Brain Awareness Week

2026 theme: the Nano Brain
Dr Anderson Mora Cortes introducing an event for Brain Awareness Week

Brain Awareness Week connects scientists, students, and communities around the world to celebrate the brain and the science that helps us understand it.

Erasmus University College proudly presents the fourth edition of Brain Awareness Week in collaboration with TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Erasmus MC.

The Nano Brain

This year's theme is "The Nano Brain: Exploring Neuroscience at the Nanoscale". It invites us to explore how nanoscience and neuroscience come together to revolutionise our understanding of the brain: from the smallest scales of neural communication to future treatments for brain disorders.

Anderson Mora Cortes presents in a lecture hall during Brain Awareness Week 2024
Arie Kers

What to expect

Throughout the week, you can experience how curiosity, creativity and collaboration drive science – and how everyone can take part in the discoveries that shape our understanding of the mind.

  • Workshops & interactive exhibits for primary and secondary school students
  • Public lectures and demonstrations on neuroscience and brain research
  • Citizen science projects connecting researchers with local communities
  • Student-led presentations exploring how nanoscale technologies shape the future of brain health and society

Sign up for Brain Awareness Week events

About this year's theme

“Nano” means “one-billionth”: the scale where molecules, ions, and synapses shape every throught, emotion, and memory. 

Neuroscience studies the brain at this incredibly tiny level, revealing precisely how neurological diseases begin, how mental health is shaped, and how new, highly targeted treatments might one day be available for anyone who needs them.

Rotterdam and Delft bring together world-class neuroscience, technology, and education partners, hosting workshops, lectures, museum activities, and public events throughout Brain Awareness Week.

This region is a European hotspot for both neuroscience and technology. Institutions including Erasmus University College, TU Delft, and Het Natuurhistorisch Museum are collaborating to bring this complex science to the public through engaging lectures, hands-on workshops, and interactive events.

De Brain Awareness Week demonstreert dat het mogelijk is om de kloof tussen onderzoekers, docenten, studenten en de stad waarin ze werken te overbruggen.

Partners

logo for Erasmus University College erasmus university rotterdam logo erasmus school of social and behavioural sciences logo dana foundation brain awareness week logo erasmus medical center rotterdam logo het natuurhistorisch museum rotterdam logo TU delft logo nwo logo

Team and contact details

Dr. Anderson Mora Cortes

Senior Lecturer and organiser Brain Awareness Week

Team members: Taia Fry, Veronika Geritlieva, Judith Gramunt Prillo, Elise Deutz, Eva Schaeffers Felxi, Felicia Buonocore, Evangelia Konstanti, Isabelle Stelmach, Juliette van Leeuwen, Lena Stawecka, Mya Thet Hmue Eain (Lorra), Pablo Ribbens, Sara Al-Jayusi, Trichelle Rorimpandey, Sophie Staunton, Safae Riani, Martina Feenstra, and Réka Kaszás

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