The announcement was made at an awards ceremony at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History on 28 June hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor Louise Richardson.
Oxford Neuroscience and Oxford University Museum of Natural History have won a Building Capacity Award for Brain Diaries, an exhibition accompanied by a public event programme and online digital resources including an animation by Oxford Sparks.
We all look forward to the opportunity to engage with the public through the museums. It is particularly useful for younger researchers to have to develop ways of conveying complex information and I know they always find it very rewarding.
- Christopher Kennard, Head of Medical Sciences Division and Emeritus Professor of Clinical Neurology
Brain Diaries enabled researchers at all career levels to leverage the museum's experience and skills in public engagement, while accessing the museum's publics to engage in the research. Launched in March 2017, the programme and exhibition has reached an audience of more than 45,000 people from Oxfordshire and beyond in its first two months of opening. More than 150 research scientists from four University departments and over 20 support staff have contributed to Brain Diaries.
The exhibition presents current understanding of the healthy brain from pre-birth to old age, while the public programme explores translational and clinical neuroscience research. The exhibition also promotes active public participation in research, enabling visitors to take part in research studies and contribute new ideas for brain investigations.