Ethics, Engagement & Impact
Public Involvement: Beyond the Bench
Community-Anchored Education
Our public-engagement work centers on turning complicated brain science into memorable experiences for the youth and general community. Guided by stakeholder input about trust and community-anchored education, we built three complementary activities: an interactive storybook, a sing-along poem, and an intensive and comprehensive social media platform. All were designed to be visual and welcoming, so both the children and community could understand and take simple ideas home.
Children’s Book: My Busy Brain
We conducted a classroom visit centered on our original storybook, My Busy Brain. Each layout addressed a major concept, such as how the brain supports movement, emotions, and reasoning, and encouraged student engagement with eye-catching graphics and clear directions. Because each brain is different, the curriculum focused a lot of emphasis on basic, scientifically validated activities (laughing, eating, being curious, and playing creatively) that promote healthy learning, distilling certain fundamental brain principles to give children realistic introductions to a wide-ranging and complicated subject.
Singalong Poem: Busy, Busy Brain of Mine
To emphasize important ideas, we created a fast call-and-response poetry set to basic music. Gestures, rhythm, and repetition aided to focus attention and improve memory. The song's lyrics emphasize inclusivity, the idea that different brains function differently and should be respected, and it finishes with practical "brain-healthy" activities that children may do at home and school. The structure allows teachers and families to study the information with minimum preparation.
Conclusion: Engaging for Responsible Innovation
Our public involvement ensured genuine dialogue — not just outreach. From the interactive storybook floor to the policy room, we found strong support for synthetic approaches to neurological disease, alongside calls for transparency, safety, and ethical accountability.
Public Engagement: Social Media (@calUCSF)
Our Instagram account serves to both promote NeuroSplice to a wider audience and document the daily operations of a student-led research team. Posts are meant to be precise, stylistically consistent, and circulated by partners and classrooms. We place a high importance on timely updates for supporters, transparency about our work, and clarity for non-specialists.
Informational Explainers
Carousel posts such as “Did You Know?” and “What is iGEM?” translate key facts, such as the prevalence of neurological conditions, the goals of the iGEM competition, and why early, affordable diagnostics matter, into concise, shareable graphics. Project explainers like “NeuroSplice Diagnostics: Detect. Decode. Deliver.” and “Reimagining MS Diagnosis” introduce our paper-based, cell-free assay in a simple manner.
Team Spotlights and Roles
Regular "team role" elements demonstrate how tasks are completed during the project. Organizing wiki assets, maintaining the visual system, and developing software prototypes are just a few of the tasks that the Wiki Team, Dry Lab Team, and Graphic Design Team are responsible for. Sponsors, mentors, and prospective participants can learn more about the project's capabilities and how contributions complement one another from these postings.
Recent Posts Gallery (9 Post Grid)