Interact with scientists from around the world, touch real human and sheep brains, test your brain with mind benders, create neuron models and learn about the famous amnesia patient H.M.!
Who are the reviewers?
The review panel will made up of children and teens ages 8-14 from Orange County, California who are part of the Spring 2018 cohort of the Brain Explorer Academy of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. These children have been spending their Saturday mornings with the scientists at the University of California, Irvine exploring the brain and learning about the scientific process and scientific communication.
Who are the science mentors?
The scientists who have been working with the children in the Brain Explorer Academy are undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty of the CNLM's Ambassador Program. Though they come from various departments at UC Irvine, they all have a passion for sharing brain science with the community.
Science Mentors
Dane Clemenson, Ph.D.
Mitchell Farrell, B.S.
Hello! My name is Mitch and I’m from New Jersey where I grew up with my four brothers and four basset hounds. At UCI, I study how the brain motivates us to do things. Ever wonder why we crave our favorite foods when hungry or seek out water when we’re thirsty? These are the types of questions I research and can’t wait to share my interests with you!
Amy Frithsen, Ph.D.
My name is Amy and I’m a research scientist here at UCI. My research focuses on human memory and what parts of our brains become active when we try to remember things. Getting people - especially children - to start thinking critically about current issues is extremely important to me and I believe that a strong foundation in the scientific method is a great way to introduce this style of thinking. Additionally, science can be really exciting and fun and I’m really happy to get an opportunity to get kids pumped up about science and particularly about brains!
Michael Gomez
Hi my name is Michael, I am an undergraduate student wanting to fulfill the dream of becoming a Neuroscientist. I’ve been fascinated by every book I’ve read about the brain and I want to perpetuate the feeling. I want to know the secrets that both the brain as an organ and the fruit it bears—consciousness-- have. Paraphrasing Carl Sagan, understanding the brain has become a kind of bliss.
Jonathan Hasselmann B.S.
Hi, my name is Jonathan Hasselmann and I am a neurobiology PhD student in Dr. Mathew Blurton-Jones’ lab. I became interested in neuroscience because I was fascinated by memory and how our memories shape the decisions that we make and the people that we are. I study microglia (a type of brain cell) to try to figure out what happens in the brain during Alzheimer's disease. If we can understand what this disease is doing to the brain, then hopefully we can figure out how to treat it. I can’t wait to meet you all so that we can explore the brain together!
Valeria Lallai, Ph.D.
Hi, I'm Dr. Valeria Lallai, Postdoctoral fellow in the department of Neurobiology and Behavior at UCI. Before coming to California I lived in Italy where I studied to earn my Ph.D. Here at UCI I study genes to understand how brain cells communicate with each other. I have a passion for education and for teaching young people about science. I cannot wait to study with you the apparatus with which we actually study, our brain!
Amanda McQuade, B.S.
Maria Montchal, B.S.
Hi! I'm Maria, and I'm a graduate student at UCI studying how we remember different aspects of experiences. My favorite thing about science is that scientific discoveries can help to make the world a better place and spark curiosity that leads to even more knowledge. I'm looking forward to talking about science with everyone!
Lena Nguyen
Hello! My name is Lena and I am a biology student and a research assistant in the Cognition and Emotion laboratory that studies the effects of stress on memory at UCI! Before moving to Irvine for school I lived in Half Moon Bay, a small little surf town near San Francisco. I came to the sciences because the world, our bodies, and our knowledge are capable of amazing things that have the potential to help others! I love how our brain can raise so many questions and we can find answers to why we snack on food when we’re bored or how we store information and memories. I look forward to studying with you!
Noora Siddiqui, B.S.
Anna Smith, B.S.
Hi! My name is Anna. I grew up in Colorado, moved to Minnesota to study, and am now doing memory research at UCI while I prepare for graduate school. One of the most interesting things about the brain, I think, is that our experiences aren't stored and replayed like mental film reels. I love to ask questions about what makes certain features of our memories stand out more than others, and investigate the ways we mis-remember things that we've seen. On the topic of memory, it's easy for me to recall the first times I dipped my toes into the study of neuroscience, and I'm excited to be part of that process of discovery for all of you!