Synaptic Hacks 2021
• interdisciplinary neuroscience hackathon •
July 30th - August 1st, 2021
HACKATHON INFORMATION
Synaptic Hacks is an interdisciplinary, 3-day neuroscience hackathon taking place virtually. It aims to engage student innovators in thinking critically about the role of neuroscience and related fields in society.
​
Participants will have the option to work solo or with teams of 2-4 students within their educational bracket: (1) middle or high school and (2) undergraduate or graduate level. Specifically, participants will build either technical or non-technical projects focused on real-world applications through the lens of service, social justice, and sustainability. "Prize tracks" (e.g. competition themes) will be revealed during the opening ceremony on July 30th. At the 2 pm ET deadline on August 1st, participants will submit their project proposals in response to the announced prize tracks. Then, a panel of judges composed of professionals/experts will review and provide feedback.
​
All participants will have the opportunity to engage with guest speakers from around the world in technology, medicine, social sciences, entrepreneurship, and more as well as experience a series of enriching professional development workshops.
​
At this time, we are only able to accept project submissions from individuals ages 13 to 25 years old during the hackathon. However, we welcome brain enthusiasts of all ages to join us for speaker events and workshops. There are no fees or costs associated with participating in Synaptic Hacks.
​
If you're interested in gaining experience with international collaboration, interdisciplinary design thinking, and the necessary skills to bring innovative ideas to life, this is the perfect opportunity for you!
SCHEDULE
Friday, July 30th
**Note: Times are in Eastern Time (ET)**
Saturday, July 31st
Sunday, August 1st
12:00 am
12:30 am
9:30 am
1:00 pm
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
4:00 pm
6:00 pm
7:00 pm
9:00 pm
Opening Ceremony
Team Formation Session
Brain Resource Creation
-- "Neuroscience Crash Course"
Dr. Rosemary C Bagot -- "How Stress Changes the Brain"
Dr. Simon Rego -- "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): The Gold Standard in Psychotherapy"
Dr. Sanjib Guha -- "Modeling Alzheimer's Disease in a Tiny Nematode Species (C. elegans)"
Dr. Laura Cabrera -- "The Importance of Integrating and Engaging Neuroethics in Neuroscience"
Ms. Galicia Gordon -- "EdTech Essentials"
Team Formation Session
SN Office Hours
1:30 am
3:00 am
5:30 am
6:00 am
7:30 pm
10:00 am
11:00 am
​12:00 pm
4:00 pm
6:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
Ms. Komal Kapoor -- "The Importance of Mental Health and Its Impact on Physical Wellbeing"
Onyeka Anthony -- "The impact of selenium and magnesium on nigrostriatal dopaminergic and cerebellar neurotoxicity following paraquat exposure in mice
Networking Social
Ms. Vrinda Nair -- "The Poetry of Neuroscience"
Mentorship Session with Ms. Vrinda Nair
Brain Resource Creation session
SN Office Hours
Slideshow Karaoke
AsylumConnect Panel (Ms. Christina Tong, Ms. Kelly Chan, Mx. Gaurav Lalsinghani) -- "Tech Careers"
Ms. Hannah Pescaru -- "More Than a Habit: The Science Behind BFRBs"
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath -- "Your Brain/Your Life: How the Brain Truly Works to Make Sense of Reality"
SN Office Hours
3:30 am
5:30 am
7:30 am
9:00 am
10:00 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
12:30 pm
2:00 pm
7:00 pm
8:00 pm
Dr. Steven Laureys -- "Meditation and the Brain"
Ms. Drushti Naik -- "Parkinson's Disease: Current and Future Prospects"
Ms. Stuti Chakraborty from Stimulus -- "Networking in Research: why is it important and why you should learn this as a student"
Ms. Lina Chihoub and Ms. Srihitha Dasari -- "Introduction to Neurotechnology: Reimagining the Way We Enhance, Treat, and Research the Brain"
Dr. Bhuvanesh Awasthi -- "Studying the Brain to Understand the Mind"
Networking Social (and Judges Meeting)
Ms. Shriya Naidu from Stimulus -- "Branching Out Through Public Engagement and Outreach"
SN Office Hours
PROJECT SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Brain Resource Creation session
Closing Ceremony
Meet Our Speakers
PRIZES
Stay tuned for more details coming soon!​​
-
Opportunity to present at our annual conference, Simply Neurocon, in 2022
-
Project feature shared across all social media platforms and newsletter (20,000+ people)
Note: All participants who submit a project by the deadline will receive a digital certificate of recognition after the competition.
FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
-
Who can register to participate in Synaptic Hacks?
-
Brain enthusiasts of all ages (above 13 years) may sign up to participate in Synaptic Hacks. However, we will only be able to accept project submissions from individuals ages 13 to 25 years as this event is primarily geared towards middle school, high school, undergraduate, and early graduate students.
-
-
Will we be working individually or in teams? Can I work together with my friends?​
-
You will have the option to work on a project individually or in teams of up to four people. Participants will be able to form their own teams and work together with friends (though we also encourage forming teams with students who have not worked together previously in order to foster new collaboration avenues). Additionally, the organizing team will be hosting virtual socials for participants to connect with and find potential project teammates!
-
-
How can I receive updates about the competition and stay in the loop?​
-
Register for Synaptic Hacks on the form above and follow @simplyneuroscience on Instagram. After you register, we will also send you an invite to our Slack platform, where you can find teammates and receive updates as the competition draws near!
-
- I have no prior experience in the fields of neuroscience/psychology and/or have never attended an event of this sort before. Will I receive resources or support throughout the competition?
- Yes! The point of this competition is to cater to students at all levels in their academic and scientific journeys. We aim to introduce students who have not had the opportunity to engage​ in the fields of neuroscience/psychology before to this field while also giving students with existing experience a chance to expand upon their skills and knowledge across disciplines in STEM/the humanities. At the start of the competition, you will be provided with everything you need to know about the competition and links to resources to help you get started! We will also have various workshops to help you learn more and our organizers will be hosting office hours and checking your Slack messages to answer any questions you may have throughout the event.
-
Where is the competition being hosted?
-
Online/virtually via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.​
-
-
Is there a registration fee?
-
Nope! This event is completely free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and efforts of our organizing team.
-
-
I’m interested in attending the event but cannot participate due to a schedule conflict or time zone difference. Will there be a recording available?
-
We will be recording as many speaker sessions (with permission) as possible and sharing them on our YouTube channel after the event: https://www.youtube.com/c/SimplyNeuroscience
-
Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on receiving the notification!
-
-
Is it okay if I’m not able to attend the entire event?
-
Absolutely! Your registration is not binding, and you’re not required to attend every single session (feel free to drop in and out of sessions as you please)
-
-
What types of sessions will be happening?
-
Research presentations from guest speakers, virtual networking sessions, interactive workshops, and more!
-
-
How can I support Synaptic Hacks?
-
We would greatly appreciate your support in re-sharing and amplifying hackathon posts on social media (tag us!) and spreading the word to friends, family, and teachers
-
If you would like to volunteer your time as a judge, speaker, or mentor -- please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/x5n6gTjbHu274jU48
-
If you are able to financially support us by covering logistical costs, please consider donating to our fiscally sponsored student-led organization (Simply Neuroscience). Please reach out to events@simplyneuroscience.org or donate directly at https://bank.hackclub.com/donations/start/simplyneuroscience
-
-
Whom should I contact if I have any other questions?​
-
Please reach out to events@simplyneuroscience.org​ and we'll be happy to provide more information!
-
Judges and Mentors
• Judges •
Ransirini de Silva
Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at The Open University of Sri Lanka
Drushti Naik
Coming soon!
Sasha Tunsiricharoengul
Undergraduate Student at Harvard University; COO of Simply Neuroscience
Prachi Kulkarni
MSc Student at SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
John Carlo Combista
MSc Graduate Student at Tel Aviv University
Jhillika Trisal
Undergraduate Student at Shoolini University
Effie J. Pereira, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Waterloo
Sanjib Guha, PhD
Staff Scientist at University of Rochester
Vrinda Nair
Doctoral Student at Concordia University
Chinmayi Balusu
Undergraduate Student at Columbia University; CEO of Simply Neuroscience
Komal Kapoor
Paramedic Professional at Christian Medical College, Vellore
Onyeka Anthony
College of Medicine at University of Lagos
John Oyem
Graduate Student at University of Port Harcourt; Assistant Lecturer at Novena University
Bechara Saab
CEO and Chief Scientist at Mobio Interactive
Sara Gordillo
PhD Candidate at University of Toronto/SickKids Hospital
Kartik Pradeepan
Neuroscience Doctoral Student at Western University
Tanya Sharma
Student at Panjab University
Srijamya Shandilya
Medical Student at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Christos Gkoumas
Psychology PhD Candidate at University of Cyprus
Nadeshka Ramirez
Director of NeuropsicologiaPR Education Platform
Tista Bhattacharya
Undergraduate Student at Ashoka University
Maksim Kuznetsov
Senior Python Developer at Akvelon
Maryam Dadabhoy
Undergraduate Research Student at University of Toronto; President of SYNAPSE
Christina Tong
Senior Product Manager at Peloton (formerly at Google)
.jpg)
Kelly Chan
Technical Project Manager at AsylumConnect
Deeksha Sharma
Postdoctoral Researcher at Cornell University
• Mentors •
Ransirini de Silva
Yujie Wang
Dinithi Bibulewela
Bhuvanesh Awasthi
Vrinda Nair
Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at The Open University of Sri Lanka
BCI Researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Founder and Chairperson at Me to We Sri Lanka
Director of Research and Training at Orange Neurosciences
Doctoral Student at Concordia University
Sanjib Guha, PhD
Onyeka Anthony
John Oyem
Ana Iorga
Srijamya Shandilya
Staff Scientist at University of Rochester
College of Medicine at University of Lagos
Graduate Student at University of Port Harcourt; Assistant Lecturer at Novena University
CEO and Chief Neuroscientist at Buyer Brain
Medical Student at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Christina Tong
Senior Product Manager at Peloton (formerly at Google)
.png)
