{"id":72818,"date":"2017-03-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/uncategorized\/hundreds-flock-to-uri-brain-fair-for-hands-on-lessons-in-neuroscience-brain-health\/"},"modified":"2017-03-24T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-03-24T00:00:00","slug":"hundreds-flock-to-uri-brain-fair-for-hands-on-lessons-in-neuroscience-brain-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2017\/03\/hundreds-flock-to-uri-brain-fair-for-hands-on-lessons-in-neuroscience-brain-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds flock to 溏心vlog免费B站 Brain Fair for hands-on lessons in neuroscience, brain health"},"content":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I., March 24, 2017 \u2014 The 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s motto is Think Big, We Do<\/em>; and the results of some of that big thinking were evident at the 溏心vlog免费B站 Brain Fair, which brought some 500 people to campus March 18.<\/p>\n

The free, interactive, family-friendly event sponsored by 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience<\/a> featured researchers, faculty, staff and students from several programs and departments, including members of the Colleges of Health Sciences, Nursing and Pharmacy \u2014 which form the Academic Health Collaborative \u2014 as well as Engineering, Business Administration and Arts and Sciences.<\/p>\n

They demonstrated creative approaches to brain science, showcased 溏心vlog免费B站 research into brain diseases and illustrated simple ways to protect brain health, said Paula Grammas<\/a>, executive director of the Ryan Institute. The event is just one of the Institute\u2019s multi-disciplinary efforts to advance neuroscience and engage the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ryan Institute is targeting new ways to treat and cure disorders such as Alzheimer\u2019s disease, Parkinson\u2019s disease, and more,\u201d said Grammas. \u201cWe have exciting leads on a number of new therapies, but in the meantime, it\u2019s important for people to know what they can do now, today, to keep their brains and bodies as healthy as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adults and children packed the College of Pharmacy atrium, where they tried to balance on surfboard simulators while kinesiology faculty explained how the brain and body work together to allow us to \u201ccatch a wave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nearby, psychology graduate students Alison McCallum of Bristo<\/strong>l and Alyssa Francis of East Providence <\/strong>presented brain teasers and puzzles that tested flexible thinking, impulsivity and memory. \u201cEveryone can practice these skills,\u201d Francis said. \u201cSome people are getting discouraged, and we are encouraging them to think differently than they do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, kids built brain cells out of pipe cleaners or candy, painted tiny models of the brain or chose to have brightly colored neurons painted on their faces.<\/p>\n

In the 3D printing and molecular modeling studio, pharmacy student Robby Rocchio and nursing student Abby Cleland, both of North Kingstown<\/strong>, explained how the technology makes abstract concepts tangible. \u201cA lot of people are really surprised we are able to print out these complex structures,\u201d said Cleland, as the 3D printer churned out one of 857 sheets of material to create a model of a cholesterol-lowering drug.<\/p>\n

In the 3D Visualization Theater, pharmacy Professor Bongsup Cho<\/a> and student Rachel Carley of West Greenwich<\/strong> had audience members don glasses for a journey that zoomed around the brain and explored DNA and viruses. Rylan Wetherbee, 8, of Coventry, who attended with his parents, immediately recognized the Zika image as a virus. \u201cSince my dad\u2019s a chemist, he taught me a lot about science,\u201d explained Rylan, who plans to be a scientist when he grows up. \u201cI\u2019ll be all different kinds: seven scientists, a different one each day of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a quiet room at the end of a hall, father and daughter Doug and Katie Deboer of South Kingstown experienced a darker side of the brain. They took \u201cA Walk in Their Shoes,\u201d a sensory simulation of what it is like to live with dementia that is designed to increase awareness and empathy. The Alzheimer\u2019s Association of Rhode Island<\/a> and The Lighthouse at Lincoln<\/a> \u2014 an assisted living facility for those with dementia and memory impairment \u2014 presented the encounter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was unexpected, especially with the headphones,\u201d Katie Deboer said of the discordant mix of sounds that simulated the auditory distortion often experienced by those with advanced dementia.<\/p>\n

Glasses that impaired vision, gloves that stymied the execution of simple household tasks and shoe inserts that made walking uncertain contributed to the unsettling experience. \u201cIf people really do experience all of that at once, it\u2019s got to be unbearable,\u201d Doug Deboer said.<\/p>\n

A world away from the sensory confusion of dementia, Audrey Cardany<\/a>, associate professor of music education, and her students led musical jams to demonstrate what happens in our brains when we make music, listen to it or move to it. \u201cWe don\u2019t have a music center in our brain so it\u2019s a full brain workout. That\u2019s why it is so beneficial,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing in the presence of music lights up your brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Best of all, virtually everyone enjoys music, making this brain health prescription easy to fill. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the few things in life that is enjoyable and is inherently good for you,\u201d Cardany noted. \u201cIt\u2019s a little different than \u2018you have to eat those Brussel sprouts.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

(See a gallery of photos depicting activities at the 溏心vlog免费B站 Brain Fair<\/a>.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I., March 24, 2017 \u2014 The 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s motto is Think Big, We Do; and the results of some of that big thinking were evident at the 溏心vlog免费B站 Brain Fair, which brought some 500 people to campus March 18. The free, interactive, family-friendly event sponsored by 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s George & Anne Ryan Institute […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72819,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72818\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}