On 25th March the Unit held its sixth Open Day for local schools with over 80 students taking part from six local schools. Dr Jozsef Csicsvari gave an introductory talk and an outline about the Unit's work and some basic facts about the brain. Students then spent time in the laboratories, getting hands-on experience with instruments and real specimens, providing a glimpse of what to expect in a working research laboratory. They all visited two groups. Feedback was collected from students, which indicated that they found the visit very helpful and the research highly useful, as well as interesting. Many students asked how to become a research scientist as well.The teachers also found the experience very useful and we were told that after last year's visit some students were inspired to make University applications for various bioscience degrees, including medicine. Some student highlights of the visit include: looking at specimens in the electron microscope, seeing how the brains were sectioned, learning about copines, the confocal microscope in action, Parkinson's talk, understanding how to monitor brain activity and how such activity can represent learning processes. Our thanks to all who participated and made this day possible.
