Suffolk Reporter

A group of doctoral students from the Program in Neuroscience has made a notable achievement by placing in the Brain Awareness video contest organized by BrainFacts.org and the Society for Neuroscience. The students, Allison George, Gina Rizzo, and Diana Guarino, were inspired to participate after learning about the contest through Lindsey Czarnecki, the outreach organizer for the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior.

The challenge was to create an engaging video that could educate and inspire its audience. The team chose to explore circadian rhythms using claymation as their medium. "It was ambitious," they acknowledged, but believed it had "the potential to captivate a wide audience if executed successfully."

Circadian rhythms are the brain's internal clock that regulates sleep and wake cycles. The students aimed to make this complex topic relatable by connecting it to everyday experiences such as sleep struggles and light exposure. Their goal was to reach a broad audience and demonstrate that science can be both informative and entertaining.

Creating the claymation video presented several challenges. With only three weeks before the deadline, they dedicated themselves to crafting clay models, scripting, and animating each frame. Despite being new to claymation, they found the process rewarding yet demanding. "Every second of footage required so much effort," they noted.

Explaining circadian rhythms concisely within a three-minute timeframe required precision. The team balanced informativeness with engagement, producing a video accessible to viewers without scientific backgrounds.

Their efforts were recognized not only by placing in the contest but also for inspiring others interested in science careers. They emphasized that being a scientist involves creativity and innovative communication methods.

Alfredo Fontanini, Chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, praised their work: “This is a phenomenal example of how a group of very (multi)talented trainees can reach out to wide audiences and communicate complex concepts in a fun and accessible way.”

Ultimately, their project went beyond competition success; it served as a testament to how science can connect people through imagination and knowledge.

For those interested in understanding how light affects our brain's clock, their claymation video offers an engaging introduction to neuroscience.