BRAIN DAY 2022 – A review

Photos: SFB 874/ Susanne Troll

“Very exciting lectures and a very interesting accompanying programme. Very friendly scientists and a pleasant atmosphere.” – There is no better way to sum up this year’s Brain Day, on 14 September 2022, than this guest. For the eleventh time, the Collaborative Research Centre 874 had invited all those interested in neuroscience to the Ruhr-Universität Bochum – and they came in large numbers. Around 400 visitors braved the rainy journey and enjoyed lectures and a varied supporting programme that took them into the world of brain research.

Lectures on Post-Covid and the power of neurotransmitters

After the welcome by Denise Manahan-Vaughan, spokesperson of SFB 874, Prof. Dr. Martin Tegenthoff, Neurologische Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil, started his lecture on highly topical results from post-COVID research, which he illustrated with various practical examples from his everyday clinical work.
(Unfortunately, we were not allowed to record the post-COVID lecture by Prof. Dr. Tegenthoff as a podcast for data protection reasons).

After this presentation, the visitors learned why bananas make people happy from Prof. Dr. Olivia Masseck, Synthetic Biology at the University of Bremen, in her lecture on the power of neurotransmitters. Using serotonin as an example, the scientist explained how memory performance can be studied in animal models and what new developments there are in research.

Podcast “THE POWER OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS – How a happiness hormone influences our memory” by Prof. Dr. Olivia Masseck

Prof. Dr. Nikolai Axmacher, Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, proved with his lecture that it is possible to talk about painful feelings and thoughts in a very entertaining way. He reported on traumatic memory traces in the brain and informed the guests about new studies that investigate important mechanisms with the help of imaging technologies in humans.

Podcast “TRAUMATIC MEMORY TRACKS IN THE BRAIN” by Prof. Dr. Nikolai Axmacher (in German)

From waffles and cabbage rolls

At the end of this year’s programme, Prof. Dr. Denise Manahan-Vaughan, spokesperson of SFB 874, Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, gave a fragrant talk. She took the Brain Day guests into the sensual world of smells and explained how scent has an influence on our feeling, thinking and acting.

Podcast “WHY SCENTS SHAPE OUR MEMORIES” by Prof. Dr. Denise Manahan-Vaughan (in German)

Hands-on neuroscience

All visitors were invited to get hands-on and actively test their mental abilities in the Brain Day’s accompanying programme.
“Sensory-motor coordination and information processing” was the theme of the sports scientists’ hands-on course.

The Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum offered a journey into “virtual reality” and a test of motor skills with 3D video glasses and motion sensors.

Why chilli burns and mint is cold was answered by the scientists of the neuronal regeneration research of the Neurologische Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil at their BRAIN DAY information stand. And ice water, math problems and people in white coats were the topics of the researchers from the Department of Cognitive Psychology, who are scientifically investigating the topic of stress.
The working group “Neuronal Basis of Learning” presented their newly developed “RUBubbles”, while the staff of the Institute of Anatomy, Department of Cytology, invited visitors to the microscope to explore the brain.

BRAIN DAY 2023 – on 27 September

This year’s BRAIN DAY once again bridged the gap between basic research and therapy with the speakers and the accompanying programme, and showed how both are implemented at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. And so the concept will of course be continued in 2023 – on 27 September.
And in this way, the feedback of a guest who said “I’d love to come back” this year at BRAIN DAY is also directly taken into account.

Thank you!

Such a colourful programme is not possible without the help of many dedicated people. They have contributed significantly to a successful BRAIN DAY 2022 and we would like to express our sincere thanks to:

Aimo Epplen, Analia Espinoza, Prof. Dr. Andreas Luh, Anke Maes, Anna König, Arne Dessaul, Asja Kiel, Aylin Apostel, Prof. Dr. Carsten Theiss, Cédric Pelzer, Prof. Dr. Christian Klaes, David Pickmann, Prof. Dr. Denise Manahan-Vaughan, Dorian Röders, Prof. Dr. Elena Enax-Krumowa, Dr. Eva Gentes, Fabian Berg, Farina Lingstädt, Prof. Dr. Jonas Rose, Julia Jessen, Laura Bubenzer, Günther Goldmann, Heide Brusis, Jan Venzke, Jana Heuver, Jens Dickmeiß, Jessica Pliszczynska, Karsten Lindemann, Kim Franze, Lena Sophie Pfeifer, Lianne Wolsink, Lisa-Marie Gonsior, Lisanne Brück, Marie Kranz, Marita Metzler, Prof. Dr. Markus Reichert, Prof. Dr. Martin Tegenthoff, Marvin Guth, Prof. Dr. Nikolai Axmacher, Dr. Özüm Özgül, Prof. Dr. Oliver T. Wolf, Prof. Dr. Olivia Masseck, Omair Ali, Osman Akan, Peter Geißler, Richard Hohmann, Robin Schäfer, Roswitha Senn, Dr. Sabine Dannenberg, Sabine Römer, Dr. Sarah Stahlke, Sebastian Schroer, Susanne Troll, Tobias Rüttgens, Ursula Heiler, Dr. Veronika Matschke

and to the staff of the following self-help groups:

CONTACT:

Ursula Heiler, MA
Tel.: +49(0)234-32-26682
Fax.: +49(0)234-32-14490
E-Mail: sfb874-pr@rub.de

MORE INFORMATION:

Talks (in German)

Would you like to listen to the BRAIN DAY talks? Then visit the mediathek of the SFB 874.