Mentoring in Neuroscience Discovery
Mentoring in Neuroscience Discovery at Sinai (MiNDS) is a student-led outreach organization based out of the Friedman Brain Institute at Mount Sinai. We are determined to make neuroscience education fun and accessible to the East Harlem community. Every year, we organize a series of public lectures, laboratory tours, brain fairs, and classroom courses with the mission of reducing the barrier of entry into STEM fields and sparking curiosity. Over the past five years, I have been co-director of MiNDS and have worked with other graduate students at Mount Sinai to organize the programming below.
Brain Awareness Week
During Brain Awareness week, we put together a Brain Fair where more than 600 students, parents, and community members come to Mount Sinai to touch a real brain, see through the eyes of a neurosurgeon, learn about our sensory systems, and wander through a giant inflatable brain.
Patrick Henry Preparatory Program in Neuroscience
MiNDS partners with the Center for Excellence in Youth Education to teach a 7-part introductory neuroscience course at Patrick Henry P.S. 171. This course covers everything from the basic anatomy of a neuron to the underpinnings of several neurological disorders and the ways in which we research these conditions in the laboratory.
Public Lecture
MiNDS hosts an annual public lecture where we invite the community to examine a popular topic in neuroscience and discuss the interplay between research on the brain, public health, and policymaking.
Brain Dissections
We believe that one of the best ways to learn about the brain is by taking a look inside. We host a series of sheep brain dissections where we teach elementary through high school students about the brains of humans and other species.
Expanding Our Reach
MiNDS has participated in several city-wide programs, including the Intrepid’s Goals for Girls Fair, the Team Cindy 5K, and the World Science Festival’s City of Science Fairs. We also assist Mount Sinai’s own leaders with the Art of the Brain Exhibit and Storytelling Show.
