resource Council
Ashley Keates, PSU
Jacob Schoen, OHSU
Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
Contact griesar@pdx.edu for more details…

NW Noggin @ Camp Monkey!
2018-07-17 10:00 - 14:00
WHAT: Noggin at Camp Monkey!
WHERE: OHSU Oregon National Primate Research Center
WHEN: Tuesday, July 17, 10:00am – 2:00pm
Jacob Schoen of NW Noggin will present a lesson on the brain to 18 students in Grades 9 – 12.
10:00 Meet and escort students to Montagna Auditorium
10:10 – 10:45 Presentation/overview of biomedical research/ONPRC (Lynda)
10:45 – 11:30 Tour of outdoor breeding colony (Lynda)
11:30 – 12:15 Presentation/activities (Jacob)
12:15 – 12:45 Lunch (Lynda will chaperone)
12:45 – 2:00 Presentation/activities (Jacob
See what we did last year at Camp Monkey!

LEARN MORE: Midbrains and Monkeys (Camp Monkey 2017!)
Contact Jacob Schoen (schoen@ohsu.edu) to get involved..!

Velo Cult Farewell Party
2018-07-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
WHAT: Velo Cult Farewell party
WHERE: Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42ND AVE PORTLAND, OR 97213
WHEN: Saturday, July 28, 2018, 6pm on…

From Velo: “We’re closing our doors after 12 years. Please help us celebrate all our successes and toast to whatever the future brings…”
LEARN MORE: Velo Cult will close retail shop to focus solely on e-commerce
LEARN MORE: NW Noggin @ Velo Cult

First Thursday: Jeff Leake + p:ear!
2018-08-02 17:00 - 20:00 | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Inner Landscapes, work by Portland artist Jeff Leake
WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Avenue, Portland, or 97209
WHEN: Thursday, August 2, 2018, 5:00 – 8:00pm

The p:ear gallery is thrilled to present Jeff Leake’s Inner Landscapes.
A Bay Area native, Jeff Leake holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MFA from UC Davis. Fascinated with the origin and nature of our inner landscapes, he works alongside neuroscience faculty at Portland State University to teach art and neuroscience there and around the Portland area.

Also the co-founder and art coordinator of NW Noggin, an art and neuroscience outreach group, Jeff has travelled around the country to give lectures on neuroscience and art, and has lectured on art and drugs for Science On Tap, the Portland Art Museum, and the Washington State Psychological Association.
Along the way, Jeff has shown his artwork nationally and internationally. He currently lives and works in sunny Portland, Oregon with his wife, kids, and three dogs.
In addition to showing his work in the p:ear gallery, Jeff will be facilitating art workshops for p:ear youth, and youth artwork will be shown alongside Jeff’s at the the Inner Landscapes shows.

LEARN MORE: NW Noggin @ p:ear

Noggin @ MacClaren Youth Correctional Facility
2018-08-03 17:00 - 18:30 | MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, 2630 N Pacific Hwy, Woodburn, 97071, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to MacClaren Youth Correctional Facility
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS VISIT AT THE LINK…
Correctional Connections

WHERE: MacClaren Youth Correctional Facility, 2630 N Pacific Hwy, Woodburn, OR 97071
WHEN: Friday, August 3, 5:00 – 6:30pm
CONTACT: Kathleen Fullerton, Project Coordinator, Hope Partnership, Janus Youth Programs

MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility is administered by the Oregon Youth Authority in Woodburn, Oregon. The agency’s stated mission is “to protect the public and reduce crime by holding youth accountable and providing opportunities for reformation in safe environments.”

At MacLaren, there are a number of vocational opportunities offered, including the training of shelter dogs (Project POOCH). The Hope Partnership, a collaboration between the Oregon Youth Authority and Janus Youth Services, also provides a variety of classes and community networking opportunities for youth to help build their self-confidence and skill set to transform their lives.

LEARN MORE: Hope Partnership Celebrates its Fifth Year Anniversary
LEARN MORE: HOPE Partnership – Janus Youth Programs
LEARN MORE: Janus Youth Programs – Residential & Re-Entry Services
Thank you for inviting us to spend an afternoon! We enjoyed a spirited discussion with youth leaders around bias, brain development, drugs, educational opportunities, and the implications of neuroscience research for policy and law.

We’ll return to MacLaren in September – dates to be scheduled soon…
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
Jordan Ray, PSU
Jacob Schoen, OHSU

Teachers, Noggin, OPAHEC & Intel!
2018-08-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Intel Jones Farm 3, Jones Farm 3 (JF3), 2111 NE 25th Ave, Hillsboro, OR, 97124, United States
WHAT: Meeting with Intel Native American Network (iNAN)
We did it!

Terrific discussion on how we’ll collaborate in outreach this fall. New 3D printed brain sets for schools, bound books of stories, research, art projects, songs, and “Noggin classroom brain kits,” complete with pipe cleaners, recycled plastic brains, electrophysiology recording devices and laminated art project instructions…

WHERE: Intel, Jones Farm 3 (JF3), 2111 NE 25th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124
WHEN: Wednesday, August 15, noon – 1pm

At the invitation of Shashi Jain, a Portland-based entrepreneur, technologist, instructor and IoT Innovation Manager at Intel…Jacob Schoen, Jeff Leake and Bill Griesar of NW Noggin are joining Joanne Trzcinski and Melanie Alvarado from the Oregon Pacific Area Health Education Center (OPAHEC), Theresa Smith, a Siletz tribal member and second grade teacher at Siletz Valley Early College Academy, and Michelle Chuaprasert, Raea Garcia, Amanda Sharp, Cory Cornelius and David Shaw from the Intel Native American Network…

(We may also bring along a few extra brains… 🙂 )
We’ll discuss outreach plans this fall in Lincoln and Yamhill County tribal majority public schools. Intel employees are interested in offering support through 3D printing human and animal brains (and perhaps other significant objects), other forms of printing (e.g., book or booklet binding), and potential opportunities for direct volunteer school and classroom engagement.
Learn more about these plans at the links below…
Synapses, Stories & Song!

WHAT: Spirit Mountain Community Fund supported outreach to tribal schools
WHERE: Amity, Sheridan, Willamina and Siletz Valley schools
WHEN: October 8 – 11, 2018

Synapses & Stories: Coyote, Grizzly & their Brains!

Noggin @ Willamina
2018-08-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Willamina High School, 1100 N.E. Oaken Hills Dr., Willamina, OR, 97396, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Willamina High School
We did it! We’re getting organized to bring brains, storytellers, music and art on Thursday, October 11…

WHERE: Willamina High School, 1100 N.E. Oaken Hills Dr., Willamina, OR 97396
WHEN: Monday, August 27, noon
Along with Joanne Trzcinski and Melanie Alvarado from OPAHEC, and Theresa Smith from Siletz Valley Early College Academy, we’ll meet with teacher Michelle Anderson and principal Tim France to discuss plans for Synapses, Stories & Song this fall.

Beautiful drive through Yamhill County…
LEARN MORE: Synapses & Stories: Coyote, Grizzly & their Brains!
LEARN MORE: Synapses, Stories & Song!
See what we did last time at Willamina at the link!
Brains are xumxum @ Willamina
