Public Outreach Activities.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Neuroscientists! At Young ANA, we believe that science doesn't stop at the university walls, it should be shared with society. Public outreach is essential not only for communicating scientific discoveries, but also for sparking curiosity, breaking down stereotypes about who scientists are, and inspiring young people to see themselves as future researchers.

Why Outreach matters.

Neuroscience can seem abstract and intimidating from the outside. Many people still imagine scientists as “old, crazy men like Einstein.” Our goal was to challenge that image and show that scientists are also young, diverse, and passionate people - including women in neuroscience. By engaging with students directly, we hoped to make research accessible, relatable, and exciting.

Our School Workshops in Vienna.

As part of this year’s ANA Meeting, the Young ANA team organized an outreach initiative across ten local high schools in Vienna. We designed interactive workshops that gave students a real taste of how neuroscientists work and think.

This program included:

• Hands-on exploration of the brain: Students observed real brain slices, examined a mouse brain, and compared models of brains from different animals.

• Understanding the scientific process: we explained how researchers come up with hypotheses, design experiments, and deal with the challenges of studying something as complex as the brain.

• Interactive discussions: students asked questions, shared ideas, and reflected on how the brain processes information.

This initiative is just the beginning. Young ANA is committed to continuing public outreach, building bridges between neuroscience and society, and inspiring the next generation of researchers and critical thinkers.