NW NOGGIN: Neuroscience outreach group (growing in networks)

MARCH FOR SCIENCE!!
2017-04-22 09:30 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Tom McCall Waterfront Park, NW Glisan St , Portland, OR, 97209, United States
UPDATE: See what we did on Earth Day!
Synapsing for Science!

WHAT: March for Science PDX!
WHERE: Tom McCall Waterfront Park
WHEN: EARTH DAY, April 22, 10am – 2pm (Noggin volunteers please arrive by 9:30am!)

LEARN MORE: March for science with art & brains!

Science works. It demands that we test our hypotheses through experiment – and then gather the evidence, share information, replicate investigations, and critically interpret data from the real world…

Investing in scientific research produces results. This approach has eradicated smallpox, developed deep brain stimulators to treat Parkinson’s disease, landed people on the moon, built computers and iPhones, lit our homes and brought us stunning photos and information from Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Pluto – and Earth.

By linking up and following the evidence – properly routing real data and observable facts – our own networks of linked neurons have illuminated and explained, and inspire awe, wonder and curiosity about life, the universe, and everything…

We know, from countless school visits and community events, that researched answers to real questions about how we are built and function is something both kids and the public want to know, and understand, and appreciate, and consider, while enjoying that tingling, tantalizing sense of genuine discovery…

Bring your pipe cleaner neurons – and make more at the Noggin table: Come join us at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland on Earth Day, April 22, to show your support for the best way of discovering how the world actually works – and how to make it a better place for all!
Confirmed Noggin participants
1. Allie Clark, PSU
2. Kris Thomason, OHSU
3. Jesse Hamlin, PSU
4. Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
5. Andrea Anaya, PSU
6. Heather Hamilton, PSU/NIH EXITO
7. Alison Mack, PSU
8. Travis Chistian, PSU
9. Andrew Stanley, PSU
10. John Harkness, WSU/NW Noggin
11. Leota Wolford, PSU
12. Maxwell Neideigh, WSU
13. Jobe Ritchie, PSU
14. Alyssa Glace, PSU
15. Austin Abshire, PSU
16. Ian Anderson, PSU
17. Kim Engeln, WSU
18. Christina Williams, WSU
19. Metz Prottas, PSU
20. Kassandra Johnson, PSU
21. Jacob Schoen, PSU
22. Joella Deal, PSU
23. Kelly Stromberg, PSU

Velo Cult (Alcohol & Caffeine)!
2017-04-19 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
WHAT: Drunk mice on espresso – what could go wrong?
WHERE: Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42ND AVE PORTLAND, OR 97213
WHEN: Wednesday, April 19th, 2017, 6 – 8pm
UPDATE: See what we did at the link 🍺 ☕️
Drunk Mice on Espresso

Drunk mice on espresso – what could go wrong?Irish coffee, Spanish coffee, Red Bull & vodka…
How do caffeine and alcohol affect your brain? How do these two popular chemicals swirl into your synapses to jointly affect your mood, memory, and behavior?
WITHAlfredo Zuñiga at OHSU Behavioral Neuroscience, who studies how caffeine, the most widely used substance in the world, encourages alcohol drinking.
&
Kim Engeln, a photographer, student at Reed & WSU Vancouver, a barista and a bartender, who is no stranger to the synergistic effects of liquor and caffeine. Kim has created a collection of photos comparing facial expressions after shots of each drug, and how expressions change after consuming both at once…
Join us for a stimulating (and biphasically activating) evening at Velo Cult – a renowned provider of BOTH house-brewed coffee and excellent beer!

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…

MESA Day!
2017-04-15 09:30 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WSU Vancouver
UPDATE: See what we did at MESA Day 2017!
Midbrains & more @ MESA!

WHAT: MESA Day! (Note: there will be FOOD 🙂
WHERE: WSU Vancouver Library (Room 260)
WHEN: April 15th, 9:30am – 3:00pm
We’ll be introducing our brains and brain-related art projects to young people through MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement), an organization offering pathways to college and careers in various STEM fields for traditionally underrepresented students, including African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, Pacific Islanders and women.
Please RSVP to: griesar@pdx.edu and aspragus@yahoo.com
LEARN MORE: SW WASHINGTON MESA

See what we did last spring!
Myelinating for MESA!

COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS

Juliana Chase
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
Angela Gonzalez, WSU
Tony Carley, WSU
Nick Dunn., WSU
Sulema Rodriguez, PSU

Matthew Carlisle, WSU
Rebekah Hough, PSU

Jeremy Dunford, WSU

Erin Cooper, WSU

Ben Yefimov, WSU

Gianfranco DiCarlo, WSU

Aliese Poole, PSU
Leota Wolford, PSU
Jennifer Jensen, PSU
Samantha Harris, PSU

Brain Awareness Lecture: Sleep, Memory and Dreams
2017-04-04 18:00 - 20:30 UTC | Newmark Theater, Portland, OR
Sleep, Memory and Dreams: Putting it all together

Tuesday, April 4
6–8:30 p.m.
Newmark Theatre
Robert Stickgold, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Director, Center for Sleep and Cognition
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
UPDATE: We were there! Learn more about sleep at the link…

Noggins in Nod: The science of sleep

Learn more about this lecture.
Noggin will have a table – please arrive by 6pm!
CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
1. Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
2. Leota Wolford, PSU
3. Christina Williams, WSU
4. Erin Cooper, WSU
5. Jeremy Dunford, WSU
6. Brit Gratreak, PSU
7. Imee Williams, WSU
8. Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
9. Heather Hamilton, PSU
10. Kindra Crick, Noggin Board
Learn more about the last two OHSU Brain Awareness lectures at the links…
Touched in the head

Psychopathy & brains

March for Science @ Velo Cult!
2017-03-29 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
Support science 🔬!
UPDATE: See what we did at Velo on March 29th!
March for science with art & brains!

WHAT: An evening of science and art making; learn about brain cells and create your own!
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29 (6 – 8pm)
WHERE: Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97213
NW Noggin Velo Cult events are always free, all ages, and open to everyone!

PRINT AND SHARE: Noggin/Velo March for Science Pipe Cleaner Neuron Building poster PDF

By making your own brain cell..!

Pipe cleaner neurons are colorful, bright and visible, they demonstrate structural and functional facts about our nervous systems, and they allow for creative expression..!

Brain cells also connect, linking to each other across short gaps called synapses, and form powerful networks that effectively route information and let organisms, including us, respond to changes in our world with organized and successful behavior…

Science works. It demands that we test our hypotheses through experiment – and then gather the evidence, share information, replicate investigations, and critically interpret data from the real world…

Investing in scientific research produces results. This approach has eradicated smallpox, landed people on the moon, built computers and iPhones, lit our homes and brought us stunning photos and information from Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Pluto – and Earth.

By linking up and following the evidence – properly routing real data and observable facts – our own networks of linked neurons have illuminated and explained, and inspire awe, wonder and further curiosity about life, the universe, and everything…

We know – from countless school visits and community events – that answering real questions about how we are built and function is something both kids and the public want to know, and understand, and appreciate, and consider, and experience that tingling, tantalizing sense of genuine discovery…

Please join us at Velo Cult on Wednesday, March 29 (6 – 8pm) to support sustained federal investment in research, education and outreach – and build your own neurons!

We’ll introduce the astounding diversity of brain cell types, including specialized sensory neurons that let you see, touch, and balance, large pyramidal cells, tiny granule cells, those wildly branching Purkinje’s – while you make your own!

Did we mention that Velo Cult offers great beer, wine, soda, coffee and tea..?

Your pipe cleaner neuron can connect with others at Portland’s own March for Science on April 22 – and we are thrilled to mail some of those you create directly to organizers of the national march in Washington DC…

DISCOVER: Pipe Cleaner Neuron Project Background
CREATE: How to make a pipe cleaner neuron
WATCH: Making pipe cleaner neurons in the classroom

Brain Awareness Lecture: Touch
2017-03-27 18:00 - 20:30 UTC | Newmark Theater, Portland, OR
Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart and Mind

Monday, March 27
6–8:30 p.m.
Newmark Theatre
David Linden, Ph.D.
Professor of Neuroscience, the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
UPDATE: LEARN WHAT WE LEARNED AT THE LINK!
Touched in the head

Learn more about this lecture.
Noggin will have a table: please arrive at the Newmark by 6:00pm!
CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
1. Heather Hamilton, PSU & NIH BUILD EXITO
2. Meghann Farrell, PSU
3. Gaile Parker, PSU
4. Joey Seuferling, WSU
5. Joella Deal, PSU
6. Andrea Anaya, PSU
7. Jacob Schoen, PSU
8. Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
9. Brandon Forry, PSU
10. Erik Brunken, PSU

Brain Awareness Lecture: The Criminal Brain
2017-03-20 18:00 - 20:30 UTC | Newmark Theater, Portland, OR
The Criminal Brain

Monday, March 20
6–8:30 p.m.
Newmark Theatre
Octavio Choi, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Forensic Evaluation Service, Oregon State Hospital
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University
UPDATE: LEARN WHAT WE LEARNED AT THE LINK!
Psychopathy & brains

Learn more about this lecture.
Noggin will have a table: please arrive at the Newmark by 6:00pm!
CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
1. Angela Gonzalez, WSU
2. Austin Abshire, PSU
3. Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
4. Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
5. Kayla Townsley, PSU
6. Britt Gratreak, PSU
7. Ankita Guchait, PSU
8. Kayla Stippich, PSU
9. Annalicia Whittaker, PSU
10. Aliese Poole, PSU

Synaptic Community Connection: Davenport WA!
2017-03-16 - 2017-03-17 | Davenport, WA, WA, 99122, United States
Noggin is spending two days in the eastern Washington state community of Davenport, from March 16 – 17th during Brain Awareness Week…
UPDATE: See what we did at the link!
Dopamine in Davenport!

We’ve been invited to present brains and art projects at Davenport Middle School on Thursday, March 16, and at Davenport Elementary School on Friday, March 17. One of NW Noggin’s most dedicated volunteers, Angela Gonzalez, an undergraduate in Neuroscience at WSU Vancouver, grew up in Davenport, and is thrilled to be returning this week with fellow Noggin volunteers from Portland State University and OHSU to talk neuroscience in her hometown..!

Itinerary…
Wednesday, March 15
Drive to Davenport from Portland/Vancouver
Thursday, March 16
8:30am – 5pm; Davenport Middle School
Visits with teacher Kim Hansen’s 6, 7, 8 and 9th grade students
7th grade students are dissecting sheep brains as part of Project Lead the Way

8:55 – 9:44 = 9th grade physical science
9:48 – 10:38 = 8th grade earth science
10:42 – 11:02 = morning break!
11:06 – 11:56 = 8th grade earth science PLUS Davenport High School 8th grade anatomy class!
LUNCH 11:06-12:26
12:26 – 1:11 = 7th grade life science
1:15 – 2:00 = 6th grade intro to chemistry
2:04 – 3:49 = 7th grade life science
Friday, March 17
9:00am – 2pm; Davenport Elementary School
Drive to (or towards!) Portland/Vancouver

Five 45 minute brain + art sessions in the library:
What’s inside my head? What is my brain actually made of? How is it changing to make me better at school, social life, arts, sciences, math and sports..? Learn about brains, brain cells and brain changes with college students studying neuroscience in the Pacific Northwest…

Three undergraduate NW Noggin outreach volunteers from Psychology at Portland State University (Jacob Schoen, Joella Deal, Allie Clark), three undergraduates from Neuroscience at WSU Vancouver (Angela Gonzalez, Kim Engeln, Christina Williams), and two graduate students from Behavioral Neuroscience at OHSU (Rebecca Hood, Scott Jones) are talking about neuroscience and psychology research, answering questions, and helping students make their own brain cells..!

Many thanks to OHSU Behavioral Neuroscience for supporting graduate student travel, the Associated Students of WSU Vancouver for funding three of their undergraduates, and PSU Psychology for sending Noggin faculty to Davenport… 🙂
Davenport is a six hour drive from Portland/Vancouver, with two local motels (Black Bear Motel; Davenport Motel).

We’ll drive to Davenport from Portland/Vancouver on Wednesday (3/15), and stay for two nights. MEDIA CONTACTS: Bill Griesar, (503) 914-7487; Jeff Leake, (270) 779-4239

Noggin @ BioGift Anatomical
2017-03-14 13:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | OR
An unforgettable experience at a body donation lab, thanks to the skilled father and son dissection team of Michael and Miguel Pierre!

Thanks also to Andrew Hardy, the BioGift Business Manager, for joining us at Liberty High School and arranging for Noggin brain donations – and welcoming our outreach volunteers into the lab!
UPDATE: See what we did! Quite a day!
A BioGift of Brains

Noggin @ Hillsboro's Liberty High!
2017-03-14 10:00 - 11:45 (America/Los_Angeles) | Liberty High School, 21945 NW Wagon Way, Hillsboro, OR, 97124, United States
UPDATE: See what we did! Quite a day!
A BioGift of Brains

Noggin volunteers are heading west on Tuesday, March 14, to meet with 50 high school students at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Oregon…

WHAT: Visit to Liberty High School, Hillsboro, Oregon
WHERE: Liberty High School, 21945 NW Wagon Way, Hillsboro, OR 97124
WHEN: Tuesday, March 14, 10:00am – 11:45am
After our visit to Liberty, we’ve been invited to drop by BioGift Anatomical, a whole body donation company located in Portland, Oregon! This is a great opportunity for our graduate and undergraduate Noggin volunteers to learn about additional career options, and the process of body donation for scientific research, education and outreach. BioGift is generously donating a human brain to nwnoggin.org..!
If you can join us, please email: bgriesar@gmail.com and aspragus@yahoo.com
Confirmed participants
Kim Engeln, WSU
Jeremy Dunford, WSU
Eric Polch, WSU
Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
Gaile Parker, PSU
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
Christina Williams, WSU
Aliese Poole, PSU
Leota Wolford, PSU

OMSI/OHSU Brain Fair!
2017-03-11 09:00 - 17:00 UTC | Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
Noggin is bringing 27 undergraduate and graduate volunteers to the OHSU OMSI Brain Fair this Saturday!
Look for our tables full of brains, brain experts, and brain-related art! Make your own neurons, too 🙂
*** UPDATE: See what we DID on Saturday, March 11 at the link below..!
Pipe Cleaners, Gel Prints, Electrodes & Brains!

WHAT: OHSU OMSI Brain Fair
WHERE: Oregon Museum of Science & Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214
WHEN: Saturday, March 11, 9:00am – 5:00pm (doors open to the public at 10:00am)
See what we did last year (2016) at the link below..!
Thalamic Thunder @ OMSI

Please join us: Art projects, brain games, real cerebrums, and awesome outreach volunteers!
Confirmed:
MORNING SHIFT: 9:00am – 1:00pm
* Andre Walcott, OHSU
* Andrea Anaya, PSU
* Alfredo Zuniga, OHSU
* Sam DeLuche, PSU
* Heather Hamilton, PSU EXITO
* Angela Gonzalez, WSU
* Miles Bennette-Eaton, PSU
* Kim Engeln, WSU
* Andrew Stanley, PSU
* Alex Kunz, PSU
* Thomas Madison, PSU
* Christina Williams, WSU
* Mieya Romine, PSU

AFTERNOON SHIFT: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
* Rebekah Hough, PSU
* Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
* Matthew Carlisle, WSU
* Rebecca Hood, OHSU
* Jobe Ritchie, PSU
* Ankita Guchait, PSU/OHSU
* Kayla Townsley, PSU EXITO
* Aliese Poole, PSU
* Ian Anderson, PSU
* Erika Cuellar, OHSU
* Gianfranco DiCarlo, WSU
ALL DAY 😎: 9:00am – 5:00pm
* Kirk Wydner, PSU
* Allie Clark, PSU
* Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
* Bill Griesar, NW Noggin
* Jeff Leake, NW Noggin

Brain Awareness Week!
2017-03-11 - 2017-03-19 | OR
Read our interview with the Dana Foundation about Brain Awareness, and see what we’re up to the week!
NW Noggin: Interview with the Dana Foundation!

Noggin @ Byrom Elementary!
2017-03-09 08:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Byrom Elementary School, 21800 SW 91st Ave, Tualatin, OR, 97062, United States
UPDATE: See what we did at Byrom Elementary!
Byrom Brains!

WHAT: Brain/art outreach at Byrom Elementary with three 4th grade classrooms, totalling about 90 kids!
WHEN: Thursday, March 9, 8:00 – 11:00am (it’s apparently best to show up at Byrom Elementary between 8:15am – 8:30am to avoid parent drop off and bus traffic – if you arrive before 8:15am you will want to drive through the Byrom parking lot and park along the side of the road as you enter the residential area)…
WHERE: Byrom Elementary, 21800 SW 91st Ave, Tualatin, OR 97062

Come join us to visit energetic elementary school classrooms at Byrom Elementary south of Portland in Tualatin, Oregon, and answer questions from curious young students about their brains! We’ll also have a brain-related art project to help engage and inform…
If you’d like to participate – and excite, inform and enthuse young people about their brains – please email bgriesar@gmail.com and aspragus@yahoo.com
Confirmed participants
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
Christina Williams, WSU
Andrea Anaya, PSU
Aliese Poole, PSU
Sulema Rodriguez, PSU

Noggin Tuesdays @ P:ear!
2017-03-07 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
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…

3/7 SESSION 4 – NETWORKS AND SCREEN PRINTINGOur last visit! We’ll have brains and we’ll be discussing different networks (default is a good one) and screen printing some NOGGIN t-shirts…

LEARN MORE: Creativity and the default network: A functional connectivity analysis of the creative brain at rest
Remember that these are tentative plans – though we’re definitely screen printing! But we’ll also see where everyone’s interests take the discussion 🙂
See what we’ve been up to during our first three Noggin Tuesdays at the links below…
Making a human @ P:ear

Benefits + limits of neurons @ P:ear

Love & Brains @ P:ear

Noggin returns to P:ear 🍐!

Noggin @ Gardner School!
2017-03-02 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Gardner School of the Arts and Sciences, 16413 NE 50th Ave, Vancouver, WA, 98686, United States
WHAT: Noggin volunteers will visit the Gardner School of Arts and Sciences, literally just down the road from WSU Vancouver…
WHEN: Thursday, March 2, 9:00am – 11:00am
WHERE: Gardner School of Arts and Sciences, 16413 NE 50th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98686

Confirmed participants…
1. Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
2. Nick Dunn, WSU
3. Jeremy Dunford, WSU
4. Maria Honsowetz, WSU
5. Kim Engeln, WSU
6. Alexzander Isenhower, WSU
7. Austin Abshire, PSU
8. Eric Polch, WSU
See what we did during our last visit to Gardner in 2014…
NW Noggin at the Gardner School of Arts & Sciences

Noggin Tuesdays @ P:ear!
2017-02-28 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
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…

This week we’re introducing autonomic systems (sympathetic/parasympathetic/enteric) and discussing how we can listen to and use electric currents to learn about the brain. We’ll bring along some EEG-based games (including the Mindflex Duel, and perhaps a Human to Human interface from Backyard Brains!). I think we may be lucky enough to welcome back Kirk Wydner, who is currently at Oregon State – he’s also an expert on making Arduino-based technology work as required 🙂
Brittany may also bring along an EEG cap from OHSU – and anything else she thinks might help with understanding the electrical nature of information flow in the brain…
UPDATE: See what we did at P:ear on Tuesday, February 28th, at the link…
Making a human @ P:ear

See what we’ve been up to during our first two Noggin Tuesdays at the links below…
Love & Brains @ P:ear

Benefits + limits of neurons @ P:ear

Still more details are available here…
Noggin returns to P:ear 🍐!

Noggin Tuesdays @ P:ear!
2017-02-21 09:30 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
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…

This week we’re focusing on “all things neuron” – and making pipe cleaner brain cells of every type (sensory neurons, motor neurons, various interneurons). We’ll also welcome recent PNCA graduate Kanani Miyamoto, who will introduce a stress reducing paint technique to paint some neurons too…

DISCOVER: Pipe Cleaner Neuron Project Background
CREATE: How to make a pipe cleaner neuron
WATCH: Making pipe cleaner neurons in the classroom
More details here…
Noggin returns to P:ear 🍐!

Noggin @ HeLa High!
2017-02-16 08:30 - 12:00 UTC | He La High School, 9105 NE 9th St, Vancouver, WA, 98664, United States
FINALLY!
(The MULTIPLE SNOWPOCALYPSES are hopefully over 🙂
Noggins @ HeLa High!

Thursday, February 16 @ 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Noggin volunteers from Portland State University, Washington State University Vancouver, and OHSU will meet with about 400 students at Henrietta Lacks High School, introducing them to neuroscience research and art projects related to understanding the brain…
EXPLORE MORE: Hippocampal hordes at HeLa High

WHAT: NW Noggin visit to HeLa High
WHERE: Henrietta Lacks High School, 9105 NE 9th St., Vancouver, WA, 98664
WHEN: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 8:30am – 1:00pm
CONFIRMED LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Scott Jones, OHSU
Christina Williams, WSU, 8:30 – 10:00pm
Allana Zuccaro, PSU
Kayla Townsley, PSU EXITO
Britt Gratreak, PSU
Jeremy Dunford, WSU (10:30 – 11:30)
Tony Carley, WSU
Kim Engeln, WSU
Come join us! Please RSVP to bgriesar@gmail.com and aspragus@yahoo.com

Noggin @ Annual Cannabis Collaborative Conference!
2017-02-15 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | Portland EXPO Center, 2060 North Marine Dr., Portland, OR, 97217, United States
Art, Pain, & Cannabinoids: Results from Research
Bill Griesar, Ph.D. , Jeff Leake, M.F.A. , Ram Kandasamy

How and where do cannabinoids, chemicals found in marijuana, act in the brain, and what are the effects on behavior?
How have artists, approached (and sometimes used) these drugs to develop works that compel, move, influence, inspire, or incite..?
What does current research suggest about the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids, particularly with regards to chronic pain?
Annual Cannabis Collaborative Conference

Portland Expo Center February 15 – 16, 2017
You session is scheduled as follows:
Date: Wednesday, February 15
Time: 14:00 – 14:45
Room: D203/204
Format: Self-organized Panel
10 minutes/speaker, followed by 15 minutes of brain viewing/questions
SLIDES Bill Griesar PhD CCC Feb 2017
SLIDES Ram Kandasamy CCC Feb 2017
SLIDES Jeff Leake MFA CCC Feb 2017

Noggin Tuesdays @ P:ear!
2017-02-14 09:30 - 23:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
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…

Here is an overview of the planning and session ideas for all four upcoming visits.
We’ll arrange to meet after the first couple of sessions to discuss further plans and details.
2/14 SESSION 1 – BRAINS!!
We will be bringing the brains and welcoming discussion about structure and function of brain areas, common brain myths and gathering information about what questions/interests they have.
2/21 SESSION 2 – NEURONS
We will be discussing all that is a neuron and making pipe cleaner neurons as well as using a stress reducing paint technique to paint neurons.
2/28 SESSION 3 – SYSTEMS – ELECTRODES – MIND FLEX
We will be introducing systems (sympathetic/parasympathetic) and discussing how we can use electrical currents to learn about the brain
3/7 SESSION 4 – NETWORKS AND SCREEN PRINTING
We will be discussing different networks (default is a good one) and screen printing NOGGIN t-shirts
Remember that these are tentative plans and we’ll see where their interests take the discussion!!!
More details here…
Noggin returns to P:ear 🍐!

Noggin Board Retreat
2017-02-11 | OR
Astoria, OR!

During Stout Month @ the Fort George 🍻

Noggin @ Shahala Middle School in Vancouver!
2017-02-09 08:00 - 12:05 UTC | Shahala Middle School, 601 SE 192nd Avenue, Vancouver, WA, 98683, United States
What: We will be visiting Shahala Middle School in Vancouver (Evergreen Public Schools) for two days in February to talk about (and look at) brains and make pipe cleaner neurons with over 400 students! It should look similar to this visit to Skyridge middle school we made last November.
See what we did on Tuesday, February 7th!
Synapses @ Shahala!

Where: Shahala middle school, 601 SE 192nd Ave., Vancouver, WA; With teachers Keith Johnson and Joyce Selee in room 414 on 2/7; and Christine Sullivan and Cassie LeBlanc in room 414 on 2/9
When: Tuesday Feb 7th, and Thursday Feb 9th.
Here’s the schedule: On the 7th it will be three groups of 60 students and on the 9th it will be two groups of 60 and one group of 90!
Feb 7th
‪8:05 – 9:20‪ Period 1 60 students
9:25 – 10:40 Period 2 60 students
‪10:45 – 12:05‪ Period 3 60 students
CONFIRMED VOLUNTEERS FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7th
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
Andrea Anaya, PSU, afa6@pdx.edu
Gaile Parker, PSU
Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
Feb 9th
‪8:05 – 9:20‪ Period 1 60 students
9:25 – 10:40 Period 2 60 students
‪10:45 – 12:05‪ Period 3 90 students
CONFIRMED VOLUNTEERS FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9th
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
Tony Carley, WSU
Andrea Anaya, PSU, afa6@pdx.edu
Kim Engeln, WSU (first period)
Gaile Parker, PSU
Scott Jones, OHSU
Christina Williams, WSU
If you can make it to any or all of these class periods let us know as soon as possible.
Jeff Leake (“Dr. Aspragus”), asparagus@yahoo.com
Bill Griesar, griesar@pdx.edu

Noggin @ Shahala Middle School in Vancouver!
2017-02-07 08:00 - 12:05 UTC | Shahala Middle School, 601 SE 192nd Avenue, Vancouver, WA, 98683, United States
What: We will be visiting Shahala Middle School in Vancouver (Evergreen Public Schools) for two days in February to talk about (and look at) brains and make pipe cleaner neurons with over 400 students!
See what we did on Tuesday, February 7th!
Synapses @ Shahala!

Where: Shahala middle school, 601 SE 192nd Ave., Vancouver, WA; With teachers Keith Johnson and Joyce Selee in room 414 on 2/7; and Christine Sullivan and Cassie LeBlanc in room 414 on 2/9
When: Tuesday Feb 7th, and Thursday Feb 9th.
Here’s the schedule: On the 7th it will be three groups of 60 students and on the 9th it will be two groups of 60 and one group of 90!
Feb 7th
‪8:05 – 9:20‪ Period 1 60 students
9:25 – 10:40 Period 2 60 students
‪10:45 – 12:05‪ Period 3 60 students
CONFIRMED VOLUNTEERS FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7th
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
Andrea Anaya, PSU, afa6@pdx.edu
Gaile Parker, PSU
Sulema Rodriguez, PSU
Feb 9th
‪8:05 – 9:20‪ Period 1 60 students
9:25 – 10:40 Period 2 60 students
‪10:45 – 12:05‪ Period 3 90 students
CONFIRMED VOLUNTEERS FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9th
Jessica Patching-Bunch, PSU
Tony Carley, WSU
Andrea Anaya, PSU, afa6@pdx.edu
Kim Engeln, WSU (first period)
Gaile Parker, PSU
Scott Jones, OHSU
Christina Williams, WSU
If you can make it to any or all of these class periods let us know as soon as possible.
Jeff Leake (“Dr. Aspragus”), asparagus@yahoo.com
Bill Griesar, griesar@pdx.edu

P:ear Planning mtg
2017-02-06 15:30 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Portland State University, Cramer Hall, Room 317Z, PO Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207-0751, United States
We’ll meet to prepare topics, materials and related art projects for our upcoming outreach visits to the P:ear homeless youth drop in center. More details on these efforts are available here…
Noggin returns to P:ear 🍐!

Confirmed participants: Scott Jones, Brittany Alperin, Erin McConnell, Kanani Miyamoto

"Four" an exhibit of PNCA graduate students at Gallery 114
2017-02-02 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Gallery 114, 1100 NW Glisan St, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
Gallery 114 Hosts PNCA Exhibit
As part of an ongoing collaboration with the Pacific Northwest College of Art, in February Gallery 114 hosts a show of MFA candidates entitled “Four.” Four PNCA graduate students present paintings, prints, and installation work in a show curated by Maximiliano Martinez, MFA candidate in visual studies. “Four” runs February 2 through February 25, with a First Thursday opening reception for the artists February 2, 6-9 pm. Regular gallery hours are noon to 6 pm Thursday through Sunday.
Gallery 114 artist Jeff Leake organized the first PNCA exhibit last year of Print Media students and coordinated this year’s show as well. Maximiliano Martinez, who curates the show, is one of his former students.
“Four” features the work of Carla G. Javier-Brea, Aruni Dharmakirthi, Melanie Stevens, and Angelica Maria Millan Lozano. The exhibit is about roots and rootlessness, leaving and arriving, says curator Martinez. “It’s about the people we love, it’s about the hands we grew up holding, it’s about story, it’s about who has been telling story, . . it’s about our myths.”
Carla G. Javier-Brea is studying for an MFA in Print Media. She spent many years traveling and living in the Dominican Republic, where her parents were born. While living in the Dominican Republic she pursued a career in Advertising and Visual Communication at the Universidad Ibero-Americana. There she first encountered analog photography and explored developing and printing her own film. These pursuits led her to explore all parts of her island, seeking subject matter, engaging strangers in conversation and then snapping their portraits. Much of her work reflects her roots in the Dominican Republic, its mythology and folklore. She describes her art as an exploration of self, her multi-cultural background, family mythology and traditions, superstitions and childhood memories.
Aruni Dharmakirthi is a Sri Lankan artist based in Portland, who earned a BA in Studio Art and Art History from Florida State University and is completing an MFA in Visual Studies. Aruni is co-founder and curator at SoftSpacepdx, a video+new media project space that creates a platform for emerging artists. Aruni’s work uses digital animation and fibers to create installations that move back and forth in time, exploring known and untold histories. The political and the personal come together to recall the journey of migration, connecting it to the tragedies of colonization and the continued violence of imperialism. These histories are re-imagined into digital culture, blurring the lines between contemporary and traditional, eastern and western.
Melanie Stevens is an artist, illustrator, and writer from Atlanta, Georgia. She received her BA in Political Science from Yale University in 2001 and created the graphic novel, Black Picket Fences. She is also co-founder and editor of Miss Anthology, an organization that supports racially and economically diverse young, female comic artists through hands-on training in workshops and publishing online and in print. Stevens creates public installations and interactions that examine the experiences of people of color, and what she calls “the unspoken and hidden perceptions and power dynamics wielded against them. I challenge audiences,” claims Stevens, “by presenting work that mimics the constructs of psychological implications of access and privilege.”
Angelica Maria Millan Lozano is a fiber and performance artist from Bogota, Colombia, who moved to Portland to work on an MFA in Visual Studies. Her work questions the ethical implications of social injustices that affect Latinas in the home. She creates abstract and figurative compositions on distressed fabrics, juxtaposing various remnants that symbolize her experiences of Colombian and American cultures.

There will be an opening reception at Gallery 114 from 6-8 pm on Thursday February 2nd.

Noggin @ Velo Cult: Chronic Pain & Mary Jane
2017-01-25 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Velo Cult Bike Shop, 1969 NE 42nd, Portland, OR
Ram Kandasamy from WSU Vancouver presents research on cannabinoids and chronic pain along with Portland musicians Bob Desaulniers and Tony Remple at the incomparable Velo Cult Bicycle Repair Shop and Pub!

VELO CULT FLYER (pdf): Chronic Pain & Mary Jane
WHAT: Chronic Pain & Mary Jane with music from Bob Desaulniers and Tony Remple
WHERE: Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42ND AVE PORTLAND, OR 97213
WHEN: Wednesday, January 25th, 2017, 6 – 8pm
Ram Kandasamy is a behavioral pharmacologist at Washington State University interested in the analgesic effects of opioids and cannabinoids. Ram has studied pain and analgesia for nearly a decade and has garnered state-level funding for his work on the pharmacology of pain therapeutics. He has published many peer-reviews publications on this topic and has presented his work on national and international stages. Ram’s current research examines the therapeutic effects of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol against pain associated with primary headache disorders such as migraine. The goal of Ram’s research is to validate cannabinoid-based therapies for patients suffering from migraine, the most common neurological disorder in the world.
Bob Desaulniers is bassist of Portland punk band Lithics and will be presenting a sound composition using multitrack and handheld tape recorders.
Tony Remple is co-owner of the Musique Plastique record shop and will be improvising on a modular analog synthesizer, using repetition and a mixture of both traditionally musical and non-musical elements.
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…

Brain Watch @ Providence!
2017-01-25 06:15 - 13:00 UTC | Providence St. Vincent Hospital, 9205 SW Barnes Rd., Portland, OR, 97225, United States
NW Noggin is bringing 30 high school students, outreach volunteers and chaperones to view an actual brain surgery at Providence St. Vincent Hospital! Learn more about our plans and past visits to this extraordinary public educational program at this link…
Observing the living brain in surgery

Souther Auditorium, East Pavilion

Marijuana: Fact or Fiction. Art, Pain, and Cannabinoids
2017-01-21 13:00 - 16:30 UTC | Washington AGD Educational Center, 19415 International Blvd, #410, SeaTac, WA, 98188, United States
WHAT: “Marijuana: Fact or Fiction. Art, Pain, and Cannabinoids,” Sponsored by the Washington Academy of General Dentistry
WHERE: Washington AGD Educational Center, Heyamoto Conference Room, 19415 International Blvd, #410, SeaTac, WA 98188
WHEN: Saturday, January 21, 2017, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Course Outline:
Cannabis, marijuana, is legal in the states of Washington, Oregon, and Colorado for both medical and recreational use. Is it as benign as proponents say? No. Are the warnings of “Reefer Madness” true? No. On January 21st, 2017 at the Washington AGD Educational Center we will talk about what is true about the benefits of medical marijuana. We will also talk about the harm it can do, especially to young people. This discussion is based on current science.
Few dentists or other healthcare practitioners understand what cannabis does, positive or negative. The cannabinoid system in the human body is enormously important in controlling such diverse mechanisms as pain, mood, and inflammation. Hacking this system with cannabis drugs can be beneficial and it can be dangerous. Learn how it works and what we actually know. In the morning David Carsten, DDS, MAGD, Dentist Anesthesiologist will explain the essentials of the pharmacology and physiology of cannabis. He will talk about the relevance to treatment both from a dentist’s perspective and an anesthesiologist’s perspective. Blaine Chatterton is a chronic pain patient and marijuana consultant. He will talk about his real life experience and his experience as a consultant for people seeking relief. In the afternoon, Bill Griesar, PhD, Neuroscience WSU Vancouver and Psychology, Portland State University will lead an exploration of the science of cannabinoids. Included is Jeff Leake, MFA, who will speak regarding the effect of these drugs on artists developing works of art. Ram Kandasamy, PhD, Neuroscience, WSU Vancouver will discuss his latest research on cannabinoids. Cole Dawson, undergraduate, WSU Vancouver, will be leading an examination of brain specimens. At the end of the day there will be a panel discussion to answer your questions. The most critical information that we all should know as doctors, patients, and parents will be available to you.
Learning Objectives:
Learners will hear about the history, pharmacology, and physiology of cannabis
Participants will examine the various uses and abuses, the benefits and dangers of cannabis.
Participants will learn about practical implications of cannabis use.
Participants will hear about examples of medical marijuana use today.
Participants will hear about the real life experience of a chronic pain patient.
Participants will learn of the complexity and variability of drug content.
Participants will have a clear grasp of where cannabis acts in the brain and how this might relate to various therapeutic effects, including pain reduction.
Participants will gain an understanding of the long history of cultivation, artistic use, and medical use of marijuana.
Participants will be able to examine brain specimens to gain a hands-on appreciation of how this family of drugs work.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: “Marijuana: Fact or Fiction. Art, Pain, and Cannabinoids”
SYLLABUS: Art, Pain & Cannabinoids in Seattle 2017
SLIDES: Bill Griesar, Ph.D., NW Noggin
SLIDES: Bill Griesar, Ph.D., NW Noggin UPDATE
SLIDES: Ram Kandasamy, Neuroscience, WSU Vancouver
SLIDES: Jeff Leake, MFA, NW Noggin

P:ear mentor training!
2017-01-14 09:00 - 14:00 UTC | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
Past outreach volunteers have hugely enjoyed our “Noggin Wednesdays” at the p:ear homeless youth drop in center in downtown Portland, where young people who mostly sleep rough find a safe, warm space with great food, art supplies, and caring staff during the day. Last year we set up a series of weekly visits to p:ear, and had a terrific time discussing the brain, screen printing t-shirts, messing up taste buds with miracle berries, and attaching electrodes to measure our own cortical activity…

I’m attaching some links below if you’re curious to learn more about what we did…

We’d like to start up weekly visits to p:ear again in 2017, but in order to participate, volunteers must be at least 26 years old and attend a mandatory mentor training now scheduled for Saturday, January 14th.

*** Please email bgriesar@gmail.com and aspragus@yahoo.com if you’d like to join us! ***

Hope to see you on January 14th – thanks for your dedication to arts-integrated neuroscience outreach & cheers!
Bill & Jeff
nwnoggin.org

Zombie Brain Training @ P:ear 🙂

Peppered with questions @ P:ear!

Noggin Wednesdays @ P:ear!

P:ear Plans: We’re coming back!

“Piriforming” @ P:ear

Synaptic Shocks @ P:ear!

Potential (electric and more) @ P:ear

Lemon candy @ P:ear

Noggins @ HeLa High!
2017-01-12 08:30 - 13:00 UTC | He La High School, 9105 NE 9th St, Vancouver, WA, 98664, United States
Noggin volunteers from Portland State University, Washington State University Vancouver, and OHSU will meet with about 400 students at HeLa High School, introducing them to neuroscience research and art projects related to understanding the brain…
EXPLORE MORE: Hippocampal hordes at HeLa High

WHAT: NW Noggin visit to HeLa High
WHERE: Henrietta Lacks High School, 9105 NE 9th St., Vancouver, WA, 98664
WHEN: Thursday, January 12, 2017, 8:30am – 1:00pm
Come join us! Please RSVP to bgriesar@gmail.com and aspragus@yahoo.com
So far our confirmed participants include:
Scott Jones, OHSU
Austin Howard, PSU
Nick Dunn, WSU
Heather Hamilton, PSU
Brianna Jacobs, PSU
Maxwell Neideigh, WSU
Kim Engeln, WSU
Christina Williams, WSU
Jeremy Dunford, WSU
