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In addition to the three keynote lectures, the nationally recognized program will feature the Tenth Annual Robert B. Glassman Memorial Brain, Mind, and Behavior Symposium.

Highlights of Brain Awareness Week include:

• “Unconscious Memory: Intersecting Literature and Neuroscience” talk delivered by University of California, Santa Barbara Assistant Professor of English Sowon Park at 4:15 p.m. on Monday, October 31 via Teams.

• “Neurointerventions and the Ontology of Agency” talk by Adina Roskies, the Helman Family Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Cognitivie Sciences, Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College, at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1 via Teams.

• “Molecular Dissection of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases Predict Novel Therapies” keynote lecture by Dennis Selkoe, the Vincent and Stella Coates Professor of Neurologic Diseases at Harvard Medical School, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2 via Teams.

• Tenth Annual Robert B. Glassman Memorial Brain, Mind, and Behavior Symposiumfaculty and alumni talks from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 3 via Teams. Topics include reducing the effects of math anxiety and learning, the role of dopamine in autism, how art and science collide in the classroom, using biomarkers to uncover Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms, and when hints hurt memory.

• Glassman Symposium undergraduate and alumni research poster session will feature 44 presentations by 60 students and alumni from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 4, on campus in Calvin Durand Hall and the Mohr Student Center. The day's events also will feature the unveiling of an art sculpture, “COVID and the Brain ,” created by Associate Professor of Art David Sanchez Burr’s Art Installation class. 

Brain Awareness Week’s longevity speaks to the increasing societal relevance of understanding how our brain works and guides all our behaviors, says Disque D. and Carol Gram Deane Professor of Biological Sciences and Chair of Neuroscience Shubhik DebBurman.

“I like the interdisciplainary nature of our speakers this year. The first talk explores neuroscience and literature, while the second talk brings together philosophy and ethics through discussion of the ethical issues of philosophy and the mind,” DebBurman said.

Art and science also meet during the Glassman Symposium. Sanchez Burr's art class is creating a sculpture in partnership with neuroscience students. 

“This year the theme is Covid and The Brain, and our students are actively engaged in ideation, design and production of an installation that will be presented during Brain Awareness Week,” Sanchez Burr said. “The goal of the project is for artists and scientists to think about each other’s perspectives, bring together commonalities, and highlight the conceptual approaches to problem solving in these areas. These interdisciplinary collaborations are important in the educational and research setting. They help create a better understanding of the focus and hard work required in different fields.”

This sculpture will be unveiled at the Glassman Symposium.

Megi Diasamidze ’23 believes Brain Awareness Week provides a unique learning experience for the campus and surrounding community.  

“Brain Awareness Week is an excellent learning opportunity for the College community to showcase their research and raise awareness about various aspects of the brain by educating others,” Diasamidze said. “The brain is a powerful 'machine,' and I truly believe that the BAW program allows participants to explore some of its mysteries.” 

All Brain Awareness Week events are free and open to the public. Request a Teams link from Dr. Shubhik DebBurman at debburman@lakeforest.edu or 847-735-6040

Related Links:

• Glassman Brain, Mind, Behavior Symposium marks 10 years, November 3–4
• Explore the neuroscience program at Lake Forest College
• Learn more about Brain Awareness Week