Heriot-Watt University

Our team participated in Brain Awareness Week for the first time, an international initiative to “encourage you to organize an activity in your community to advance public understanding about the brain and the promise of brain research”. Activities throughout the week included social media campaigns, with our Dubai campus (Twitter: @HWUDubai) showcasing contributions from staff and students, and The Ageing Lab (Twitter: @TheAgeingLab) sharing brain health tips related to their most recent research. A special event was hosted at the Edinburgh campus by Dr Michael Craig and colleagues in The Memory Lab, welcoming the Golden Years Group from Inch House Community Centre to learn more about memory research through discussions and demonstrations. The Ageing Lab also partnered with Age UK to launch a new brain health quiz based on the team’s UK-wide What Keeps You Sharp? survey. A blog post from Age UK (https://www.ageuk.org.uk/discover/2019/march/how-our-thinking-skills-change-with-age/) and social media posts on Facebook and Twitter accompanied the launch of the quiz (access the new quiz at: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/mind-body/staying-sharp/how-well-do-you-know-your-brain/). The week closed with an appearance by Dr Alan Gow at the Glasgow Comedy Festival with his show “What Keeps You Sharp?” (http://glasgowcomedyfestival.com/shows/2306).