staff, and trainees. Through neuroBRITE,
high school students used the latest
mobile technology to measure brain waves
and study cognitive aging. They also
learned from and worked with older adults
on their experiments.
"During the program I learned about the
coding aspect of experiments, an area that
I might consider working in," says Kalfon.
"It was a great overall experience and I
received great mentorship."
While Kalfon hopes to pursue a career
in video game design and programming,
this experience has encouraged him to
consider working in the "serious games"
industry, where games are used as
educational tools.
A UNIQUE TEACHING OPPORTUNITY
FOR TRAINEES
While high-schoolers had a chance to learn about neuroscience, many
of the RRI's trainees also had the opportunity to challenge themselves
and improve their teaching skills.
"The program was a roller coaster ride of learning how to put
together a training program, working with the hardware and directly
communicating with students," says Dr. John Griffiths, one of the
neuroBRITE developers and mentors, a past post-doctoral fellow at
the Rotman Research Institute and now a scientist at the Centre for
Addiction and Mental Health. "The neuroBRITE team was given the
opportunity to launch a challenging and fun application of the skills
we've learned. It was great to see that despite some of the challenges
the students faced, their enthusiasm was not curbed."
The neuroBRITE initiative was supported by the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada PromoScience Program,
which aims to promote an understanding of science, engineering,
mathematics, and technology among young Canadians.
NEUROBRITE 2.0
42 students from
3 high schools trained
16 staff and trainees
led the program
2018–2019 YEAR IN REVIEW 23
Visit the RTC website
to learn more.
