As part of Brain Awareness Week, a global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research, Mount Sinai Health System hosted its 11th Annual Brain Awareness Fair for elementary, middle and high school students and members of the greater community on March 14.
The free event featured booths, exhibits and activities, and for the first time in two years, returned to welcome in person students and visitors. Activities included a giant inflatable brain, a 3D virtual reality brain surgery simulator, a brain injury research center, a Meet the Experts challenge, where more than a dozen Mt. Sinai Health System Doctors answered questions on any topic related to the brain.
Dr. Eric Nestler, Director of the Friedman Brain Institute at Mount Sinai, welcomed faculty and students, and said that the Friedman Brain Institute at Mount Sinai is deeply committed to promoting brain health by sharing their expertise with its partners and the local community.
Two outreach efforts by Mt. Sinai Health Systems at the Brain Fair included the Center for Excellence in Youth Education (CEYE), which aims to expose underrepresented minorities and economically disadvantaged youth to careers in science and medicine through hands-on curriculum and internships. The information table highlighted science enrichment program opportunities available for students in grades 7 through collegiate level.
Students for Equal Opportunity in Science (SEOS), is another way in which Mount Sinai graduate students are promoting interest in science and research among high school and college students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
