Talk of the Week: Universe of the Brain

Few parts of the body are studied as frequently and understood as poorly as the human brain. A mass of neurons and receptors, the organ weighs just three pounds, but controls everything from basic bodily functions to defining an individual’s personality.

Until recently, the only way scientists could study the brain was after its owners had died. It wasn’t until the nineties that researchers developed a reliable, non-invasive way to examine a living brain—a technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Leading MRI physicist Dr. Shannon Kolind from UBC’s MRI Research Centre will join a team of scientists and graduates from the institution on Thursday (December 6) for a lively discussion about how our brains change across a person’s lifetime. Located in the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, the talk will include dazzling visuals projected onto the Planetarium Star Theatre’s domed roof. Doors are at 6.45 p.m., with the event beginning at 7.30 p.m.

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