The Greater Mercer Public Health Partnership (GMPHP) is a collaboration of hospitals, health departments, the Mercer County Department of Human Services, and other not-for-profit organizations whose mission is to measurably improve the health of residents of the Greater Mercer County community.
Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction partners up with Dana Foundation for Brain Awareness Week on March 15-21, 2021
Join us virtually by participating in the activities below!
Free Zoom Webinar for students in grades 3,4,5
Explore the human brain and learn about brain science with a Neuroscientist!
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
Presenter: Dr. Rola Bekdash
One attendee will be chosen at random to win a Wonders of the Brain Science Kit! All attendees will receive a complimentary goodie bag filled with Mercer Council giveaway items.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIofu6vrDsiE9HmkwgoPjaDcFPx2XSm3211
How do you protect your brain and rest of your body?
For students in grades K-5:
Do you like to eat brain-healthy foods like blueberries? Are you interested in learning and trying new things? Do you like to laugh? These are just some examples of ways to protect your brain and the rest of your body as you grow! We want to know how you keep your brain and rest of your body safe. Draw a picture and/or write to us describing what you like to do to protect your brain and we’ll feature it in an upcoming blog on our website! All participants will also receive a goodie bag filled with Mercer Council giveaway items. Submit your drawings and/or writings to vderosa@mercercouncil.org by April 1, 2021. In your email, please include your first name, last name initial, and your grade along with your submission!
For students in grades 3,4,5:
Test your knowledge of the human brain and the effects of alcohol on the Central Nervous System by taking this trivia quiz!
https://create.kahoot.it/share/brain-trivia/928a56be-0568-4d3a-80b1-2c60736cbe32
Dr. Rola Bekdash is a full-time Biology Professor at Rutgers University and a Biology Scholar with extensive experience in teaching and research. She received her B.S. degree and M.S. degree in Biology from the American University of Beirut and her PhD in Neuroscience from Rutgers University and UMDNJ/ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. In 2012, she joined the Anesthesiology Department at Columbia University as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. She got awarded the Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Fellowship (F32) from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA) to investigate the long-term effects of substance abuse such as alcohol abuse during adolescence on inhibition in the brain. In 2015, she joined Rutgers University as a professor teaching undergraduates and graduates in the Biological Sciences Department. In 2020, she got her MBA in Strategy & Leadership from Rutgers Business School. Her research focuses on the long-term effects of gene-environment interaction during early development on brain function and behavior. Her goal is to apply her research to help people overcome addiction and live a better life. Her teaching goals are to help students acquire transferrable skills that set them up for career success.
