Grab a cold one, pull up a chair and learn about brain health research in a relaxed format ā thatās the idea behind Brains on Tap, a series of discussions hosted by 911³Ō¹Ļās Brain Health Research Institute and other partners.
The talks are an effort to take brain health research to the public and explain it in an accessible manner so that anyone can understand, said Michael Lehman, director of the Brain Health Research Institute (BHRI).
The first Brains on Tap will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at ., 310 Park Ave., Kent.
Brains on Tap was a discussion series originated by the . When talk turned to bringing the in-person series back, post-pandemic, it was decided that the BHRI would take the lead on planning and hosting the events, Lehman said, as part of the instituteās commitment to community outreach.
This monthās topic will be āParkinsonās Disease and Exercise: Biking to Retrain the Brain,ā presented by Angela Ridgel, Ph.D., associate director of 911³Ō¹Ļās Brain Health Research Institute and professor of exercise science and physiology, and , M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine and a staff neurologist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
Since 2006, Ridgel has been researching the impact of tandem cycling on Parkinsonās patients and has received a patent for a therapeutic cycle she developed to help ease the symptoms of Parkinsonās disease, known as the Speed Manipulated Adaptive Rehabilitation Therapy (SMART) Cycle. Read more about Ridgelās research.
Shaikh and Ridgel are currently partners in a four-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Veteranās Affairs, to create a third version of the SMART Cycle.
For their presentation, Shaikh will talk about Parkinsonās from a clinicianās perspective and Ridgel will discuss the impact of exercise on Parkinsonās.
Ridgel said the discussions are āvery layperson friendly,ā and are set up in a similar format to TED Talks.
Brains on Tap is presented in partnership with the BHRI, the , and . The talks are expected to take place quarterly.
Jeff St. Clair, WKSU radio host and reporter, will serve as emcee for Wednesday's event. The discussions are expected to be broadcast later as part of the Sound of Ideas, Ideastream Public Media's weekday morning news and information program focusing on Northeast Ohio.