Brain Explorers

Brain Explorers Program
The Brain Explorers Program brings neuroscience lessons to K-12 classrooms providing exceptional learning experiences to students.

In the Brain Explorers Program at WMed, we strive to provide exciting, engaging, and assessable science engagement for underserved and underrepresented populations.

Traditionally, science outreach takes the form of publications, presentations, or events during which scientists describe their work to other scientists. While communication among scientists is valuable, reaching individuals in society across all racial/ethnic, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds is arguably more important.

The Brain Explorers Program was developed to provide exciting, engaging, and assessable neuroscience experiences for underserved and underrepresented populations, through collaboration with area K-12 schools. We bring neuroscience lessons to K-12 classrooms providing exceptional learning experiences to students. While we hope to encourage students to pursue science and healthcare careers, our primary goal is to improve attitudes toward science across ALL students. Students may participate in a wide variety of activities including brain dissections, control of a robotic arm with their brain, reaction time testing, and reflex responses. We are incredibly excited to increase access to unique science experiences for your student while improving access for underrepresented groups and improving attitudes toward science.

Who We Are

Dr. Peter Vollbrecht and Kirsten Porter-Stransky
Peter Vollbrecht, PhD, and Kirsten Porter-Stransky, PhD

Dr. Vollbrecht received his PhD in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University and spent time at the University of Michigan Medical School and Hope College before joining the WMed faculty where he teaches Neuroscience and Neuroanatomy.

Dr. Porter-Stransky received her PhD in Biopsychology from the University of Michigan and spent time at the Medical University of South Carolina, Emory University School of Medicine, and Oglethorpe University before joining the WMed faculty where she teaches Behavioral Medicine.