The 13th Annual Public Forum

Stem Cells—Their Potential for Neurologic Disease

The Neuroscience Research Center hosts its annual Public Forum in conjunction with Brain Awareness Week. Each year, the Public Forum covers a different aspect of Neuroscience research. For example, the subject of the 2008 Public Forum was Stem Cells—Their Potential for Neurologic Disease.   Recent topics of the Public Forum have included:

2007 CNS Trauma and Rehabilitation

2006 Memory

2005 The Aging Brain

2004 The Developing Brain

Following is a description of the 2008 Forum.

A panel of experts on the current state of stem cell therapies for adults and children presented what we know so far about stem cells and neurological disorders, including therapies for stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, traumatic brain injury and neurological developmental abnormalities. Chairman of the Department of Neurology, Dr. James Grotta moderated the forum.  Following their presentations, the panelists answered questions from the audience.

A reception following the Public Forum event allowed participants the opportunity to interact with the four guest speakers. Literature and information concerning treatment facilities at UT-Houston were made available to participants during the reception. Local public advocacy groups were invited to distribute information regarding their services. Several departments of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston 's Medical School performed demonstrations and presented displays on brain function and health.

Partners In Education (For Children)

2008 Brain Night for Children

John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Science

The NRC has developed and maintains a Partners in Education (PIE) program in the neurosciences in Houston . During Brain Awareness Week, the NRC hosts a PIE event, called Brain Night at a local museum for young children and their families.

The March evening event at the John P. Mc Govern Museum of Health and Medical Science involves the coordination of various 'partners', including the Museum, Houston Independent School District, University Care Plus, and an enthusiastic volunteer base of NRC members, postdoctoral fellows, residents and students from the UT-Houston Medical School. The event is packed with activities, from mini-lectures for children to brain-related demonstrations. Face painting and free gifts add another dimension of fun to the evening of science.

This project is part of the International Brain Awareness Week Partners in Education program, a unique partnership of major institutions organized to advance public understanding about the brain and brain research by linking scientists directly with students. The partnership, which works with universities and academic research centers throughout North America and Europe , includes the Association of University Professors of Neurology, the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, the European Dana Alliance for the Brain, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Society for Neuroscience. It is funded by a grant from the Charles A. Dana Foundation.