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| Vol. 24, No. 4 |
| March 1, 2002 |
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"Genes and the Brain" Focus of Brain Awareness Week by SHANNON RASP The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Almost half of all Americans over age 85 develop Alzheimer’s disease, costing the nation $100 billion annually in health care costs and lost productivity. That fact alone illustrates the vital role genetic brain research can play. Educating people about the brain and how it functions is the focus of the Brain Awareness Week, March 11 through 16, organized annually by The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. This year’s events will highlight how genes affect the development of brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases. "It’s clear that there is a link between genes and brain diseases," said Dr. John Byrne, professor and chairman of the department of neurobiology and anatomy and director of the Neuroscience Research Center at the UT-Houston Medical School. "We’ve had remarkable success in recent years identifying how one affects the other. There is a great likelihood that most of us will be affected by a brain disease at some time in our lives, so understanding and preparing for it is crucial." 2002 Brain Awareness Week activities include: "Genes and the Brain" The University of Texas Medical School Building, 6431 Fannin St., room 3.001, Tuesday, March 19, 5:30 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 23, 10:30 a.m. to noon, free and open to the public, pay parking in TMC Garage 4, behind the medical school. UT-Houston doctors will present the latest research conducted on the correlation between genes and how they affect the brain. Advocacy groups, such as the Alzheimer’s Association, will sponsor information booths. Refreshments and promotional items will be distributed. "Brain Night" The John P. McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science, 1515 Hermann Dr., Thursday, March 21, 6 to 8 p.m., free and open to the public. The presentations, geared toward elementary-aged children, will be conducted by UT-Houston faculty and students. Demonstrations and hands-on science will play important roles. "The whole purpose of Brain Awareness Week is to inform the public of the advances in brain research and how we are developing a better understanding of the diseases afflicting the brain," said Dr. Byrne. "Our goal is to reach out and let people know what their tax dollars are supporting and how that work will directly affect them and their family." For the latest information about Brain Awareness Week, call the UT-Houston Neuroscience Research Center at (713) 500-5540.
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E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
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