Melissa Brachfeld
Public Affairs Specialist
(301) 319-3313
E-mail: medicalmuseum@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/medicalmuseum
Twitter: www.twitter.com/medicalmuseum
Web: www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum
For Immediate Release -- March 8, 2012
(Silver Spring, Md.)This year, Brain Awareness Week (BAW) activities will take place at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), located on the Forest Glen Annex in Silver Spring, Md., over the course of five days (March 12-16, 2012). NMHM recently relocated to the Forest Glen Annex, but is presently closed as the Museum installs new exhibits in advance of its grand opening in May.
During intense 2-hour BAW sessions, students rotate through hands-on activity stations to learn about different brain functions, influences on the brain and brain disorders. Activity stations are managed by the Museum’s Partners in Education. (BAW programs are not open to the public.)
National Brain Awareness Week programs were first established by the Dana Alliance in 1996, linking scientists, clinicians, journalists and other educators in an annual effort to raise public awareness about the brain and brain science. In 2000, Dana joined forces with NMHM to develop a program designed especially for middle school students. Brain Awareness Week has helped instill a sense of excitement of science, while bringing awareness and understanding of current research and its translation into clinical practice to young audiences.
Media representatives are invited to cover Brain Awareness Week activities. Advance notice is required to allow for proper security processing. Contact Melissa Brachfeld, NMHM Public Affairs Specialist, at (301) 319-3313.
The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, a nonprofit organization of more than 265 leading neuroscientists, is committed to advancing public awareness about the progress and promise of brain research and to disseminating information on the brain in an understandable and accessible fashion. Supported entirely by the Dana Foundation, the Dana Alliance does not fund research or make grants.
The National Museum of Health and Medicine, established in 1862, inspires interest in and promotes the understanding of medicine—past, present, and future—with a special emphasis on tri-service American military medicine. As a National Historic Landmark recognized for its ongoing value to the health of the military and to the nation, the Museum identifies, collects, and preserves important and unique resources to support a broad agenda of innovative exhibits, educational programs, and scientific, historical, and medical research. The Museum is presently closed to the public at its new location: 2500 Linden Lane, Silver Spring, MD, 20910. Visit www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum or call (301) 319-3300 for more information.
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