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Want to Touch a Brain?

Utah Brain Awareness Week events teach students and public about the brain and brain health

(Salt Lake City) – Members of the public can touch a human brain or move a ball with their thoughts during Brain Awareness Day on Saturday, March 21 at the Leonardo museum. Admission to the entire museum will be free all day.

Brain Awareness Day activities will be presented at the museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the atrium of the Leonardo, 209 E. 500 South in downtown Salt Lake City.

The hands-on activities – meant to educate the community about the wonders of the brain – will be led by Utah neuroscientists brought together by the Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience at the ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Utah.

Activities include Brain Ball, a game where electrodes are taped to participants' foreheads so they can move a ball with their thoughts; looking at fish with fluorescent brains through microscopes; comparing brains of various animals; and touching real human brains donated for educational purposes by body donors.

In addition to activities at The Leonardo, from March 16 through 20 volunteers will make presentations to over 2,000 school ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵren in the greater Salt Lake City area as part of Brain Awareness Week. As in past years, students will gain a new appreciation for brain health by handling human brains and seeing first-hand how brains are damaged by injury or illness. School activities will stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle, wearing helmets to prevent head injury, and avoiding drugs.

News media are invited to cover any of eight presentations at area schools. They are not open to the public. (See the list of dates, times and locations at the end of this news release.)

Brain Awareness Week is part of a global campaign and is sponsored locally by the Brain institute and the at the ÈËÆÞÖгöÊÓƵ of Utah, and is supported by the Dana Foundation and Ripple.

Utah Brain Awareness Week website

Brain Awareness Week School Events Open to News Media

Monday, March 16, 7:50 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. – Brighton High School, 2220 E Bengal Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, 84121

Tuesday, March 17, 8:15 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. – Glendale Middle School, 1430 W Andrew Ave, Salt Lake City, 84104

Wednesday, March 18, 10:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Neil Armstrong Academy, 5194 Highbury Pkwy, West Valley City, 84120

Wednesday, March 18, 12:40 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. – Eastwood Elementary, 3305 S Wasatch Blvd, Salt Lake City, 84109

Thursday, March 19, 7:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Bingham High School, 2160 W 10400 S, South Jordan, 84009

Thursday, March 19, 7:55 p.m. – 12:55 p.m. – Jordan High School, 95 Beetdigger Blvd, Sandy, 84070

Friday, March 20, 8:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. – North Star Elementary, 1545 N Morton Dr., Salt Lake City, 84116

Friday, March 20, 1:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Alianza Academy Magna Learning Center, 8225 W 3500S, Magna, UT 84044