Community

Brainy Days

Brainy Days celebrates neuroscience with events throughout the month of March to educate and engage the community about the benefits of brain research.

Every year, the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute hosts “ Brainy Days ” during the month of March. It is celebration of neuroscience that features free community lectures hosted by many of our researchers and community partners that are committed to promoting brain wellness and reducing the stigma associated with brain disorders.

“Brainy Days” exemplifies Florida Atlantic’s commitment to providing the community with the knowledge needed to maintain brain health and lower one’s risk for brain diseases. Our scientists are committed to conducting world-class research, developing cutting-edge technologies, and training the next generation of neuroscientists.

2024
Dates Event Speaker/Host Location
Dates
Thursday, March 7
Lecture 7 – 8 p.m.
Book Signing 8 – 9 p.m.
Event
Gut Feelings - The Gut Microbiome as a Key Regulator of Brain Health Across the Lifespan
Lecture, reception and book signing
Speaker/Host
John Cryan, Ph.D., Professor and Chair Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
Hosted by Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Location
Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Florida Atlantic MacArthur Campus,
Jupiter
Dates
Tuesday, March 12
Lecture 7 – 8 p.m.
Book Signing 8 – 9 p.m.
Event
Well-being is a Skill
Lecture, reception and book signing

Register
Speaker/Host
Richard Davidson, Ph.D., William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc.
Hosted by Nicole Baganz, Ph.D., Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Location
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine,
Gelb Auditorium,
Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton Campus
Dates
March 16, 1 – 5 p.m.
March 18, 5 – 8 p.m.
March 19, 5 – 8 p.m.
Event
INSIGHTS at the Institute
Creativity and the Bipolar Brain Art Exhibition
Speaker/Host
Presented by the Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation, Palm Health Foundation and the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Hosted by Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D.,
Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Location
Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Florida Atlantic MacArthur Campus,
Jupiter
Dates
Saturday, March 16
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Event
BrainSparks!
Hands-on brain fun
Free event with paid admission to the Cox Science Center and Aquarium
Speaker/Host
NeuroSquad
In partnership with the Cox Science Center and Aquarium, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute
Location
Cox Science Center and Aquarium
4801 Dreher Trail N.
West Palm Beach
Dates
Thursday, March 21
Cocktails 6 – 7 p.m.
Lecture 7 – 8 p.m.
Book Signing 8 – 9 p.m.
Event
Art, Architecture, and Human Well-being
Cocktail hour, lecture and book signing/reception to follow

Register: Email Kristian Zambrana
Speaker/Host
Anjan Chatterjee, Ph.D.,
Professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Architecture, University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics
Hosted by Nicole Baganz, Ph.D.,
Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Location
Cox Science Center and Aquarium
4801 Dreher Trail N.
West Palm Beach
Dates
Saturday, March 23
11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Event
Rhythms of the Brain

Register
Speaker/Host
NeuroArts symposium presented by Mind, Music, Movement Foundation
Location
Kravis Center
701 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach
Dates
Friday, March 29
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Event
Neural Nexus: Fusing Science, Art, and Creativity
Speaker/Host
Greg Dunn, Ph.D., Mixed Media Neuroscience Artist Suzanne Nalbantian, Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Scholar and Author in Humanities and Neuroscience
Hosted by Robert W. Stackman, Ph.D. and Bethany Stanhope, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University
Location
Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Florida Atlantic MacArthur Campus,
Jupiter
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cox-logo
mind-music-logo
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Brainy Days 2023
FOR THE PUBLIC
Dates Event Speaker or Host Zoom Recording
Dates
March 2
Event
Autism Research, Education and Service: Moving the Needle — Right Now, Right Here!
Speaker or Host
Randy Blakely, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Damon Page, Ph.D., Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology
Erin Brooker Lozott, EdD, BCBA-D, CCC-SLP, Els for Autism Foundation®
Kelley C. Bastien, MSW, Florida Atlantic Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD)
Zoom Recording
Dates
March 5
Event
Autism Speaks Walk
Speaker or Host
NeuroSquad
In partnership with Florida Atlantic Center for Autism and Related Disabilities
Zoom Recording
Dates
March 17
Event
Reality+: Virtual Reality and the Puzzling Nature of Existence
Speaker or Host
David Chalmers, Ph.D.,
Departments of Philosophy and Neural Science, NYU Center for Mind, Brain and Consciousness
Zoom Recording
Dates
March 18
Event
*The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
Lecture, reception and book signing
Speaker or Host
Sy Montgomery,
Naturalist and Author
Zoom Recording
Dates
March 25
Event
BrainBlitz! Hands on Brain Fun
Speaker or Host
NeuroSquad
In partnership with the Cox Science Center and Aquarium
Zoom Recording
Dates
March 27
Event
When Science Links with the Arts: Research and Alternative Therapies for Parkinson’s and other Neurodegenerative Diseases
Speaker or Host
Beth Elgort, CSW, Mind, Music and Movement Foundation
Randy Blakely, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Julie Pilitsis, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, Florida Atlantic College of Medicine
Henriette van Praag, Ph.D., Florida Atlantic Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
Voices of Parkinson's Chorus, Movement, Dance and Meditation
Zoom Recording
Note: All programs free and open to the public except for the March 17 lecture by David Chalmers
* Offered In conjunction with MindFest: Grand Opening of the Center for the Future Mind
Program Sponsor:
logos of our sponsors

Event Sponsors:
logos of our sponsors

Learn more: BI-outreach@fau.edu
Brainy Days 2022

Brainy Days—A Celebration of Neuroscience 2022

FOR THE PUBLIC
Dates Event Speaker or Host Zoom link
Dates
February 28
Event
“Never Enough: Personal and research experiences of drug addiction”
Speaker or Host
Judith Grisel, Ph.D.
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 6
Event
Autism Speaks Walk
Speaker or Host
NeuroSquad
Zoom link
Dates
March 15
Event
“Gifts of the Crow”
Speaker or Host
John Marzluff, Ph.D.
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 19
Event
Brain Blitz! (Neuroscience fun for kids)
Speaker or Host
NeuroSquad
Zoom link
Dates
March 23
Event
"COVID – In It for the Long Haul? How Immune Responses Impact the Brain and Mind”
Speaker or Host
Ning Quan, Ph.D.
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 25
Event
Diversity in Science Festival
Speaker or Host
NeuroSquad and NSO
Zoom link
Dates
March 31
Event
“The Past, Present, and Future of Alzheimer’s Prevention”
Speaker or Host
Richard Isaacson, M.D.
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Program Sponsor:
logos of our sponsors

Event Sponsors:
logos of our sponsors
Brainy Days 2021

Brainy Days—A Celebration of Neuroscience 2021

FOR THE PUBLIC
Dates Event Speaker or Host Zoom link
Dates
March 2
Event
How Dogs Love Us: Insights from Brain Imaging
Speaker or Host
Gregory Berns, Ph.D., professor, Department of Psychology Emory University.
Hosted by Cheryl A. Krause-Parello, Ph.D., R.N., professor, Florida Atlantic Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, and director of Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors® (C-P.A.W.W.).
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 4
Event
Brains, Minds, and Aliens: The Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence and its Relevance to Brain Science
Speaker or Host
Jill Tarter, Ph.D. Emeritus Chair for SETI Research, SETI Institute,
Elan Barenholtz, Ph.D., Co-Director, Florida Atlantic Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics Lab,
hosted by Susan Schneider, Ph.D.. Professor of Philosophy and Director, Florida Atlantic Center for the Future Mind.
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 9
Event
New Insights into Mechanisms and Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
Speaker or Host
Allan Levey, Ph.D., chair, Department of Neurology and director of the Alzheimer’s Research Center, Emory University.
Sponsored by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Jupiter.
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 11
Event
Brains on Trial: What Brain Science Tells Us About the Origins and Limits of Responsibility
Speaker or Host
BJ Casey, Ph.D., director, Fundamentals of the Adolescent Brain Lab, Yale University;
Josh Buckholtz, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Psychology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University;
Carey Haughwout, public defender, Palm Beach County,
Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, presiding county court judge, Misdemeanor Mental Health Court, 17th Judicial Circuit, Broward County.
Hosted by Wendy Guastaferro, Ph.D., interim director and associate professor, Florida Atlantic School of of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 19
Event
The Mighty Worm: Nobel Prize Powerhouse for the Study of Neurodegenerative Disease
Speaker or Host
Randy Blakely, Ph.D., professor, Biomedical Science, Florida Atlantic’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and executive director, Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute,
Peter Rodriguez, graduate student, Florida Atlantic’s Integrative Biology Ph.D. program.
Hosted by Becky Mercer, Ph.D.,  associate dean, Academic Affairs, Palm Beach State College.
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 23
Event
Brain Gains for Mental Illness: Progress for Science and Society
Speaker or Host
Audrey Gruss, founder and chairman, Hope for Depression Research Foundation,
Susan G. Amara, Ph.D., scientific director, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Dates
March 27
Event
Brain Blitz: Neuroscience Fun for Kids
Speaker or Host
Hosted by the ASCEND Program at Florida Atlantic and
South Florida Science Center
Zoom link
Watch Zoom Recording
Program Sponsor:
logos of our sponsors

Event Sponsors:
logos of our sponsors

Contact us

MAIN OFFICE

Florida Atlantic Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute

Jupiter Campus

Room 201F, MC-22
5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter, FL 33458
Phone: 561.799.8100

map of FAU Jupiter campus

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EDUCATION OFFICE

Florida Atlantic Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute

Boca Raton Campus

Room 103A, SE-43
777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone: 561.297.4989

map of FAU Jupiter campus