The annual Brainy Days events celebrate advancements in brain science and health through free lectures and experiences throughout the month of March.

Florida Atlantic University’s Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute will celebrate advancements in brain science and health with its annual “Brainy Days” events throughout the month of March.

“Brainy Days” includes free community events and educational lectures with world-renowned experts to promote brain health, share neuroscience discoveries, and reduce the stigma associated with brain disorders. This year’s activities includes the official opening on Monday, March 10, of the David and Lynn Nicholson Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, a multidisciplinary hub for accelerating bench-to-bedside treatments for patients living with conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

“Florida Atlantic University has gained considerable momentum in the area of neurodegenerative disease research through investigation and innovation across multiple colleges and institutes,” said Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., David J. S. Nicholson Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience, executive director of the Brain Institute, and professor of biomedical science at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. “By formalizing this work into a center, we can leverage it to be greater than the sum of its parts.”

Sir John Hardy, Ph.D., a world-renowned scientist and faculty member from University College London whose breakthrough research has been foundational to current Alzheimer’s disease research, will be the keynote speaker for center opening.

Additional signature events during “Brainy Days” include the return of “Brain Sparks!” an event for the whole family produced in partnership with the Cox Science Center and Aquarium; a guest lecture from Michael D. Burton, Ph.D., an expert in the brain mechanics behind pain; and a special presentation by Dr. Andrew B. Newberg, Florida Atlantic’s MRI medical director, at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach.

“Through Brainy Days, our neuroscience faculty, students and invited speakers seek to inspire and communicate the promise and progress of brain research,” said Nicole Baganz, Ph.D., director of community engagement and programming at the Brain Institute, research assistant professor at the College of Medicine, and coordinator of “Brainy Days.” “We hope to spark a new level of awareness and interest in brain health, because this is a topic that affects us all.”

The schedule of events for Brainy Days 2025 is:

• Monday, March 3, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. – Mind, Music, and Movement Foundation, in partnership with the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida Atlantic, will host “The Power of Arts and Science for Resiliency in Aging.” The event will be at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on the John D. MacArthur Campus, 5353 Parkside Drive, in Jupiter. To register, visit www.m3f.org.
• Monday, March 10, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. – Sir John Hardy, Ph.D., will present “Origins and Treatments of Alzheimer’s Disease.” Hardy is chair of molecular biology of neurological disease at University College London’s Queen Square Institute of Neurology and a world-leading expert in Alzheimer’s disease research. A one-hour talk will be followed by a reception at the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, 5353 Parkside Drive, in Jupiter. Seating is limited. To register, visit www.tinyurl.com/BrainyDaysHardy.
• Saturday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Join scientists from the Brain Institute’s Advancing STEM-Community Engagement through Neuroscience Discovery (ASCEND) program, the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, and Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience for “BrainSparks!” an interactive event featuring dozens of hands-on activities designed to introduce young minds to neuroscience. The event will be at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium, 4801 Dreher Trail North, in West Palm Beach. Participation is included with regular museum admission.
• Tuesday, March 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. – Michael D. Burton, Ph.D., will present “Pain in the Brain: A Drink a Day Could Bring More Than You Bargain.” Burton is the Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor and an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Dallas. He is also a founding member of the Center for Advanced Pain Studies in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. The one-hour presentation begins at 6 p.m., followed by a reception at the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, 5353 Parkside Drive, in Jupiter. To register, visit www.tinyurl.com/BrainyDaysBurton.
• Wednesday, March 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. – Dr. Andrew B. Newberg will present “Your Brain on God: Insights from Functional Brain Imaging Studies.” Newberg is the MRI director at Florida Atlantic University’s state-of-the-art MRI research facility. A one-hour talk will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a reception and book signing at the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, 411 Clematis St. To register, visit www.tinyurl.com/BrainyDaysNewberg.

Brainy Days is sponsored by Palm Health Foundation. For more information about Brainy Days, visit www.fau.edu/brain/brainydays or email BI-outreach@fau.edu.

-FAU-