Human Brain In recognition of Brain Awareness Week, the National Institutes of Health is sponsoring Neuroimaging: Glimpses into the Working Brain on Tuesday, March 16.

Neuroimaging provides researchers and physicians with a valuable tool in understanding normal brain function and treating disease or injury.

There will be two events on the 16th: A morning symposium geared to scientists and an evening presentation for students, teachers, and the community. Both events take place in Masur Auditorium at the NIH Clinical Center. Admission is free, and registration is not required.

The morning symposium takes place from 8:30 to noon.

8:30-8:45 a.m. Welcome
8:45-9:15 a.m. Imaging Overview
Marcus Raichle, M.D., Washington University School of Medicine
9:15-9:45 a.m. History and Future of Imaging
Bruce Rosen, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital
Recent Developments in Neuroimaging Research
10:00-10:30 a.m. Neurobiology of Addiction
Nora Volkow, M.D., Brookhaven National Laboratories
10:30-11:00 a.m. Neurodevelopment
Alan Koretsky, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University
11:00-11:30 a.m. Aging and Cognition
Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital
11:30-12:00 p.m. Mechanisms of Attention
Leslie Ungerleider, Ph.D., National Institute of Mental Health

The evening event starts at 7 p.m.

Welcome Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D., National Institute on Drug Abuse
Mental Illness: A Complex Brain Disease Steve Hyman, M.D., National Institute of Mental Health
How Do We Learn? The Inner Workings of the Brain Ursula Bellugi, Ed.D., Salk Institute

Brain Awareness Week is an annual, nationwide effort, organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, to promote the public and personal benefits of brain research. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is coordinating this year's NIH Brain Awareness Week activities in co-sponsorship with 10 other institutes: National Institute on Aging; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders; National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; National Institute of Nursing Research; National Eye Institute; and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

For more information about the March 16 events, call Jan Lipkin at 301-443-1124.

NIH staff will also speak at events sponsored by the Dana Alliance in Washington, D.C., during Brain Awareness Week.

  • "A Progress Report on Brain Research" takes place Wednesday, March 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. Guest speakers will present on topics including imaging, genetics, aging, and depression.

On Thursday, March 18, there are three seminars on "Talking Science" at the Reserve Officers Association at 2nd Street and Constitution Avenue, NE.

  • "Talking Science to Policy Makers" takes place from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Tim Condon, Ph.D., Associate Director, NIDA, and Jordan Grafman, Ph.D., Chief, Cognitive Neuroscience Section, NINDS, are among the speakers during the "Talking Science to the Public" session from 10:30 to noon.
  • R. Anne Thomas, Associate Director for Communications, NIH, will speak at the "Talking Science to the Media" session from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

These events in Washington require registration. For more information, contact the Brain Awareness Week Clearinghouse at 301-657-9197.
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