Our North Central Florida Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience hosted a successful 2019 Brain Awareness Week. Our students, trainees and colleagues had a record turnout, reaching 2,554 kids of all ages, from kindergarten to 12th grade.
With the help of over 75 volunteers, they visited 20 schools throughout Alachua County. Here on campus, they hosted a group of over 70 homeschool students and parents who were able to take advantage of a day filled with brain-related activities and a unique opportunity to observe real human brains! Their efforts in promoting brain awareness throughout Alachua County did not go unnoticed, and was covered by UFHealth and CBS Channel 4 News.
The 7th Annual Luttge Lectureship kicked off Brain Awareness Week with speaker Dr. George Koob, Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. He presented “Alcohol and Drug Addiction: The Gain in the Brain is in the Pain”. Dr. Koob has a distinguished research program focused on understanding the neuropharmacological mechanisms of substance use disorders.
The Luttge Lectureship, established and sponsored by the McKnight Brain Research Foundation, honors the memory of the late visionary neuroscientist Bill Luttge, Ph.D., founding director of the McKnight Brain Institute.