Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Frontiers for Humanity
Bay Brains SfN Youth
San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Society for Neuroscience
Our youth program supports Bay Brains SfN Chapter activities and offers engaging, interdisciplinary activities to spark interest in neuroscience and intersections in high school students. We foster dialogue at the intersection of natural intelligence (as understood from brain sciences) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) while promoting neurodiversity. We believe in curiosity, openness to new ideas, collaboration, inclusivity, & respect for others!
Key Activities
Neuroanatomy
Interactive sheep brain dissections with primers on neuroanatomy. Discussions on brain differences and their impact on learning and movement.
Brain Awareness Week
Promote Dana Foundation's global Brain Awareness Week activities in the community, including events and social media campaigns.
Speaker Series
Talks featuring experts on neuroscience and intersections. Reach out to academia and industry. Partner with local undergraduate and graduate clubs.
Brain Bee and Neuroscience Olympiad Preparation
Create or compile study materials, offer preparation sessions and tools for competitive events (individual and team).
Mind-Brain-AI Events
Identify workshops, lunch-and-learn, and hackathons at local colleges. Promote mentorship opportunities from Bay Area tech professionals.
Philosophy of Mind Discussions
Reading groups or panels on topics like consciousness, free will, and the ethics of brain-computer interfaces, bridging neuroscience with philosophy.
Arts, Alzheimer Walks, & Community
Participate in or organize community events such as, neuroarts for elementary & middle school students, buddy notes on Youth Mental Health Day, Alzheimer Walks, fundraising, and more!
Neurodiversity Awareness Workshops
Talks on the strengths-based model of neurodiversity, universal design, neurological differences (e.g., autism, dyslexia, ADHD, sensory overload, assistive technologies). Opportunities for advocacy.
Our Team
Motivated students from the SF Bay Area high schools (public, private, online, homeschool) responsible for defining, executing, and growing the youth program. Roles include President, Co-President, Vice President, Co-Vice President, Secretary, Vice Secretary, multiple Director positions in areas of Outreach, Event Planning, Communications, Technology, Partner Development, Creative Design, Social Media & Marketing, Operations & Budget, Research, and Policy.
Aashna Parsa
Stanford Online High School
Founder of Youth for Neurodiversity Inc. Working with Bay Brains SfN Chapter President (Dr. Ashvin Radiya) to reactivate and build youth program for SF Bay Area high school students.
Anyoli Gupta
Monte Vista High School
Arya Dandawate
Archbishop Mitty High School
Julie
Saratoga High School
Liya Shah
Bret Harte Middle School
Pranjal Gupta
School for Independent Learners
Simbhakali Shiromi
Stanford Online High School
Omar Ron
Ocean Grove Charter
Humera Ron
Ocean Grove Charter
Venkata Khyati Reddy Uppalapati
Miller Middle School
Pahal Vyas
Students organize into groups to brainstorm, research, create content, and plan activities. Leadership roles include Committee Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. At least 1 Core Team member will be part of each committee. Below are examples of committees.
Neuroanatomy Committee
Researches opportunities for interactive sheep brain dissections, creates content for primers on neuroanatomy, brain differences and their impact on learning and movement. Works with Event Planning Committee.
Brain Awareness Week Committee
Plans activities for Dana Foundation's annual Brain Awareness Week activities for March every year. Works with Event Planning & Social Media Committees for events and campaigns.
Brain Bee & INO Committee
Creates brain science content. Compiles materials for the Brain Bee and International Neuroscience Olympiad. Works with the Technology Committee to create learning app. Organizes prep sessions and helps the chapter run SF Bay Area Brain Bee.
Mind-Brain-AI & Neuroscience Frontiers Committee
Organizes talks and creates content on interdisciplinary neuroscience topics. Finds opportunities for students to participate in hackathons and conferences. Works with Technology Committee on NeuroTech. Works with Event Planning Committee.
NeuroEthics Committee
Researches and plans discussions on philosophy of mind, ethical issues in areas of medicine and brain-computer interfaces. Works with Event Planning Committee.
Neurodiversity Committee
Works with advocacy organizations such as Youth for Neurodiversity Inc. for organizing talks on the strengths-based model, universal design, and emerging research on learning differences. Works with Event Planning Committee.
Event Planning Committee
Works with other committees to develop the schedule for monthly speaker series, member training, community programs, etc. Maintains the overall schedule for Bay Brains SfN Youth Program events. Works with Social Media team for event promotion.
Technology Committee
Works with other committees on technology needs, develops new ideas for student learning using AI tools, and publishes or organizes opportunities for hackathons. Maintains Discord Community Server. Helps Event Planning Committee with registration & management tools.
Creative Design, Social Media & Marketing Committee
Designs templates for educational content, social media posts, flyers, and marketing. Works with other committees on content. Develops a quarterly newsletter for Bay Brains SfN Youth Program.
Outreach & Recruitment Committee
Responsible for growing Bay Brains SfN Youth network through the San Francisco Bay Area high schools. Works with other committees for community outreach. Develops plans for quarterly awards for outstanding member contributions.
Partner Development Committee
Develops relationships with other organizations for partnerships and/or collaborations. Examples include local collegeclubs, youth organizations, other SfN chapters, & community organizations.
Policy Committee
Researches issues and develops proposals for equitable interdisciplinary neuroscience education in K-12 learning environments in SF Bay Area.
Students representatives are club leaders in their schools for neuroscience or related fields. Student representatives are responsible for school-level outreach, recruitment, & participation in Bay Brains SfN program activities. Student representatives can be part of the broader Core Team and Committees based on their interest areas.
If you are a club leader at your school, let us know!
Ambassadors are students and community members who participate in and promote Bay Brains SfN Youth program activities.
Governing & Advisory Board
Dr. Ashvin Radiya
Founder of MindBrainAI.Life
President, Bay Area Chapter of SfN
Entrepreneur, Teacher, Mentor
Prof. James Murray
Professor of Neuroscience at CSU
Secretary, Bay Area Chapter of SfN
Organizer of Bay Area Brain Bee
Chapter Partners
Youth Organization Partners
ABOUT US
Bay Brains SfN Chapter Purpose
- Bring together scientists, thinkers, advocates, educators and entrepreneurs interested in all levels of biological organization of the brain and its implications for individuals and society
- Make the public aware of latest insights from brain sciences
- Foster greater understanding and dialog at the intersection of natural intelligence (as understood from brain sciences) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Support an alliance between academics, corporations and entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley
- Inform the general public of the results and implications of current research in this area