Inspiring the Next Generation of Neuroscientists (And Why We Bring Cool Stickers)
The future of neuroscience depends not only on innovative technologies and brilliant minds, but also on one of the most precious resources available to researchers: donated human brain tissue.
That’s why The Brain Donor Project is proud to return to the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting later this month, where thousands of scientists, researchers, and students from all over the world gather to share discoveries and explore the future of brain research. We can’t wait to talk with them about the incredible resource that’ll be available to them when they’re ready to validate their findings on human brain tissue. They’re always very impressed to learn about the NeuroBioBank of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The national network of brain and tissue repositories makes available high-quality, carefully characterized donated human brain tissue to qualified researchers. It contains samples from more than 18,000 brains from nearly every diagnosis – from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases to mental health disorders and rare developmental diseases.
Seasoned neuroscientists know that brain donation is essential; students will come to appreciate that when their early-stage experiments advance to more sophisticated models. Advances in imaging, genetics, and other technologies are transforming neuroscience, but there is still no substitute for studying actual human brain tissue. It’s the precious resource that allows researchers to investigate the biological changes associated with neurological and psychiatric conditions, validate findings, and pursue questions that cannot be answered through other methods alone.
Yes, we lure them to engage with us by choosing very cool stickers for their water bottles and laptops. Wearing the statement “Future Brain Donor” or “My Brain Is Going Places” has a lot of appeal for these budding scientists. But they also appreciate our objective at SfN. It’s to build awareness not only of the scientific value of brain donation, but also to honor the generosity of the individuals and families who make this research possible.
