We consider scientific outreach an integral part of scientific research. In addition to traditional classroom teaching, we are actively engaged in two additional types of outreach effort:
1. Hands-on Research Experience: Direct Participation in Research Projects.
We have collaborative arrangements with many local colleges and universities, including the multiple campus locations of Augusta University (specifically to note the former ASU; now known as the Summerville campus of Augusta University or AU), Augusta Technical College (Augusta Tech), and University of South Carolina-Aiken (USCA), whereby students from these institutions gain hands-on experience in actual research by participating in ongoing research projects.
Thus, depending on the student’s interest and aptitude (and subject to meeting certain institutionally mandated safety training requirements where applicable), the student can gain experience in human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), visual rehabilitation of patients with visual deficits, human psychophysics, monkey psychophysics, monkey neurophysiology, and computational neuroscience.
Students who have previously participated in this program include (but are not limited to): Mr. Dennis Van Loozen (AU), Ms. Shalon Howard (AU), Ms. Monica Graves (USCA), Ms. Amber Still (USCA), Mr. Matthew Meastri (USCA), Allison Lewis (AU), Isabella Santana (AU), Marisa Bucknam (AU), and Mr. Karin Hauffen (Augusta Tech). Most of these students have gone on to earn authorships on abstracts and research articles (see our Publications page), although it is by no means guaranteed that every student will.
A special invitation to all schools in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA): If you would like for us to come talk with your students about our research, or brain research in general, we will be thrilled to do so. We can bring a lot of engaging demos to entertain and educate your students. Please do not hesitate in the least to contact us. You won’t owe us anything; it’ll be our pleasure to do this!
2. Web-based demos and other information dissemination activities.
We are currently in the process of developing, with the enthusiastic institutional commitment and support of AU, an interactive website on brain science. This website will help participants learn about the brain not as ready-made factoids, but in a process of discovery. When this new website is ready to launch, we will post a message to our home page and provide a link to the website. Stay tuned!