Resources for Educators

Links to downloadable materials including lesson plans with teacher’s guide, presentations, and handouts for students, as well as to other great brain-science resources

Publications & Handouts

Handouts, fact sheets, a graphic novel, and more. Organized by age and interest

BrainWorks

Neuroscience prof Eric Chudler and a group of curious kids investigate the brain in these half-hour programs.

Video Short-Takes

A playlist of our quick explainers of how the brain works and how to maximize brain function and health.

A Perfect Storm

By Yasmin Hurd, Ph.D., and Timothy Brennan, M.D.

Our authors, who direct the Addiction Institute for the Mount Sinai Health System, address the substance-abuse avalanche brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Her Own Words: Calling the Birds Home

Cheryle St. Onge’s photographs won the annual Bob and Diane Fund award—a grant that increases the understanding of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Imaging’s Groundbreaking Discovery: 30 Years Later

Randy L. Buckner, who was ranked among the top ten most influential brain scientists by Science magazine in 2016, answers questions about his role in the discovery of a brain network that is triggered by thinking when the brain is at rest or imagining possibilities.

The Great Telemedicine Experiment

Covid precautions have led to a massive increase in treatment via screens and phones rather than in person. Will this change medicine permanently?

Brain Bee Alumni: Where Are They Now?

Since the first Brain Bee in 1998, the competition has inspired many of its top finishers to pursue careers in neuroscience and related fields.

The Fast-Moving Neuroprosthetics Frontier

As the field of neuroprosthetics emerges, privacy and others concerns need to be considered.

Unlocking the Mystery of Brain Injury

By Michael L. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D.

A young man was told he hadn’t sustained a head injury after a car accident. But when he dropped out of graduate school months later, a visit to a specialist revealed what an initial diagnosis failed to detect.

Debra Yourick Receives 2021 SfN Science Educator Award

Interview with Debra Yourick on using near-peer mentors to help kids get excited about science, and more. The Dana Foundation is proud to sponsor this award.

Stephen Macknik Receives 2021 SfN Science Educator Award

Interview with Stephen Macknik on storytelling in science, magic, and more. The Dana Foundation is proud to sponsor this award.

A Path to Biomarkers

Predicting the path of illness for someone diagnosed with schizophrenia is difficult because its origins are so varied. Dana Grantee Jong Yoon is developing imaging methods to tease out the cellular mechanisms of one potential cause: too much dopamine production.

When the Myth is the Message: Neuromyths and Education

Two reports suggest that neuromyths are more pervasive in the educational community than we might think, and this may work against academic achievement. We investigate some of the most common myths, explaining their scientific origins and realities.

Understanding New Brain Research Models

Scientists can now grow living human brain tissue in lab dishes and in animals, creating organoids, neural transplants, and chimeras. While these models will help us better understand the brain in health and disease, they also raise thorny ethical questions that will only get thornier in the future.

Neuroanatomy: The Basics

The brain and nervous system are a network of many specialized parts.