Main Events

• Neuroscience: Masterminds

  

  Established in January 2021, Neuroscience: Masterminds is a neuroscience outreach program that brings student volunteers from the UCR Neuroscience Graduate Program to local classrooms, camps, and communities to teach neuroscience concepts and inspire a love of science in students of diverse backgrounds.

  Our mission is to deliver innovative, engaging scientific education to children of all ages and backgrounds using hands-on experiments and activities, like recording electricity from our muscles or dissecting sheep brains! Participating students engage in one to two-hour group sessions with neuroscience activities designed for different age levels to improve critical thinking skills, boost scientific literacy, and raise interest in science as an exciting, viable career path.

  Started in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this program has transitioned from virtual-only sessions to in-person events that have since reached hundreds of children with overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and parents alike. Schools in Riverside County as well as tutoring and mentorship programs serving populations underrepresented populations in the sciences are eligible for the program. There is no cost to participate. Please feel free to contact us at dniko003@ucr.edu for more information. 

  
• Recruitment Week

  We help plan the graduate student dinner and Saturday outings for those who are interested in joining our program! 

  We facilitate a poster session with a wide mix of graduate students from different labs to provide insight into what each lab is currently researching.

  We help pair the recruits with current graduate students as well as take them to each of their faculty interviews to allow smooth transition between each event. 

  For those traveling from afar we also coordinate airport transportation so there is one less thing to worry about when arriving!

  And lastly we plan the tours to show the recruits our beautiful campus, up to date laboratories and equipment. 

  

  

  

   

• Brain Awareness Day

  One of our most popular events!

  We invite high school students to UCR to give them campus tours and lab tours. They get to see a mix of faculty research presentations as well as science demos such as : Backyard Brains, Neuro Face Painting, Sheep Brains, etc. 

• Professional Development Series

  Guest speakers from various post-grad professions: biotech, startups, pharmaceutical representatives, consultants, and clinical writers. 

  Request a speaker or share a contact to come give a talk via submissions page!

• 287 Seminar Student Lucheons

  NGSA hosts student luncheons to meet with guest faculty for lunch to allow the students to network, get to know them outside of their research, and allows them to ask them questions about their "journey". 

• Fundraisers

  We also hold quarterly fundraiser such as having our own merchandise (See merchandise page for more details)

  This allows us autonomy to use funds as we need for our other projects such as: brain awareness day, social events, other outreach opportunities, other fundraisers. 

• Socials!

  There is a number of socials that we plan throughout the school year such as Fall Welcome Dinner, Ugly Sweater Party and Paint Nights!