Society for Neuroscience Presents Awards for Education in Neuroscience
CHICAGO — The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) has announced that Sabine Kastner, MD, PhD, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton University and Robert Knight, MD, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, will receive this year’s Awards for Education in Neuroscience. The award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to neuroscience education and training and will be presented in Chicago at Neuroscience 2019, SfN’s annual meeting and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
“The Society is pleased to recognize Drs. Kastner and Knight for their contribution to science education at all levels, from young children to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows,” SfN president Diane Lipscombe said. “In addition to contributions to their respective universities, they are Chief Editors for Frontiers for Young Minds, an open-access journal for school children published by Frontiers to spark kids’ interest in science, divulge cutting-edge research, and allow them to take part in the publishing process.”
Kastner studies the neural basis of visual perception, attention, and awareness in the human and monkey brain and has published over 130 articles, book chapters, and commentaries. She is a founding member of the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and routinely takes part in outreach to local elementary and middle schools, ADHD support groups, and teacher seminars on ADHD, dyspraxia, and dyslexia. She is also involved in the Annual Young Women’s Science Conference at Princeton, a program for middle and high-school aged girls.
Knight has been a leader in the field of cognitive neuroscience focusing on the role of prefrontal cortex in human behavior for over 40 years, pioneering the use of electrocorticography and publishing over 380 peer-reviewed articles. He has also mentored over 60 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who now hold research positions around the world. He received the UC Berkeley Award for Post-Doctoral Mentoring and served as director of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.
As chief editors for Frontiers for Young Minds, Kastner and Knight have assembled a team of editors who work with science mentors (mostly graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) who in turn interact with young reviewers, drawn from 3rd –10th grade classrooms around the world. The website was recognized by the American Library Association as one of the “great websites for kids” and is designed specifically with young readers in mind. It is easy to navigate, features colorful cartoons, and invites readers to explore and follow the questions they find most fascinating. It also allows kids to interact with and hear from the scientists making today’s discoveries. In addition, the editorial process teaches graduate students and postdoctoral fellows how to discuss science with kids and teaches scientists how to make their research more accessible.
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is an organization of nearly 36,000 basic scientists and clinicians who study the brain and the nervous system.
