STEMNET Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network

I joined STEM on this october and haven't got any sort of opportunities to get involved into science related events or activities. I am doing masters in Molecular biology with bioinformatics and I used to be a Science teacher plus biology lecturer before I came to England from Nepal. If there are any opportunities to talk about Science, Biology, Molecular biology or Bioinformatics, do let me know. I would love to get involved.

Techniquest here we come! Lots going on as we are taking part in the Science and Me weekend at our local Science centre, Techniquest. We will have a Brain Trail, showing how the brain develops its specialisations, what bits do what, what brain cells look like and how they communicate. How knew how different or how similar hedghog and mannatee's brains were! Also trying to translate it into activities we can take to schools and run, anyone in South Wales interested?

Planning new activities for the coming year is really exciting. On the cards for us in Cardiff is a Brain Bee, activities at Techniquest, school events and maybe some other things. At the moment we are working up a 'brain trail', follow the axon nodes and learn about the brain at each station. Collect stamps along the way to be a BRAINBOX!! Does anyone else have any experience of using films to engage A level students? We are looking to show Awakenings and then talk about Parkinson's disease and the effects of L-dopa, still the best treatment after 60 years, but causing terrible movement side effects. It would be great to know is anyone else has tried this? Another group at Cardiff have made big version of the game 'Operation'. How cool is that!!!!!

Tell us more about Jelly Brains and pipe cleaner neurons, these could prove useful in other areas and maybe inspire Ambassadors in other areas to do the same as you are doing in Wales

Brain Awareness week is actually aimed at all members of public. We run a week long series of events including an open day for lay public with displays on all areas of the brain, from cells to psychology, behaviour to diseases and treatments. For younger visitors, and as part of our STEM activities we run events both at the Uni or at Techniquest, our local science activity centre, for local primary schools. We engage them in learning about the brain with a series of workstations looking at what bits of the brain do what (drawing brains on swimming caps), seeing how heavy the brain is and how hard to brain surgery (jelly brains), making neurons with pipecleaners, etc etc. We have also tied in neuroscience and psychology cafe's around this week which are accessible for A'level students and we are hoping to expand our activities this year to include events for secondary age. Its fun for everyone!

Brain Awareness week sounds interesting. What sort of activities do you do through that? Is that mainly focussed at Primary level or is it aimed at Secondary school students as well?