Students learn for Brain Awareness Week

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Students were hands on today at the Brainworks Seminar at Cedars-Sinai. Brainworks is designed to inspire students from low income families to pursue careers in science and medicine. As Doctor Keith Black said, students here get to learn on some of the industry’s most advanced technology.

“Students get a chance to look at the latest research technology using lasers to dissect out molecular traces of DNA and receptors and different types of tissues like brain tumors,” said Black.

And with state of the art technology like this, students are receiving an educational experience that is unlike one that can be learned in a classroom. Therapy Supervisor Aimee Bender talks about how students can take what they learn here, and apply it to their lives outside.

“Educating the students in what they can do to prevent a brain injury. Obviously a non-traumatic brain injury such as a brain tumor is not necessarily something you can prevent, but an accident due to a snowboarding injury, or a bicycle injury or skateboarding, those are things that could be preventable if a helmet is worn,” said Black.

On top of educating and informing students, the event’s main goal is to inspire and spread light on careers in the medical field.

“We hope that our education will not only prevent brain injury, but also open their eyes to different professions within the medical field that they can take part in later on in life to help also in treating those with brain injuries,” said Bender.

Brainworks encourages students to get involved with learning about technology and the medical field at a young age. It hopes to motivate students to start careers in medicine, research and scientific technology.