When you communicate brain science, have you considered how you can use the world around you to enhance impact? What does neuroscience look like in a forest, in an urban playground, or on the beach? We’ve been developing a reflexive approach to neuroscience outreach by using the resources we encounter in different environments to teach children about the brain. Using your imagination and the tools at hand, you can turn almost any environment into a classroom, where the lessons are always fresh and exciting. Introduction to The Event, Brainwaves Brainwaves was a one-day seashore-based neuroscience adventure conducted at the Sidmouth Science Festival in Devon, United Kingdom in October 2018. The science festival is one of a number of community-led festivals in the United Kingdom. There were 65 children, aged 8–9. Twelve neuroscientists, ranging from PhD candidates to principal investigators, designed and delivered the workshop. We recruited three local schools as participants to bring together children with different educational experiences. We used the fabric of the seashore — pebbles, tidal creatures, buckets and spades, and the terrain — to explore the structure of a neuron, how signals pass along cells, and how brain cells build connected networks. We explicitly wanted to use what we found on the beach and in rock pools to illustrate these concepts and show that connections to neuroscience are all around us.

In this workshop, hear about key strategies postdoctoral training programs can use to help their trainees launch and sustain a successful career. You’ll learn about specific programs and policies that can reduce barriers to and create more opportunities for successful transitions to independent research careers. The panel discussion is based on The National Academies report, The Next Generation of Biomedical and Behavioral Science Researchers: Breaking Through.

Seizures affect a large proportion of the global population and occur due to abnormal neuronal activity in the brain. Unfortunately, widespread genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity contribute to insufficient treatment options. It is critical to identify the genetic underpinnings of how seizures occur to better understand seizure disorders and improve therapeutic development. We used the Drosophila melanogaster model to identify that IGF-II mRNA Binding Protein (Imp) is linked to the onset of this phenotype. Specific reduction of Imp in neurons causes seizures after mechanical stimulation. Importantly, gross motor behavior is unaffected, showing Imp loss does not affect general neuronal activity. Developmental loss of Imp is sufficient to cause seizures in adults, thus Imp-modulated neuron development affects mature neuronal function. Since Imp is an RNA-binding protein, we sought to identify the mRNA target that Imp regulates in neurons to ensure proper neuronal activity after mechanical stress. We find th...

The World Health Organization has labeled obesity a global epidemic with major public health implications. In humans, obesity produces many well-known health challenges, but one lesser-known danger is it diminishes cognitive function. Obesity also predisposes individuals to develop serious cognitive disorders later in life, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Neuroimaging studies have shown reduced brain volume in obese humans, particularly in areas that support cognitive function. Yet, the cellular processes underlying the association between obesity and neuronal structure remain elusive.

Science policy is shaped by the information made available to your representatives, so establishing relationships with them early on in their terms can help set the tone for what you accomplish together in the future. This webinar will provide the “how-to” for connecting with your congressional delegation.

Neuroscientists at all training and career stages have an important role to play in advocating for science. After SfN’s Capitol Hill Day in March 2018, four participants who are also volunteer leaders on SfN’s Trainee Advisory Committee (TAC) share how they think neuroscientists can influence political and public support for research and ultimately lead to more discoveries.

In humans and mice, white matter tracts traversing the brain contain long axons especially vulnerable to TBI. TBI causes a characteristic pattern in which degenerating axons are dispersed among many intact axons in white matter tracts.

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Being part of a student-run outreach initiative through your institution can expand your scientific community, grow your confidence, and develop your professional skillset. In addition, your outreach efforts can make a lasting impact on the way your local community thinks about science. Watch this workshop for advice on engaging your community — whether you’re a graduate student looking to start an initiative or a faculty member providing support. You’ll learn how student-led STEM and neuroscience initiatives build trust within the community and can serve as a form of peer mentoring, as well as how those initiatives can serve as a teaching tool for talking about science approachably, managing projects, and working with different teams. Using the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate-Led Initiatives and Activities (GLIA) committee as a model, panelists offer guidelines for establishing an organization structure, setting priorities, and evaluating what’s working and what’s not.

In his 12 years on the editorial board of JNeurosci, David Perkel — a senior editor for the journal and a professor at the University of Washington — has acquired numerous insights into science publishing. Here he answers commonly asked questions about the publishing process and shares advice applicable to neuroscientists at any career stage, whether you’re preparing to publish your first paper or looking to keep up with best practices.