Free, family-friendly event March 18
is part of Brain Week RI
Inquiring minds of all
ages can explore brain health and science through creative, hands-on activities
at the University of Rhode Island Brain Fair March 18 on the Kingston Campus.
This free event
explores how the brain works, how URI researchers are making great strides in
combating brain diseases and what people can do to keep their brains healthy.
The URI
Brain Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the College
of Pharmacy, 7 Greenhouse Road, Kingston.
During the event,
faculty, students and staff who study the brain from many different points of
view will involve adults and children in creative activities designed to
improve understanding of brain science, healthy brain function and the impacts
of disease.
The public can
participate in demonstrations such as a virtual reality encounter that
simulates how a person with dementia experiences the world, how “smart” gloves
and other devices can help improve daily living for people with
neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, or how the brain communicates
with the body’s sensory and motor systems.
The URI Brain Fair is
sponsored by the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience at URI and
is part of the second annual Brain Week Rhode Island, a celebration of brain
health and brain science for all Rhode Islanders.
Paula Grammas,
executive director of the Ryan Institute, said the event at URI will give the
public a chance to experience firsthand the exciting frontiers of brain science
that URI researchers are exploring and will help make people aware of how to
improve and protect their brain health.
Brain Week Rhode
Island, March 11-19, includes speakers, films, workshops, discussions and other
activities as part of Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign to increase
public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research.
Brain Week Rhode
Island was founded by the Cure Alliance for Mental Illness. Lead sponsors are
the Ryan Institute and Brown (University) Institute for Brain Science.
The Dana Foundation, a
private philanthropic organization that supports brain research through grants,
publications and educational programs, initiated Brain Awareness Week in 1996.
For more information,
including the complete schedule of events, please visit the Brain Week Rhode
Island website.