25 Years of Brain Awareness at the National Museum of Health and Medicine

Protecting the warrior’s brain protects the warrior.

Studying how to prevent or mitigate brain injuries remains a key focus area for the Defense Health Agency. The science of the brain and brain injuries touches every capability that readiness demands.

For 25 years, more than 18,000 people from military families, local communities, and Department of Defense affiliates have visited the National Museum of Health and Medicine to participate in Brain Awareness Week activities.

In 2000, the NMHM partnered with the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives (now the Dana Foundation) to develop an educational program to coincide with International Brain Awareness Week. The program led middle- and high-school students (grades 5-12) through activities and stations with neuroscientists from universities, foundations, professional societies, museums, and hospitals to learn about advances in brain research, how the brain works, and possibly to inspire a new generation of neuroscientists.

“Brain Awareness Week came from the desire to expose students to the most powerful organ in the human body in an environment and in a manner that was enjoyable, fun, immersive, and educational at the same time,” said Archie Fobbs, the museum’s neuroanatomical collections manager.

Fobbs has participated as a presenter since the inception of the event. The NMHM Neuroanatomical Collections, one of the most comprehensive brain collections in the world was one of the main motivators to partner with the Dana Alliance and host BAW activities.

Over the years, the number of presenters grew, and the topics and activity stations became more specialized. Stations showed examples of brain injury and disease while discussing prevention and treatment, informed on how sports-related concussions contribute to tactile, speech, and language disorders, and taught about the impacts of traumatic brain injury because of recent military conflicts.

While the museum was housed at the then Walter Reed Army Medical Center, NMHM staff saw firsthand how patients recovered from TBIs. BAW shifted to focus on presenters and activities that centered on brain injury awareness research related to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of the warfighter and how it affects advancements in the civilian sector. When the museum moved to its current location in Silver Spring, Maryland, an entire gallery was dedicated to the brain.

One of the museum’s longest-running presenters is the Defense Health Agency’s Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, whose first BAW activity station occurred in 2002 when the organization was named the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.

“The Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence is proud to have been a part of the museum’s Brain Awareness Week activities for over 20 years. Every year, we look forward to the opportunity to educate the public about why it’s important to protect, treat, and defend their brain health. We’ve been able to drive this point home over the years through interactive activities such as egg drops, helmet fitting, and a mirror box that simulates how the brain changes after concussion,” said Dr. Katie Stout, chief of the Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence.

Other presenters throughout the years include National Institutes of Health institutes and centers, the Society for Neuroscience, DoD centers of excellence, Howard University, Rutgers University, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research’s Sleep Research Center, among others.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NMHM closed its doors on Friday, March 13, 2020, just a few days before they would have welcomed students and presenters for its 20th BAW.

Not to be deterred, during the next two years, NMHM produced a social media campaign each March called “Back to Basics: The Brain,” with an accompanying online lab notebook for at-home activities. The videos showcased presentations by a collection of DoD partner organizations, including TBICoE, the Psychological Health Center of Excellence, the Hearing Center of Excellence, the Uniformed Services University, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, WRAIR, and several NIH organizations.

BAW returned in person with Brain Awareness Day as a two-hour public event on March 18, 2023.

“For a quarter century, NMHM has been a forum for expanding awareness for the neurosciences among the public and professionals alike. We often have visitors come back years later after participating in a Brain Awareness Week program, and they tell us how much they were impacted by their experiences interacting with our Neuroanatomical Collections and all of the brain experts. It’s an experience that both inspires curiosity and even careers,” said Andrea Schierkolk, NMHM’s public programs manager.

This year, NMHM celebrated its 25th year of Brain Awareness Week activities with a Brain Awareness Day on Saturday, March 15. Presenters included NMHM Anatomical Collections staff, TBICoE, PHCoE, HCE, the Vision Center of Excellence, Uniformed Services University, Society for Neuroscience, and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence.