New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science

2019 Lectures & Curator’s Coffee Series: “The Brain: It’s More Than You Think”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 07, 2019

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(Albuquerque, New Mexico) As part of the programming associated with the new traveling exhibition Brain: The Inside Story  which opens Saturday Feb. 23 at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, the museum’s 2019 Lectures & Curator’s Coffee Series theme is, “The Brain: It’s More Than You Think.”

Brain: The Inside Story draws on research and technology to present recent findings in neuroscience, highlighting the brain’s surprising ability to rewire itself in response to experience, disability or trauma. Organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, the exhibition also showcases modern technologies that researchers use to study the brain. Brain: The Inside Story will be on exhibition from Feb. 23 through June 23, 2019.

Interactives, puzzles, brain-scan imaging and spectacular models explore senses, emotions, brain development, and even brains in the future. From a real plastinated brain to dazzling art installations revealing our own perceptions, this exhibition comes alive with fascinating discussions of how our minds work.

The Curator’s Coffee series is a café style program, a casual discussion followed by a hands-on experience. Attendance is limited to 15 people,and includes coffee, light refreshments and Museum admission. Cost per person is $8 (10 percent discount for members) Preregistration is required. Register online, go to www.NMnaturalhistory.org   Questions: jayne.aubele@state.nm.us

Each lecture costs: $8 nonmembers, $7 members, $5 students. Preregistration is encouraged or tickets can be purchased at the door the evening of the event (if seats are available). Go to www.NMnaturalhistory.org. Questions: jayne.aubele@state.nm.us

 

Peering into the Brain, What do we See?                                                                                              

Elaine L. Bearer, M.D., Ph.D., FAAAS, FCAP                                                                                

UNM Health Sciences Center                                                                                                            

Feb. 27, 2019 • 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.                                                                                                            

The brain is a highly evolved complex opaque tissue. Join Dr. Bearer as she describes new research on how the brain works and its response to life-threatening fear and stress. Dr. Bearer is a neuropathologist, UNM School of Medicine and the Harvey Family professor in Pathology. She works on the neurobiology of mental health, studying biomarkers of trauma and abuse in children and the cause of Alzheimer Disease. Her research also includes the perception and impact of music on the brain. She is a Fellow of AAAS and the College of American Pathologists.

 

Your Brain after a Concussion

Russell Morton, Ph.D. UNM Health Sciences Center

March 27, 2019, • 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.                                                                                                              

What happens to our brains during a concussion? Join Dr. Morton as he discusses some potential therapies and management strategies to help patients with concussions. Dr. Morton is an Assistant Professor at UNM Health Science Center, Department of Neurosciences, and part of the Preclinical Core facility within the Center for Brain Recovery and Repair. He uses electrophysiology and microscopy to investigate the effects of mild traumatic brain injuries

 

The Symphony of Sleep: Sleep and the Brain                                                        

Russell Morton, Ph.D., Lisa Cutchen, M.D., Shanna Diaz, D.O.                      

Friday, April 12, 2019, • 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Your brain works hard when you sleep. Join us for this special presentation about the importance of sleep to your brain health. Dr. Morton is a research assist. professor, UNM Dept. of Neurosciences. He is a neuroscientist and electrophysiologist whose research studies how the cells in our brains communicate with one another. Dr. Cutchen is a sleep specialist and assist. professor, UNM School of Medicine. She worked as a mental health counselor and is board certified in Family Practice and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Diaz is also an assist. professor, UNM School of Medicine. She is interested in improving quality of life through the treatment of sleep disorders and is board certified in General Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine.

 

Tsunamis in the Brain                                                                                                                                                              

Bill Shuttleworth, Ph.D. Director, UNM Center for Brain Recovery and Repair                                                                                                            

April 24, 2019, • 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.                                                                                                                                                                            

Brain tsunamis are massive waves that sweep through the brain, disrupt function and are involved in migraine, stroke, trauma and other disorders.   Dr. Shuttleworth will discuss brain research and brain tsunamis.  Dr. Shuttleworth is Director of the UNM Center for Brain Recovery and Repair, and Regents’ Professor, Department of Neurosciences, UNM

                                                                                                                                                                      

The Emotional Brain: An Analysis of Investor Behavior                                                    

David P. Bruner, CFP®, CIMA®                                                                                  

Thursday, May 9, 2019,   • 9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

The way the human brain is wired affects the way we process information and how we make choices, including financial decisions. Research has shown that cognitive biases, including self-deception, can contribute to poor decision-making. Join us for this timely discussion about the brain and finance. David Bruner is First Vice President – Wealth Management Portfolio Manager, Portfolio Management Program, UBS Financial Services Inc.

 

Alcohol, Genes, and the Brain: The Latest Science and Dispelling Myths

Katie Witkiewitz, Ph.D.  UNM Department of Psychology

May 22, 2019, • 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Join Dr. Witkiewitz for an overview of the latest science on why humans tend to enjoy alcohol, its effects on the brain and prevention and treatment options for alcohol use disorder. Dr. Witkiewitz is a Regents’ Professor of Psychology at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Witkiewitz has written 5 books, is a licensed clinical psychologist, and has worked extensively on the development of interventions to treat addiction. 

 

New Concepts in Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Gary Rosenberg, M.D., Director UNM Center for Memory and Aging

Thursday, June 6, 2019, • 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m.                                                                                         

Dr. Rosenberg is one of the nation’s leading researchers in vascular dementia, researching biomarkers for the early identification of types of dementia in order to assess results of treatment trials. He will discuss the importance of controlling high blood pressure and other vascular risk factors in prevention of dementia, and new treatments that he and others are developing to slow the onset of cognitive decline. Dr. Gary Rosenberg is Professor of Neurology at UNM Health Sciences Center. He is the former chair of the Neurology Department and is currently the Director of the UNM Center for Memory and Aging, which is the only center dedicated to diagnosing, treating and doing research that will impact the growing population, estimated to be over 43,000, of people in New Mexico who have some form of dementia.

 

About: Brain: The Inside Story is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org), in collaboration with Codice. Idee per la cultura, Torino, Italy in association with Comune di Milano – Assessorato Cultura, Italy; Guangdong Science Center, Guangzhou, China; and Parque de las Ciencias, Granada, Spain.

 

About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science: http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org. Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibitions, programs and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience and Space Science. It is the Southwest’s largest repository for fossils and includes a Planetarium and a large format 3D DynaTheater. A division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Museum is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. 1801 Mountain Road NW, northeast of Historic Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87104, (505) 841-2800.  Events, news releases and images about activities at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and other  divisions of the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.

 

 

 


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