Carnegie Mellon University

Neuro Week

Celebrating Innovations in Brain Research@CMU

November 4-8, 2019

Join us for a week-long celebration of brain research at Carnegie Mellon.


Monday, November 4

9:00-10:00                    Welcome

President Farnam Jahanian; Dean Rebecca W. Doerge (Mellon College of Science); Dean Richard Scheines (Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences); and Barbara Shinn-Cunningham (Director, Neuroscience Institute)

Join us for breakfast as we kick off a week-long celebration of brain research at Carnegie Mellon. 

Simmons Auditorium B, Tepper Quad

10:00-12:00                Symposium: Leveraging Science and Technology to Beat Brain Disease

10:00-11:00  Keynote by Dr. Robert Bowser (Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of NeurobiologyInterim Chief Scientific Officer, Barrow Neurological Institute and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center; Director, Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Research Center)

Biomarkers to Gain Mechanistic Insights and Monitor Treatments in Neurodegenerative Diseases

11:00-11:15   Break

11:15-11:30   Aryn Gittis (Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, CMU)

Science to Unravel Parkinson’s Disease

11:30-11:45   Maysam Chamanzar (Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, CMU)

Technology to Target Brain Stimulation

11:45-12:15   Panel Discussion

With Robert Bowser; Pulkit Grover (Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, CMU); Jana Kainerstorfer (Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, CMU); Andreas Pfenning (Assistant Professor, Computational Biology, CMU)

Moderated by Jon Hamilton (Journalist and Science Correspondent, NPR)

Followed by audience Q&A. 

Simmons Auditorium B, Tepper Quad

Tuesday, November 5

4:00-6:00      Neuroscience Institute’s Presidential Fellows Showcase

Data blitz presentations

Followed by reception

Moderated by Wayne Wu (Associate Professor, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition)

Steinberg Auditorium, Baker Hall A53


Thursday, November 7

2:00-3:30       diversity in science

Public panel discussion with Coty Gonzales (Research Professor, Social and Decision Sciences); Kevin Jarbo (Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in Social & Decision Sciences); Eve Marder (University Professor and the Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of Neuroscience, Brandeis University); Sophie Scott (Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow, University College London); and Eric Yttri (Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences)

Moderated by Barbara Shinn-Cunningham

Connan Room, University Center

4:00-4:30       Carnegie prize reception

Rashid Hall, Gates Hillman 4401

RSVP Not required

4:30-5:30      Andrew carnegie prize in mind and brain sciences lecture

Dr. Eve Marder (University Professor and the Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of Neuroscience, Brandeis University), 2019 Carnegie Prize Recipient

Press release

Rashid Hall, Gates Hillman 4401

RSVP Not required


Friday, November 8

12:00-1:30      Victor M. Bearg Lecture

Neuroscience of Laughter

Dr. Sophie Scott (Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow, University College London)

Followed by reception

Kresge Theatre, College of Fine Arts