Vermont's Brain Awareness Week — part of an annual global campaign sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience to promote the field of neuroscience through educational activities — has turned into more than a month-long event, thanks to the hard work of a group of University of Vermont neuroscience graduate students, postdoctoral associates and staff.

Sponsored locally by the Vermont Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, the Vermont Brain Awareness Week events are organized by Rachael Hannah and Kimberly Albert, doctoral candidates in neuroscience, and Holly Parker, student services professional in UVM's Center for Teaching and Learning. To date, Burlington's Hunt Middle School and Founders Elementary School in Essex have already taken part in educational sessions exploring the brain and nervous system. More than 20 additional elementary and middle schools across the state are expected to participate in these activities over the next several weeks.

The ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center will also honor Brain Awareness Week with a "Meet the Scientist" presentation and hands-on activity on Saturday, March 27, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Titled "What does a jelly bean test have to do with your sense of smell?" the event features Rona Delay, Ph.D., UVM associate professor of biology and anatomy and neurobiology, whose research focuses on how neurons change information about the external world into a language the brain can understand. For more information, visit ECHO's "Meet the Scientist".

To learn more about Brain Awareness Week, visit the Vermont Society for Neuroscience website or the national Society for Neuroscience Brain Awareness Week website.