NW NOGGIN: Neuroscience outreach group (growing in networks)

Noggins @ Oregon City High School
2023-04-25 10:30 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oregon City High School, 19761 S Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City, OR, 97045, United States
WHAT: NW Noggin visit with high schoolers at Oregon City High School!
We did it!

“Thanks so much for coming, the students had a great experience with you all. We’d love to have you back next year!”
— Erin Cole, Science Teacher
WHERE: Oregon City High School, 19761 S Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City, OR 97045

WHEN: Tuesday, April 25, 10:30am – 2:00pm

We’ll join high school students studying science and anatomy in multiple classes at Oregon City High School to talk brain research, make art, and consider questions!

Come join us! Please contact Bill Griesar (griesar@pdx.edu) and Jeff Leake (jleake@pdx.com) to get involved.
-11:09-11:39 first lunch short session for any science student
-11:44-12:26 3rd period talk for anatomy class
-12:26-12:56: 2nd lunch talk short talk for any science student
-1:01-1:45ish 4th period talk for anatomy class

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Natalie Partipilo, PSU
4. Becky Hunt, PSU
5. Regina Warila, PSU
6. Marc Chenard, PSU
7. Veronika Carranza, PSU
8. Tonia Bautista, PSU
9. Alex Heinrich, PSU

Multilingual Noggins @ Hazelbrook Middle School!
2023-05-04 08:30 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hazelbrook Middle School, 11300 SW Hazelbrook Rd, Tualatin, OR, 97062, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit with ~150 6th – 8th graders in Tigard-Tualatin School District!
We did it!

WHERE: Hazelbrook Middle School, 11300 SW Hazelbrook Rd, Tualatin, OR 97062; gym!
WHEN: Thursday, May 4, 2023, 8:30am – 11:00am
CONTACT: Rebecca Rousculp, 8th Grade Bilingual Teacher, Hazelbrook Middle School

We’ll discuss student questions about the brain benefits of multilingualism (and other topics they are curious about), enjoy an art project (in more than one language) and then consider more questions while examining brains.

“Today, more of the world’s population is bilingual or multilingual than monolingual. In addition to facilitating cross-cultural communication, this trend also positively affects cognitive abilities. Researchers have shown that the bilingual brain can have better attention and task-switching capacities than the monolingual brain, thanks to its developed ability to inhibit one language while using another. In addition, bilingualism has positive effects at both ends of the age spectrum: Bilingual children as young as seven months can better adjust to environmental changes, while bilingual seniors can experience less cognitive decline.”
LEARN MORE: The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Veronika Carranza, PSU
4. Regina Warila, PSU
5. Andy Ng, PSU
6. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
7. Marc Chenard, PSU
8. Jennifer Notter, PSU
9. Cameron Mcgrew, PSU
10. Nathalie Rios Carreon, PSU
11. Lee Hammond, PSU
12.Sami Wagner, PSU
¡Ser bilingüe es maravilloso!

Noggins @ Lake Shore!
2023-05-11 09:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Lake Shore Elementary School, 9300 NW 21st Ave, Vancouver, WA, 98665, United States
Come join us as we meet with the 3rd graders at Lake Shore Elementary in Vancouver!
We did it!

We visited the home of the Seagulls!
We brought brains and art projects to share with two classes of third graders! From one of the teachers, Ms. Christine Quinn: “Students have worked on learning the major parts of the brain though focusing on the amygdala, hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. We talk a lot about how the amygdala and prefrontal cortex interact. Students know that when emotions are strong, the amygdala takes over and the prefrontal cortex can’t function properly. They have learned several ways to try and keep their amygdala “calm” so they can learn and function at school. I honestly think that anything you tell them about the brain will pique their interest. They love to learn!”
WHAT: NW Noggin @ Lake Shore Elementary School
WHERE: Lake Shore Elementary, 9300 NW 21st Ave. Vancouver, WA 98665

WHEN: Thursday May 11th, 2023; 9:00am – 11:30am

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
2. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
3. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
4. Regina Warila, PSU
5. Veronika Carranza, PSU
6. Roman Cimkovich, PSU
7. Becky Martinez, PSU
8. Allonte Barakat, PSU
9. Julian Rodriguez, PSU
10. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
11. Kassidy Fitzgerald, PSU
12. Cameron McGrew, PSU

SfN OR/SW WA Chapter Meeting!
2023-05-12 - 2023-05-13 | McMenamin’s Edgefield, 2126 S.W. Halsey St., Troutdale, OR, 97060, United States
WHAT: Society for Neuroscience OR/SW WA Chapter Annual Meeting
DAY ONE

DAY TWO

WHERE: McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey Street, Troutdale, OR
WHEN: Friday, May 12 – Saturday, May 13, 2023

REGISTER HERE
READ THE ABSTRACTS: SFN OR WA Abstract Book 2023
Meeting topic: Research on psychedelics!

AMAZING Chapter Meeting: but $150 for students? Not very accessible.

The mini-symposium on the neuroscience of psychedelics keynote address will be given by Andrea Gomez, Ph.D., assistant professor of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley.Dr. Gomez will present “The Psychedelic Translatome of the Prefrontal Cortex.”

Other invited speakers for the mini-symposium include:

Atheir Abbas, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU
Luca Mazzucato, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biology and Mathematics, University of Oregon
Christopher Stauffer, Ph.D., assistant professor of Psychiatry, OHSU

The chapter keynote address will be presented by Brian Anderson, M.D.,assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.

Psychedelic Neuroscience in Context: Learning to Listen to the Concerns of Communities
Brian Anderson, M.D., M.Sc., is assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for the Neurosciences, and he is an attending in the Psychiatric Emergency Services at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
Dr. Anderson’s research has included both ethnographic studies of religious practitioners who use psychedelics in community settings, and clinical trials of psychedelic therapies. In 2018, he conducted a pilot study of psilocybin-assisted group therapy for demoralization in older, long-term AIDS survivor men. Dr. Anderson is a co-founding member of the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics. Currently, his research focuses on the development of: 1) novel interventions to address psychological distress in patients with serious medical illness; and 2) training and safety standards for psychedelic guiding.

Aargh! SfN JUST MOVED our poster to Saturday morning (5/13). Sorry for any confusion!

Please join us at 9:30am & cheers!

NW Noggin POSTER Abstract
Sharing interdisciplinary neuroscience paywall-free at SfN
GRIESAR, W.S.* ** *** ****, LEAKE, J.* ** ***
* Department of Psychology, Portland State University; ** NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org); *** Department of University Studies, Portland State University; **** Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University

Nonprofit NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org) organizes collaboration and community around interdisciplinary neuroscience. Undergraduates, graduate students and artists inspired by brain research join us in public schools, correctional facilities, houseless youth centers and more to hear what people already know and want to know, and see where lab and classroom discoveries can contribute. We’ve met 65,000 people since 2012!
The last time we traveled to San Diego for the Society for Neuroscience conference, we gave the 2018 keynote address on brain awareness, and joined a panel on outreach. Representatives of resource-rich institutions described well-staffed offices, paywalled conferences, expert-judged Brain Bees and annual Brain Fairs.
In contrast, we introduced over 70 all-volunteer, paywall-free visits we’d made to community spaces that don’t often get exposure to neuroscience, bringing specimens and art projects, and centering the questions, stories, knowledge and interests of those we met.
We invited everyone to join us in K-12 classrooms, where we’d arranged with San Diego Unified district staff and teachers for two days of direct public engagement over neuroscience and art!
We are fascinated by the money spent by government and private foundations aimed at increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and interdisciplinary approaches to “brain awareness” in education and research, much of which flows to the same privileged universities, private schools and institutions receiving funding in the past.
That is not our approach, so while we miss big structurally segregated dollars, we enjoy the privilege of going places and hearing directly from those not currently overrepresented in neuroscience, both inspiring and being inspired by questions, insights and art.
During the 2022 Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego, we not only presented original posters, caught up with colleagues and walked the cavernous convention halls, but also joyously re-connected with district staff and teachers, organizing two additional days of engagement in local schools!
We met over 500 students at Webster and Freese elementary schools, examining brains we’d driven 1000 miles from Portland, Oregon, discussed new research and made art. We also met people passing by The Brain Observatory, a striking laboratory and exhibition space founded by Dr. Jacobo Annese, who dissected the brain of amnesia Patient H.M.
Building awareness of discoveries, educational options and careers through outreach engaging those not served by institutional “brain awareness” funding trains scientists to collaborate, reaches more people, and increases support for investment in research and art.
DOWNLOAD PDF: SFN poster 2023
Brains Beyond SfN

Observing Art & Brains @ SfN

We’re also thrilled to introduce the abstract submitted by Tara Subramaniam, a Portland high school student who helped establish the Oregon Youth Neuroscience Conference, which we attended last fall! Tara will be at the Chapter Meeting too, presenting Friday (5/12) @ 3:45pm.
Promoting Neuroscience Among Youth: The Oregon Youth Neuroscience Conferences
T. SUBRAMANIAM
Neuroscience is a field applicable to the lives of all students, regardless of their intended field. However, there is little awareness of the vast possibilities in the neuroscience field among youth. In Oregon middle and high schools, the incorporation of neuroscience into school curricula is a rarity. Additionally, it is difficult for young students to hear from neuroscientists to gain deeper insights of the field (Myslinski, 2022). This paper details the process of creating the Oregon Youth Neuroscience Conferences—a program for students, led by students—to broaden access to neuroscience education among local middle and high schools.
For each conference, a theme was set that would be compelling to youth, such as “Neurotechnology” and “The Brain and Aging.” Then, conferences were held at local high schools, where the venues were free. Professors in fields related to each theme from the University of Oregon and Oregon Health and Science University were invited to present about the background of their specialized field, career path, and research. After their presentations, a Q&A session was held for students to engage with speakers. Presentation topics ranged from alcohol’s effects on the teenage brain, research on Alzheimer’s disease, and nanotechnology in neuroscience research. When it was difficult to find speakers, organizations such as the Oregon Geriatric Association and Oregon Alzheimer’s Association directed us to interested neuroscientists. After the first conference, feedback from students suggested that more interactive activities would improve the experience.
When the nonprofit, NW Noggin, brought a team of volunteers with cadaver brains and neuroscience-themed art projects that students could learn brain anatomy from, student engagement drastically improved.
Social media campaigns, science teachers, school newsletters, and flyers across the state publicized the event, resulting in attendees from fifteen schools. Through the program’s website, organizers could predict attendance and effective publication methods. At the end of the conference, a social session was designated for students to socialize over their shared interests. Ultimately, the conferences provided students with an insight into the excitement in the field of neuroscience, as well as their own minds.

Neuroscience for Oregon Youth!

CANCELLED: Noggin + TRIO @ Hudson's Bay!
2023-05-18 08:15 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hudson’s Bay High School, 1601 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver, WA, 98663, United States
WHAT: NW Noggin visit to Hudson’s Bay High School!
Cancelled last minute by TRIO @ WSU Vancouver 🙄
WHERE: Hudson’s Bay High School, 1601 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98663
WHEN: Thursday, May 18, 8:15am – 2:00pm

In conjunction with the federal TRIO Program, NW Noggin volunteers will meet with with high school students in Vancouver to explore neuroscience research, examine brains and make art. More details coming soon!

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Chad Alexander, PSU/McNair scholar
4. Natalie Partipilo, PSU
5. Andy Ng, PSU
6. Cameron McGrew, PSU
7. Veronika Carranza, PSU
8. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
9. Sami Wagner, PSU
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How Brains Create Meaning through Art and Narrative
2023-05-20 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Paragon Gallery, 815 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR, 97217, United States
WHAT: How Brains Create Meaning through Art and Narrative presentation
We did it!

WHERE: Paragon Gallery, 815 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217
WHEN: Saturday, May 20, 2:00 – 4:00pm

Join Jeff Leake and his colleague Neuroscientist Dr. Bill Griesar for a NWNoggin workshop “How Brains Create Meaning through Art and Narrative,” Saturday, May 20, 2023, 2 – 4 pm. Our focus is on narrative and art and how they create the stories (and the brains!) that make us who we are.

What is a narrative? What is a story? What is a schema, or a frame of reference, or set of expectations, predictions, emotions and biases based on our individual experiences?

Where does it come from? How do these personal experiences shape our brains, including what we remember, what we attend to (and what we ignore), and how we react? How might this change, and what do we discover through making and viewing art? Where in the brain does all this happen?

A presentation on the neuroscience of how our brains create meaning through narrative will be followed by hands-on art activities and brain specimens to observe.

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, PSU/OHSU/NW Noggin
2. Jeff Leake, PSU/NW Noggin
3. Sami Wagner, PSU
4. Martin Lembke, PSU
5. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU
6. Cameron Mcgrew, PSU
7. Andy Ng, PSU

Animal Brains & Stories in Siletz!
2023-05-22 - 2023-05-25 | Siletz Valley Early College Academy, 245 NW James Franks Ave, Siletz, 97380, United States
WHAT: Noggin + Siletz Outreach: Animal Brains & Stories
We did it!
Long skinny lightning in Siletz

WHERE: Siletz Valley School, 245 NW James Franks Ave, Siletz, OR 97380
WHEN: Tuesday, May 23 – Thursday, May 25, 2023
Arrive @ hotels in Nye Beach, Oregon Monday night (5/22)

MONDAY, MAY 22
Arrive late in Nye Beach, Oregon
NOTE: Nye Beach is about a 30 minute drive from Siletz!

TUESDAY, MAY 23
ARRIVE Siletz School @ 8:15am
Introductions and Assembly!
Elementary School Students, Siletz
FINISH @ 3:20pm

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24
ARRIVE Siletz School @ 11:30am
High School Students, Siletz
FINISH @ 3:20pm

THURSDAY, MAY 25
ARRIVE Siletz School @ 8:15am
Middle School Students, Siletz
FINISH @ noon

Siletz Animal Noggins: Behavior and Brains from Stories, Songs and Labs
Did you know that Native stories describe language and tool use by Crow? What do the ordeals of Little Raccoon tell us about our own struggles? What makes these tales compelling, memorable, instructive, thrilling, engaging, motivating and fun? What do they tell us about the structure and function of animal brains and behaviors – and our own?

Storytelling has a long history, and is a powerful and accepted method of teaching science. Research finds that curricula which include stories result in greater comprehension of material, longer retention of information, and a stronger personal connection between teller and listener. Similarly, music, rhythm and art-making also contribute to academic achievement, retention and brain development, while fostering a stronger sense of community.

We’ve collaborated successfully with Siletz Valley School on interdisciplinary neuroscience outreach projects in the past, visiting classrooms to discuss the neuroscience of storytelling and song thanks to a 2018 grant from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.

LEARN MORE: Until the story takes shape
LEARN MORE: Joanne Trzcinski on Synapses, Stories & Song!
We recently delivered 25 “woodpecker red” 3D printed brains to Siletz teachers and staff. Woodpeckers are important in Siletz culture and we partnered with Shashi Jain at Intel and the Portland 3D Printing Lab to provide customized teaching tools that are compelling and relevant.

These visits and donations have had significant, lasting impact; according to a science teacher at Siletz, students advocated for opportunities to hear and play more music, they are more aware of changing circadian cycles in adolescence, and more understanding of diverse developmental experiences and how they are not alone in facing challenges.

With support from the Roundhouse Foundation, the Portland Alcohol Research Center at OHSU and Siletz Valley School, we’ll bring graduate students and undergraduates studying neuroscience from Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University and the University of Oregon back into Siletz classrooms in spring of 2023. We will also bring brain specimens (animal and human) and art projects developed in consultation with teachers at Siletz.

LEARN MORE: Mountain Beaver, Boomer, Sewellel

Before our visit, we’ll contribute to lesson plans focusing on culturally significant animals, including Salmon, Woodpecker, Eel, Elk, Deer, Dragonfly, Porcupine, Bear, Cougar, Octopus, Raccoon and Coyote – and the local Boomer! – and the community and brain benefits of drumming and music, integrated with the new Siletz Tribal History/Shared History curriculum. During the visit, we’ll tell stories, examine brains, make art and discuss student questions over a three day period.

COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Bill Griesar, PSU/OHSU/NW Noggin
2. Jeff Leake, PSU/NW Noggin
3. Kanani Miyamoto, PNCA/PCC/NW Noggin
4. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU/NW Noggin
5. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU
6. Moss Pederson, PSU
7. Natalie Partipilo, PSU
8. Sami Wagner, PSU
9. Angelique Allen, University of Oregon

“Sabía poco, pero al menos sabía eso: que nadie habla por los demás. Que aunque queramos contar historias ajenas terminamos siempre contando la historia propia”
—Alejandro Zambra
“I knew little, but at least I knew that: that no one speaks for others. That although we want to tell other stories we always end up telling our own story
—Alejandro Zambra

Noggins @ David Douglas!
2023-06-01 09:00 - 14:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | David Douglas High School South Building, 1500 SE 130th, Portland, OR, 97233, United States
WHAT: Visit to Psychology classrooms at David Douglas High School
We did it!
Thank you for letting us touch your brains

WHERE: David Douglas High School, South Building Board Room, 1500 SE 130th, Portland, OR 97233; Please park in the lot off 130th; enter the doors that face 130th. The secretary will buzz people in and direct them to the board room.
WHEN: THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023, 9:00am – 2:30pm
Contact: Tracy Lind & Heather Roberts, Social Studies/Psychology Teachers, David Douglas High School

We are excited – even depolarized! – to return to classrooms at David Douglas to discuss neuroscience research, examine brains and make art!

We’ll meet with Grades 10, 11 and 12 in the Psych I, Psych II and AP Psych classes:
Period 6- 9:17am – 10:46am
Period 7-11:26am – 12:53pm
Period 8-1:03pm – 2:30pm

COME JOIN US!
Please contact griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to learn more.
COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Tonia Bautista, PSU
4. Veronika Volko, PSU
5. Andy Ng, PSU
6. Cameron McGrew, PSU
7. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
8. Luis Carrillo, PSU
9. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
See what we’ve done before @ David Douglas!
Inspiration & Education!

Everything but guns

Noggin Legacy Research Institute Tour!
2023-06-08 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Legacy Research Institute, 1225 NE 2nd Avenue, Portland, OR, 97232, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to labs at Legacy Research Institute (LRI)
We did it!

Huge thanks to LRI scientists and staff for an exciting and informative tour!

WHERE: Legacy Research Institute, 1225 NE 2nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97232
WHEN: Thursday, June 8, 2023, 10:00am – noon

EVENT FULL
Our undergraduate volunteers from Psychology/Neuroscience at Portland State University are invited to tour the research labs at the Legacy Research Institute in Portland!
For those curious to learn about research and clinical care, and explore opportunities for internships, this is a terrific chance to hear directly from those involved.
“The Legacy Research Institute (LRI) is a…state-of-the art research facility where a wide range of research including preclinical, basic, clinical and clinical trials, medical outcomes, and surgical advances and training are conducted. LRI fosters a culture of innovation and creative collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and other scientists both within Legacy Health and beyond.“

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Chad Alexander, PSU/McNair Scholar
4. Andy Ng, PSU
5. Bella Showerman, PSU
6. Moss Pederson, PSU
7. Shae Zeimantz, PSU
8. Sam Mutschler-Aldine, PSU
9. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU
10. Justin Hollison, PSU
11. Alexys Endries, PSU
12. Noelle Wilcox, PSU
Learn more about Legacy Research!
A Legacy of Links

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

What’s it like to volunteer in a neurobiology lab? (Part 2: Experience)

To the Lab!

Research & Practice: The Human Element

Interested in Research? Here’s what I gained from my volunteer experience in a neurobiology lab

From combat boots to lab coats

A Lit Review of Cannabis Vaping for Pain

NOGGINFEST 2023!!!!
2023-06-18 16:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Honey Latte Cafe, 1033 SE Main St, Portland, OR, 97214, United States
WHAT: NOGGINFEST 2023!
We did it!
Minibrains, Music, Estrogen, Art & Sleep!

DOWNLOAD POSTER: nogginfest23-poster
WHERE: Honey Latte Cafe, 1033 SE Main St, Portland, OR 97214
WHEN: SUNDAY, JUNE 18th, 4:00pm – 10:00pm

JOIN US: This is the largest student-run, accessible, public celebration of music, art and interdisciplinary neuroscience in the Pacific Northwest! And it’s FREE!!

Buy art at our Nogginfest Art Auction
LEARN MORE: NOGGINFEST
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
4:00 – 6:00pm
Art and BRAINS!

6:00 – 6:25pm
NOAH MILMAN, Oregon Health & Science University
“Loss of sleep when its needed most – Consequences of persistent developmental sleep disruption: Lessons from prairie voles”

Noah Milman is a 2nd year graduate student in the Department of Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience program at OHSU. He is interested in the fundamental role that sleep plays across the lifespan and will focus on his early-life work on prairie voles in the lab of Dr. Miranda Lim.

LEARN MORE: Noah Milman
6:30 – 6:55pm
LO GLO

Lo Glo is a drum and vocal duo from Portland, formed in 2018 featuring Kadi Rae (vocals & microkit) and Marge Belcastro (drums & tonal textures), combining improvisation and experimentation to create a rhythm-forward pop experience.

7:00 – 7:25pm
AUSTIN SCHUBERT, Oregon Health & Science University
“Brains in a Dish: What Cortical Organoids can Teach us about Brain Development, Disease, and Evolution”

Austin Schubert is a 1st year PhD student in OHSU’s Neuroscience Graduate Program. He is interested in the genetic and molecular basis of how the cerebral cortex develops in the context of health, disease, and evolution.

LEARN MORE: Austin Schubert
7:30 – 7:55pm
CAPE MEARES

Cape Meares is an American instrumental band formed in Portland, OR in 2018. The band incorporates jazz fusion, krautrock, dub, minimal music, and psychedelia into their music. Members include Nik Viola (bass), Matt Radich (guitar), and Asa Gervich (drums).

LEARN MORE: Cape Meares
8:00 – 8:25pm
ROXANNE BAHN-BALES AND BLAKE LEE, Oregon State University
“Barn biology: What sheep and mice neurons are teaching us about our own reproductive axis”

Roxanne Bahn-Bales and Blake Lee are both undergraduate students at Oregon State University studying Bioengineering and Biology, respectively. Roxanne and Blake are researching how different populations of the same neuron, kisspeptin, react to different stimuli in the hypothalamus. Roxanne and Blake work under professor Patrick Chappell in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine.

8:30 – 8:55pm
WOLF
Wolf is a Portland jazz artist who has been singing since the age of 13. Wolf has performed at many venues including Saturday markets, parties, jazz clubs and more. Although their roots lie in jazz and blues, Wolf sings a variety of different music including pop, techno and folk. In their daily life they are a full time student at Portland State University, studying criminology and criminal justice. Wolf’s main goal is to become a therapist for youths in correctional facilities, specializing in attachment injuries and disorder. This is Wolf’s first performance in over a year and they are very excited to be here tonight.

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Andy Ng, PSU
2. Noah Milman, OHSU
3. Sami Wagner, PSU
4. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU
5. Bella Showerman, PSU
6. Ben Bolen, PSU Neuroscience Club
7. Natalie Robison, PSU

Noggin Presents: University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
2023-06-30 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
WHAT: Noggin visits the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) @ OHSU!

WHERE: Zoom
WHEN: Friday, June 30, 2023, 11:00am – 1:00pm

Noggin is invited to speak and talk brains with interns at the UCEDD this month!
Noggin Presentation (PDF): Noggin at OHSU UCEDD 6_2023

Noggin + p:ear!
2023-10-03 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin @ p:ear!
We did it!

WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Tuesday, October 3, 2023, 10:00am – noon
Contacts: Jessica Kain, Education Coordinator; Kanani Miyamoto, Art Coordinator

NOTE: Noggin is visiting p:ear on October 3, October 26, and November 30!
Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland nonprofit aimed at building positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm their personal worth and help them create more meaningful and healthier lives. We’ll be exploring art projects and research related to dehumanized perception and how to overcome it and improve our world throughout this fall, winter and spring.

LEARN MORE: Seeing us all through research & art
LEARN MORE: Dehumanizing the lowest of the low: neuroimaging responses to extreme out-groups
We are excited to communicate science through the extraordinary volunteer efforts of our talented graduate and undergraduate Noggin participants from Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and other collaborators!
Learning about brains and behavior, and genuine, evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including those who are experiencing anxiety, depression, drug use disorders, bias, chronic stress, insomnia – as well as poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia, inequality, Supreme Court corruption and our region’s extreme lack of affordable housing.

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
Come join us!
Please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
4. Alexandria Bills, PSU
5. Angela Hendrix, NW Noggin
6. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU Neuroscience Club
7. Maria Krueger, PSU
8. Josie Borden, PSU
9. Khelen Walsh, PSU/Rosenbaum scholar
10. Dan Jang, PSU
11. Martin Lemke, PSU

Noggin Presents @ NAEOP Conference!
2023-10-10 11:45 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Riverside Hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., Boise, ID, 83714, United States
WHAT: “Brains, Hearts, Ships & Students: Signals from Noise on the Oregon Coast” at the Northwest Association of Educational Opportunity Programs (NAEOP) conference!
We did it!
Brains in Boise

WHERE: The Riverside Hotel, 2900 Chinden Blvd., Boise, ID 83714
WHEN: Conference October 8 – 10th, 2023;
Presentation Tuesday, October 10, 11:45am – 1:30pm

Northwest Noggin presents on our TRIO community collaboration on the North Oregon Coast earlier this year! We’ll present in Concurrent Session 6 on Tuesday, October 10 from 11:45am – 1:00pm!

LEARN MORE: Conference Agenda
NW Noggin, along with TRIO Clatsop, left campus in spring 2023 to learn from bar pilots, cardiologists, graduate students, curious pre-K kids and 250 engaged 9th – 12th graders with inspiring questions from rural Oregon public schools. Over 100 people attended a free talk about energy in waves at the Fort George Brewery in Astoria. A Columbia River bar pilot described wave signals permitting safe navigation; a PA cardiologist taught us to measure a blood-borne wave relevant to health; and an OHSU graduate student explored brain waves underlying conscious experience. This presentation began a week of school visits in Knappa and Astoria. We crafted brain cells, examined brains, and discussed diverse topics of local interest, including sleep, psychedelics, fentanyl, elk behavior, ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, forest bathing, alcohol, epigenetic impacts of trauma, education/career pathways in neuroscience and the development of adolescent brains. Join us to make brain cells and learn more!

Learn more about our Oregon collaboration with TRIO at these links!
Pre-K, Fish and Logger Lobes!

Signal from Noise on the Oregon Coast

PRESENTATION SLIDES (pdf): Noggin at NAEOP 10_2023

Noggin Presents @ Boise State University!
2023-10-10 15:00 - 16:15 (America/Boise) | Boise State University, 1910 W University Drive, Boise, ID, 83725, United States
WHAT: Noggin Presentation at Boise State University
We did it!
Brains in Boise

WHERE: Boise State University, 1910 W University Drive, Boise, ID 83725; Multipurpose Building Room 11
WHEN: Tuesday, October 10, 3:00 – 4:15pm

We’re excited to meet with students, faculty and staff at Boise State University to explore interdisciplinary neuroscience education, teaching and community outreach!

Please join us for art making, noggins and discussion

PRESENTATION SLIDES (*.pdf): Noggin at BOISE STATE 10_2023

Noggin @ MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility!
2023-10-13 14:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, 2630 N Pacific Hwy, Woodburn, 97071, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to MacClaren Youth Correctional Facility
We did it!
Listening at MacLaren

WHERE: MacClaren Youth Correctional Facility, 2630 N Pacific Highway, Woodburn, OR 97071; go first to the Gatehouse to check in.
WHEN: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023, 2:00 – 5:00pm
2:00pm: Arrival at gate
2:15 – 2:45pm: Brain/art material set up
2:45 – 4:00pm: Meeting with UNIT 1
4:00 – 5:00pm: Meeting with UNIT 2

“Because the brain is undergoing such rapid, fundamental changes at this stage of life, adolescents have a heightened capacity to learn and to [grow] out of risky behavior. Given an environment and supports appropriate to their developmental stage, most young offenders have the potential to become law-abiding adults.”
— The MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience
We are excited to return to MacLaren, and meet with more young people curious about the brain, and the policy implications of ongoing neuroscience research on adolescent development, bias, trauma, drugs, and mental health in terms of education, healthcare, criminal justice and the law.

The HOPE Partnership is providing pens, markers and paper for drawing, and we’ll bring along pipe cleaners, nitrile gloves, extra noggins and plenty of grads, post-docs and undergrads who study the brain.
Learn more about NW Noggin at MacLaren at these links:
Myelinating @ MacLaren!

All is in motion, is growing, is you

LEARN MORE: Youth get visual, hands-on experience with the brain
Corrections, Bias & Brains

COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Alexandria Bills, PSU
4. Emilee Brnusak, PSU
5. Angela Hendrix, NW Noggin
6. Martin Lemke, PSU
7. Julian Rodriguez, PSU
8. Conner Corbett, PSU
9. Brooke Hyland, PSU
10. Khelen Walsh, PSU
11. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU

Noggin in Sisters!!
2023-10-19 11:45 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Sisters Middle School, 15200 OR-242, Sisters, OR, 97759, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit to Sisters Middle School!
We did it!

“We loved it! We are positively in awe of your knowledge of the brain. The blend of Science and Art is awesome. Your students are so knowledgeable too. Thank you so much! What gorgeous weather for all of us!” — Tanya Young, 6th grade Science Teacher, Sisters Middle School

“Can the brain live outside the body? Why are teens better at learning new things than adults? What causes a headache? Does the brain shrink with age? How would you remove a tumor from the brain? Do girls have different brains than boys? Why is a bear skull so small?”

“How do we think? Why do we dream? Why do I fall in a dream? Is talking in your sleep normal? Why don’t I remember my dreams? Are daydreaming and dreaming the same? What causes sleepwalking? Why do I dream the same dream? How many times do people dream each night?”

AMAZING QUESTIONS. Thank you students, teachers and staff at Sisters Middle School, and thank you Noggin volunteers!

WHERE: Sisters Middle School, 15200 OR-242, Sisters, OR 97759
WHEN: Thursday, October 19, 2023, 11:45am-3:30pm; set up @ 11:45am
Contact: Tanya Young, 6th Grade Teacher, Sisters School District
Super-excited to visit the Home of the Outlaws in beautiful central Oregon!

We’ll meet with 6th grade students to ask what they already know about our brains and what they’d like to know, consider research discoveries in neuroscience, hold a few real noggins, and make some neuro-art!

A limited opportunity! Housing/meals provided in Sisters, Oregon.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU
4. Angela Hendrix, NW Noggin
5. Martin Lemke, PSU
6. Angie Briones, PSU
See what we did last time!
Synapses and Seconds in Sisters

Noggins @ MLK Elementary Vancouver!
2023-10-24 08:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Martin Luther King Elementary School, 4801 Idaho St, Vancouver, OR, 98661, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit with K-5 students!
We did it! Over 450 students!!

“What happens when you fall and hit your head? What causes brain freeze? What does our brain do with our memories? How did you get those brains? How do we hear voices? How do we make the sounds of speech? Why do zombies eat brains – is it because brains have a lot of healthy fat and protein? Or are they really sweet?”

“Thank you and your team for coming out to King Elementary today! The kids LOVED it! Thank you so much!!” — Amalia Franco, Family Community Resource Coordinator, MLK Elementary

WHERE: Martin Luther King Elementary School, 4801 Idaho St, Vancouver, WA 98661
WHEN: Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 8:00am – 11:30am
Going back to elementary school with extra noggins and art!

SOME MLK STUDENT QUESTIONS FROM 2022
When does a rotting brain start making an odor?
How does the brain function?
How do we remember?
How do you get the brains?
When you body moves is there some attachments that make your body move?
What if you have an artificial brain?
Are the 3D printed brains also real, or from real people?
How long have you been studying the brain?
When did you know you wanted to study brain?
Do ants have brains?
Are there animals that don’t have brains?
How does the spinal cord work?
Is it normal to get dizzy?
So I’m thinking that maybe we are like robots – but also not robots?
Are those animal brains real?
What is your brain made out of?
How do you remember?
How do you get headaches?
Can what my brain is doing now as a kid affect what my own kids’ brains might do in the future?
Does what happened to my mom in her life before I was born affect how my brain works today?
What is consciousness – like, in the brain? What’s happening in my brain when I really see you now?
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Alexandria Bills, PSU
4. Jacob Boynton, PSU
5. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
6. Abubakar Nur, PSU
7. Dan Jang, PSU
8. Kasey Judd, PSU
9. Alex Heinrich, PSU
10. Jadyn Harris, PSU
See what we did the last time we visited MLK!
Enamored by Neuroscience!

Noggin + p:ear!
2023-10-26 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin @ p:ear!
We did it!

WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Thursday, October 26, 2023, 10:00am – noon
Contacts: Jessica Kain, Education Coordinator; Kanani Miyamoto, Art Coordinator

NOTE: Noggin is visiting p:ear on October 3, October 26, and November 30!
Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland nonprofit aimed at building positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm their personal worth and help them create more meaningful and healthier lives. We’ll be exploring art projects and research related to dehumanized perception and how to overcome it and improve our world throughout this fall, winter and spring.

LEARN MORE: Seeing us all through research & art
LEARN MORE: Dehumanizing the lowest of the low: neuroimaging responses to extreme out-groups
We are excited to communicate science through the extraordinary volunteer efforts of our talented graduate and undergraduate Noggin participants from Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and other collaborators!
Learning about brains and behavior, and genuine, evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including those who are experiencing anxiety, depression, drug use disorders, bias, chronic stress, insomnia – as well as poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia, inequality, Supreme Court corruption and our region’s extreme lack of affordable housing.

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
Come join us!
Please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
4. Abubakar Nur, PSU
5. Dan Jang, PSU
6. Kasey Judd, PSU
7. Alex Heinrich, PSU
8. AB Alseehan, PSU
9. Lauren Campbell, PSU

Noggin @ King Elementary PDX!
2023-10-31 09:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School, 4906 NE 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97211, United States
WHAT: Noggin visit with K-5 students in Portland Public Schools!
We did it!

WHERE: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, 4906 NE 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97211
WHEN: Tuesday, October 31 🎃, 9:00am – 3:00pm
CONTACT: Teresa Seidel, Principal, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School

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

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

Please join us! Email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to learn more.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Arlene Lopez, PSU
4. Abubakar Nur, PSU
5. Kasey Judd, PSU
6. Alexandria Bills, PSU
7. Alex Heinrich, PSU
8. Hailey Trieu, PSU
9. Ethan Mell, PSU
10. Andy Ng, PSU (1pm – 3pm)
11. Shelby Wilkinson, PSU
12. Jennie Terranova (9:00am – 1:00pm)
13. Angie Briones, PSU
14. Martin Lemke, PSU
15. Lauren Campbell, PSU
See what we’ve done at King in the past!
King Cortex!

Noggin at SfN, DC schools and Congress!
2023-11-11 - 2023-11-15 | Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
We did it!
Noggin Takes DC

WHAT: Noggin at Society for Neuroscience Conference & DC schools!

WHERE: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001; Public schools TBA
WHEN: Saturday, November 11 – Wednesday, November 15, 2023
**REGISTER FOR OUR BRIEFING TO CONGRESS (Monday (11/13) 10 – 11:30am) HERE

The Society for Neuroscience conference will bring 30,000 researchers to Washington DC this November, including many of our Northwest Noggin (nwnoggin.org) outreach volunteers. NW Noggin brings together graduate and undergraduate collaborators from the Pacific Northwest, who since 2012 have developed and delivered their own arts-integrated instruction on the brain and behavior to over 65,000 academic priority students in urban and rural public schools, youth correctional facilities, art museums, breweries, coffee shops, houseless youth centers and more!

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ SfN
LEARN MORE: What is Northwest Noggin?
LEARN MORE: Noggin Bloggin

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2:30pm – 4:00pm
SfN Conference, WCC Hall E
Brain Awareness Campaign Event
Poster Presentation (presenters arrive at 2:00pm)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 10:00 – 11:00am (poster) & 6:00 – 9:00pm (Brainfacts Showcase)
Poster Presentation: 10 – 11am

BrainFacts Showcase, 6 – 9pm
Right Proper Brewing Company, 624 T St NW, Washington, DC 20001
JOIN US for short scientific talks for a science-curious public audience, live music, and the release of a new brain-inspired beer, specially brewed for the event!

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 10:00am – 11:30am
House STEAM and Neuroscience Briefing
Synapses & Schmears!

VIEW INVITATION (.pdf): NW Noggin briefing invitation – 11-13-23
REGISTER FOR THE BRIEFING HERE

BRIEFING SLIDES (.pdf): NW Noggin House Briefing 2023
BRIEFING SLIDES (.ppt): NW Noggin House Briefing 2023
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 8:15am – 3:00pm
Outreach at Inspired Teaching Demonstration School!
200 Douglas St NE, Washington, DC 20002

COMMITTED VOLUNTEERS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Ben Bolen, PSU, Neuroscience Club President
4. Kadi Rae Smith, PSU Neuroscience Club Vice President
5. Bee Conn, PSU, Neuroscience Club Science Officer
6. Cassidy Fitzpatrick, PSU, Neuroscience Club Historian
7. Cat Swallow, PSU, Neuroscience Club Event Coordinator
8. Marc Chenard, PSU Neuroscience Club NW Noggin Coordinator
9. Dan Jang, PSU, Neuroscience Club General Officer/Former President
10. Angie P. Mejia, PhD, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota
11. Jonathan Lehman, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota
12. Taylor Rawstern, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota
13. Denesa Lockwood, NW Noggin, OHSU
14. Yasmin Kloth, NIH BRAIN Initiative (8:15am – 11:30am)
15. Mai Habib, NIH BRAIN Initiative (8:15am – 11:30am)
16. Gina Sampson, NIH Brain Initiative (8:15am – 11:30am)
17. Liz Akinbiyi, NIH Brain Initiative (8:15am – 11:30am)
In partnership with the American Brain Coalition, we will visit DC area public schools during that week, introducing them to graduate and undergraduate students, real human brains, and art projects designed to engage and inform young people about how their brains work.

We’ll also present a NORTHWEST NOGGIN BRIEFING TO CONGRESS!
LEARN MORE: NW Noggins Bring #brains2DC!
LEARN MORE FROM 2016 STEAMing to DC..!

The Roundhouse Foundation is providing support for Noggin volunteers to attend the conference – we are deeply, deeply grateful to community organizations that let knowledge serve!

NW NOGGIN ABSTRACT
Signal from Noise on the Oregon Coast
GRIESAR, W.S.124, LEAKE, J.123
1Department of Psychology, Portland State University; 2NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org); 3Department of University Studies, Portland State University; 4Department of Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University

DOWLOAD NW NOGGIN POSTER PDF
Northwest Noggin Signals from Noise SfN 2023
Science needs investment. Engaging the public communicates discoveries and builds support for education and research. Integrating arts in STEM (STEAM) and community members from varied fields fosters interdisciplinary engagement, and draws in people not currently overrepresented in neuroscience.

Nonprofit NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org) organizes undergraduates and graduates to collaborate, build community networks and inspire people about neuroscience and art. We bring diverse students excited by research and their own arts-integrated study of the brain and behavior into K-12 public schools, correctional facilities, Congress, houseless youth centers, coffee shops and pubs to hear what people already know and what they’d like to know, and to see where our stories and discoveries from labs and classrooms intersect. We’ve talked with over 65,000 people since 2012!

Our volunteers left labs and lecture halls in spring 2023 to learn from bar pilots, cardiologists, graduate students, curious pre-K kids and 250 engaged 9th – 12th graders with inspiring, challenging questions from rural Oregon public schools.

We love to learn from people with knowledge and experience we do not have, and find where our research might apply. These efforts have deepened connections. Noggin has been invited to Oregon’s North Coast every year since 2019, with meals and housing provided by local businesses and TRIO Clatsop.

Eleven volunteers and 100+ people came to the Fort George Brewery in Astoria, Oregon for a free Noggin talk about energy in waves. We introduced three speakers, each skilled in extracting essential signals from noisy swells. Mark Hails, a Columbia River bar pilot, described wave signals permitting safe navigation around an infamous bar; Tom Hernandez, a PA cardiologist at Columbia Memorial Hospital, taught us to appreciate and measure a blood-borne wave relevant to health and disease; and Randall Olson, a graduate student in Behavioral/Systems Neuroscience at OHSU, explored brain waves contributing to conscious experience and perception.

This presentation began a week of visits to pre-K’s and high schools in Knappa and Astoria. We made brain-related art, examined brain specimens, and discussed diverse topics of local interest, including sleep, psychedelics, fentanyl, elk behavior in response to different hunting techniques, ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, alcohol, epigenetic impacts of multi-generational trauma, forest bathing, education and career pathways in neuroscience and the development of adolescent brains!

Interdisciplinary outreach informs community understanding, reaches more people, and builds support for investment in research and art.
LEARN MORE: Signal from Noise on the Oregon Coast
LEARN MORE: Pre-K, Fish and Logger Lobes!

PSU Neuroscience Club Abstract

Noggin + p:ear!
2023-11-30 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | P:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR, 97209, United States
WHAT: Noggin @ p:ear!
We did it!

WHERE: p:ear, 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97209
WHEN: Thursday, November 30, 2023, 10:00am – noon
Contacts: Jessica Kain, Education Coordinator; Kanani Miyamoto, Art Coordinator

NOTE: Noggin is visiting p:ear on October 3, October 26, and November 30!
Noggin is returning to P:ear, a remarkable Portland nonprofit aimed at building positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm their personal worth and help them create more meaningful and healthier lives. We’ll be exploring art projects and research related to dehumanized perception and how to overcome it and improve our world throughout this fall, winter and spring.

LEARN MORE: Seeing us all through research & art
LEARN MORE: Dehumanizing the lowest of the low: neuroimaging responses to extreme out-groups
We are excited to communicate science through the extraordinary volunteer efforts of our talented graduate and undergraduate Noggin participants from Portland State University, Oregon Health & Science University, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and other collaborators!
Learning about brains and behavior, and genuine, evidence-based structural and functional aspects of who we are is powerful and actionable information for everyone, including those who are experiencing anxiety, depression, drug use disorders, bias, chronic stress, insomnia – as well as poverty, isolation, racism, homophobia, inequality, Supreme Court corruption and our region’s extreme lack of affordable housing.

LEARN MORE: Noggin @ p:ear
Come join us!
Please RSVP to griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin, PSU, OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin, PSU
3. Rebecca Chevrel, PSU
4. Adriana Garcia, PSU
5. Abubakar Nur, PSU
6. Dan Jang, PSU
7. Alexandria Bills, PSU
8. Kasey Judd, PSU
9. Logan Bittar, PSU
10. Geoff Sierra, PSU
11. Becky Martinez, PSU
12. Martin Lemke, PSU

Noggin @ Hockinson Heights Elementary
2024-01-23 08:45 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Hockinson Heights Elementary, 20000 NE 164th St, Brush Prairie, WA, 98606, United States
WHAT: Noggin visits Hockinson Heights Elementary!
We did it!

WHERE: Hockinson Heights Elementary, 20000 NE 164th St, Brush Prairie, WA 98606
WHEN: Tuesday, January 23, 8:45am – noon!
PLEASE PLAN AHEAD: the school is about an hour’s drive from Portland, Oregon!
Contact: Morgan Beaty, 4th Grade Teacher, Hockinson Heights Elementary School

Our first visit to this Brush Prairie, Washington public school!
Class Session One: 9:00am – 10:00am
Class Session Two: 10:40am – 11:40am

Please join us! Email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to learn more.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Angie Briones, PSU
4. Jennie Terranova, PSU
5. Natalie Robison, PSU
6. Zach Salcido, PSU
7. Becky Callos, PSU
8. Mira Bickford, PSU
9. Khelen Walsh, PSU

Noggin @ Oregon City High School
2024-01-25 08:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oregon City High School, 19761 S Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City, OR, 97045, United States
WHAT: NW Noggin visit with high schoolers at Oregon City High School!
We did it!

WHERE: Oregon City High School, 19761 S Beavercreek Rd, Oregon City, OR 97045
WHEN: Thursday, January 25, 8:00 – 11:00am (plan to arrive ~ 7:45am)

We’ll join high school students studying science and anatomy in multiple classes at Oregon City High School to talk brain research, make art, and consider questions!

Come join us! Please contact Bill Griesar (griesar@pdx.edu) and Jeff Leake (jleake@pdx.com) to get involved.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Kya Smith, PSU
4. Jennie Terranova, PSU
5. Justin Benner, PSU
6. Luis Carillo, PSU
7. Brin Rey, PSU
8. Jadyn Harris, PSU
9. Wolfgang Powell, PSU
10. Natalie Robison, PSU
11. Zach Salcido, PSU
12. Conner Corbett, PSU/OHSU
13. Annika Thomas, PSU
14. Savannah Pederson, PSU
15. Khelen Walsh, PSU
See what we’ve done before at Oregon City!
Did school kill my brain?

Noggin @ Roosevelt Elementary in Vancouver!
2024-02-01 08:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary, 2921 Falk Rd #5683, Vancouver, WA, 98661, United States
WHAT: Noggin visits Roosevelt Elementary in Vancouver!
We did it!

WHERE: Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary, 2921 Falk Rd #5683, Vancouver, WA 98661
WHEN: Thursday, February 1, 8:00am – 11:00am

Our first visit to this Vancouver Public School!
Please join us! Email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to learn more.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Jennie Terranova, PSU
4. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
5. Bradley Marxmiller, OHSU/PSU
6. Xander Hawkins, PSU
7. Brin Rey, PSU
8. Justin Benner, PSU

Noggin in Corvallis!
2024-02-01 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Arts Center, 700 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR, 97333, United States
WHAT: The Neuroscience of Narrative, NW Noggin presents at the Arts Center! Part of the NEW MYTHOLOGIES exhibit by artist Jeff Leake.
We did it!

WHERE: The Arts Center, 700 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR, 97333
WHEN: Thursday, February 1, 2024, 5:30 – 7:00pm (volunteers arrive ~ 5:00pm)

Join us!
At this event, The Neuroscience of Narrative, artist Jeff Leake joins Dr. Bill Griesar (PSU, OHSU, NWNoggin) to explore the biology that underlies how humans create meaning through narrative. Storytelling in combination with sensory and past experience profoundly shapes our understanding, as our brains makes predictions about the world.
In Leake’s work, he explores the interplay between cultural narratives and human relationships to encourage a nuanced understanding of human interaction and storytelling. Brain-related art objects are included in this unique presentation.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/Artist/PSU
2. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
3. Isabella Starr, PSU
4. Kate Lovetang, PSU
5. Justin Benner, PSU
6. Marc Chenard, PSU

Noggin Testifies in the Oregon Senate!
2024-02-06 08:00 - 08:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Oregon State Capitol, 900 Court St NE, Salem, OR, 97301, United States
WHAT: Noggin Testimony in Favor of Permanent Standard Time in Oregon
We did it!

WHERE: Hearing Room C, Oregon State Capitol, 900 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301
WHEN: Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 8:00am
Northwest Noggin is honored and stoked by an invitation from the Senate Committee on Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs to present neuroscience research on the clear community and individual health benefits of making standard time – not daylight savings time – permanent in Oregon.
More details (and the research!) at the link!
Permanent Standard Time is best for your brain

Noggin @ Marshall Elementary in Vancouver
2024-02-08 08:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | George C. Marshall Elementary School, 6400 MacArthur Blvd #7533, Vancouver, WA, 98661, United States
WHAT: Noggin visits Marshall Elementary in Vancouver!
We did it!

WHERE: George C. Marshall Elementary School, 6400 MacArthur Blvd #7533, Vancouver, WA 98661
WHEN: Thursday, February 8, 8:30am – noon
CONTACT: Darya Samiee

Our first visit to this Vancouver Public School!
Please join us! Email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to learn more.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Jennie Terranova, PSU
4. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
5. Zach Salcido, PSU
6. Natalie P Robison, PSU
7.
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Noggin @ Ogden Elementary in Vancouver!
2024-02-15 08:30 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Peter S. Ogden Elementary, 8100 NE 28th St, Vancouver, WA, 98662, United States
WHAT: Noggin visits Ogden Elementary in Vancouver!
We did it!

WHERE: Ogden Elementary, 3200 NE 86th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98662
WHEN: Thursday, February 15, 8:30am – noon

Peter S. Ogden Elementary (PSO) is the farthest southeast school in Vancouver Public Schools, with boundaries at the edge of Evergreen and Portland Public Schools. They have over 520 students, and are extremely proud of student diversity. Their demographics are 40 percent Hispanic, 40 percent white, 7 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 3 percent black, 1 percent American Indian and 10 percent other/multiracial.

More than 40 percent of PSO students speak a second language, including Arabic, Bosnian, Cambodian, Chuukese, Amharic, Hindi, Rumanian, Hmong, Kosraean, Lao, Malayalam, Marshallese, Rumanian, Russian, Soninke, Spanish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
Brain in Cambodian (Khmer): ខួរ​ក្បាល (“khuorokbal”)
Brain in Hindi: डिमाग (“dimaag”)
Brain in Hmong: lub hlwb
Brain in Bosnian: mozak
Brain in Arabic: دماغ (“damagh”)
Brain in Russian: головной мозг (“golovnoy mozg”)
Email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to learn more.
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Jennie Terranova, PSU
4. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
5. Natalie P Robison, PSU
6. Justin Benner, PSU
7. Mo DindarAzimi, PSU
See what we’ve done before at Ogden!
Art, brains & GUTS at Ogden!

Occipital lobes at Ogden!

NW Noggin @ Fort Vancouver High School
2024-02-29 08:30 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E 18th St, Vancouver, WA, 98661, United States
WHAT: Noggin outreach at Fort Vancouver!
We did it!
Trapper Keeper!

WHERE: Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E 18th St, Vancouver, WA 98661
WHEN: Thursday, February 29, 2024, 8:30am – 3:00pm
We are super-excited to return to Fort!
Vancouver Public Schools changed their high school start times to a more reasonable 8:40am, based partly on neuroscience research presented in classrooms by Northwest Noggin outreach volunteers!

Check out some student questions!

COME JOIN US!
Please email griesar@pdx.edu and jleake@pdx.edu to get involved 🙂
COMMITTED PARTICIPANTS
1. Bill Griesar, NW Noggin/PSU/OHSU
2. Jeff Leake, NW Noggin/PSU
3. Mo DindarAzimi, PSU
4. Jennie Terranova, PSU
5. Zach Salcido, PSU
6. Natalie P Robison, PSU
7. Justin Benner, PSU
8. Aaron Eisen, OHSU
9. Michael Gold, PSU
10. Denesa Lockwood, OHSU
11. Becky Callos, PSU
We’ve visited Coreyanne Russell and James Cederstrom’s 9th through 12th grade classrooms on multiple occasions. More details are at the links!
Hey Vancouver: Let Kids Sleep!

Sleepy brains at Fort

Tired Trappers at Fort

Uploading your brain from Vancouver

Why do you study the brain?

Trap Squad!

Brains, biofeedback & SLEEP

Ventricles in Vancouver!

Society for Neuroscience OR/SW WA Chapter Meeting
2024-03-08 - 2024-03-09 | McMenamin’s Edgefield, 2126 S.W. Halsey St., Troutdale, OR, 97060, United States
WHAT: Society for Neuroscience OR/SW WA Chapter Annual Meeting

WHERE: McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey Street, Troutdale, OR
WHEN: Friday, March 8 – Saturday, March 9, 2024

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

SFN OR WA SCHEDULE
SFN OR WA 2024 PROGRAM

LEARN MORE: Molecular Mechanisms of Neuroinflammation in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Progression
LEARN MORE: Systemic inflammation as a predictor of brain aging

NW Noggin volunteers include neuroscience undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and artists, and both individually and collectively we present and attend local chapter meetings and international conferences for the Society for Neuroscience (SfN).
LEARN MORE: NOGGIN & SfN

NW NOGGIN ABSTRACT
Las neuronas son bacanes: interdisciplinary neuroscience in Valparaíso Chile
GRIESAR, W.S.124, LEAKE, J.123
1Department of Psychology, Portland State University; 2NW Noggin (nwnoggin.org); 3Department of University Studies, Portland State University; 4Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University

POSTER_Noggin_SfN_Chapter_2024
Nonprofit nwnoggin.org organizes collaboration around interdisciplinary neuroscience, going places to explore brains, hear stories, make art and see where research discoveries can contribute. Portland State University in Portland, OR offers a minor in interdisciplinary neuroscience, where Noggin co-founders Dr. Bill Griesar and Jeff Leake both teach. In 2023, we reached out to artists and STEM colleagues at the Universidad de Valparaíso Chile. Along with the PSU Education Abroad Office and Academic Programs International we created Cerebrarte, the first international, homestay-based STEAM program exploring the rich art and neuroscience traditions of the Valparaíso region. We brought 17 students and two faculty to Chile from July 27 – August 28, 2023. Through visits to labs and the historic complex at Montemar, we explored how research on the giant axons of Humboldt squid contributed to our understanding of the electrical signaling that links our perceptual and cognitive experiences to the world. We met Dr. Ramón LaTorre and Dr. Juan Saez (members of the National Academy of Sciences), Dr. David Naranjo, Dr. Jesús Olivares, Dr. John Ewer and Dr. Kate Whitlock, and graduate students and postdocs for discussions about olfaction, voltage-gated channels, spider neurons and potential therapeutic compounds in boldo tea. We welcomed Kings College London neuroscientist Dr. Richard Wingate, Editor of brainfacts.org, the outreach arm of Society for Neuroscience, who spoke about his 2023 book, “The Story of the Brain in 10 ½ Cells,” with the ½ Cell referencing the giant axon. Valpo is home to exceptional research, and is a celebrated center of public art. Street art was legalized in 1990, and eye-catching murales are everywhere. Students examined art with thiscatcallededdie, explored regional museums, created engravings (grabados), and sewed arpilleras, woven depictions of challenging and sometimes traumatic experiences that allow emotional expression and create durable memories of events with artist Cecilia Araneda. We explored the neuroscience of perception, stress and trauma as it relates to personal experience (including aspects of culture shock), research, art and the 50th year since El Golpe, the US-backed coup that violently overthrew democratically elected President Salvador Allende in 1973. The program culminated in a visit to Ciencia al Tiro, a STEAM outreach nonprofit where we made pipe cleaner brain cells and took them to the streets to speak with residents of Playa Ancha sobre porque las neuronas son bacanes (why neurons are cool). Cerebrarte was an exciting, interdisciplinary, intercultural, international experience, and will occur again in 2025.
LEARN MORE: Las neuronas son bacánes!
NOGGIN PRESENTS SATURDAY, MARCH 9

CEREBRARTE SLIDES (ppt): NW Noggin SfN Chapter Presentation 2024
CEREBRARTE SLIDES (pdf): NW Noggin SfN Chapter Presentation 2024
