Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment celebrates British Science Week and Brain Awareness Week

• Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment to host children’s activities at Birmingham’s science museum Thinktank on Saturday 18 March

• British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths

• Brain Awareness Week highlighted with research showcased in glass box exhibition space on University campus.

Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment (IHN) is celebrating British Science Week (10-19 March) and Brain Awareness Week (13-19 March) by hosting an activities day for children at the Birmingham science museum Thinktank, alongside a social media campaign to help educate and inform the public on its latest research.

Each year, the British Science Association runs a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths called British Science Week.

It is closely followed by Brain Awareness Week, a yearly global campaign to increase public awareness of brain research. The week-long celebration is organised by the Dana Alliance with a goal to educate and highlight the importance of research in developing new treatments, preventions and possible cures for brain diseases.

Both campaigns align closely with the work of the Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, with the Institute’s researchers keen to use the week to host activities and share their research and information about the brain health with the public.

Activities to highlight both British Science Week and Brain Awareness week include a social media campaign sharing research updates from members and surprising brain facts on Twitter (@Aston_IHN), a brain research exhibition in the glass box space in the Aston University main entrance, as well as an activity session at the Birmingham science museum Thinktank in Millennium Point.

The meet and greet with IHN researchers will take place on Saturday 18 March between 11.00 and 16.00. Children and families can speak to researchers about their work and take part in interactive activities, such as memory games and eye-tracking experiments.

Professor Jackie Blissett, co-director of IHN said: “British Science week and Brain Awareness week are really important campaigns for us. Brain Awareness week is the perfect time to showcase our research and engage with the public on what we do here at IHN.

“We work in close collaboration with the NHS to help research potential treatments for children who experience a range of brain related conditions. We put children at the heart of what we do, with the aim of unlocking the potential of research to support children’s health and development as well as answering the questions that matter to children, their families and the services that support them.”

Visitors to the exhibition on the Aston University campus are encouraged to share their thoughts about the exhibition and their pictures on Twitter, tagging @Aston_IHN.

For more information about Aston Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment visit its website and for more information about studying psychology and neuroscience at Aston University visit our course pages.