Collaborating Noggins

Post by Sam Mutschler-Aldine, an undergraduate studying Psychology and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Portland State University. This is not an exaggeration: I have been playing music since before I could walk. My parents brought my sister and I over as infants to our neighbors’ house to play on their set of…
To Bounce Or Not To Bounce

Post by Sydney Watson, senior undergraduate at Portland State University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Public Health, with a minor in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience. This winter I participated in outreach at both Portland and Vancouver area public schools. I’d known about NW Noggin for as long as I’ve worked on my…
Obsession and the Brain

Post by Allan Gaither, an undergraduate working on his Bachelor’s Degree, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at the Honors College of Portland State University. While traveling school to school with NW Noggin I’ve engaged with students in a number of amazing ways, from handling brains with them…
Music is My Copium
Is There Room Enough?

Post by Willow Coughlan, a Portland State University senior working toward a BA in Psychology and an Interdisciplinary Neuroscience minor. Willow joined several NW Noggin events with students of a variety of ages and backgrounds during Winter 2025. Throughout this winter I have traveled with NW Noggin to public schools…
There’s a tail in your brain!

Post by Omri Jones. Omri is an undergraduate finishing his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with a minor in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Portland State University. During these past couple months, I have felt lucky to have the opportunity to participate in neuroscience outreach visits to public K-12 schools. During these…
Noggins in Gaza

We were hugely heartened by the opportunity to join the volunteer NeuroChem Lab and meet with over twenty awesome young students from the British International School in Gaza (BIS Gaza). It’s horrifying and heartbreaking to witness the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people by the government of Israel, aided, abetted and…
Glial retrograde signaling in class

Post by Natalie Robison, Portland State University alumna, Northwest Noggin outreach participant and current research assistant at the University of Washington. When I was in the sixth grade my class took a field trip to downtown Portland to ride the tram that connected the hilltop and riverside buildings of Oregon…
Are grownups more boring?

Post by Yasaman Farhand, a graduate in Science and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience from Portland State University. Yasaman has contributed to multiple outreach visits to K-12 public classrooms and at the annual NogginFest through nwnoggin.org. She is the mother of a 3rd grader in Tigard-Tualatin Public Schools in Tigard, Oregon. It was an honor to host the NW Noggin outreach group…