{"id":21722,"date":"2022-03-10T20:41:52","date_gmt":"2022-03-10T20:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=21722"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:21:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:21:00","slug":"hacking-your-brain-for-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2022\/03\/10\/hacking-your-brain-for-life","title":{"rendered":"Hacking your brain for life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Headshot
Dr. Pierre Mourad, professor in the School of STEM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Pierre Mourad, professor in the School of STEM\u2019s Division of Engineering & Mathematics, uses his Hacking Your Brain 101 course to help empower students with the ability to shape their experiences of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the University of Washington Bothell\u2019s Discovery Core<\/a>, the class is designed to support first-year and pre-major students<\/a> in forming connections with communities of peers and scholars. DCX courses also provide fundamental skills needed to succeed in college, satisfy prerequisite requirements and expose students to a wide range of topic areas as they consider their academic path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re learning how to work in groups. They\u2019re learning how to make presentations. They\u2019re learning how to read scientific papers,\u201d said Mourad, who is also a professor in the University of Washington\u2019s Department of Neurological Surgery. \u201cIt\u2019s a curated education, and they seem to appreciate that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this particular DCX class, which explores the field of neuro-engineering, is designed to do even more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning for life <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Focused at the intersection of Mourad\u2019s areas of specialty, Hacking Your Brain 101 looks at neuro-engineering, a discipline within biomedical engineering that uses engineering techniques to understand the brain, but the curriculum also introduces students to other potential areas of study such as neurobiology, engineering, pharmacology and psychology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy goals are to not only expose students to different career paths and different choices of major at UW Bothell but to also engage them with enough information so they can make informed decisions about how they live in the world,\u201d said Mourad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do this, he teaches students about four ways to improve brain function \u2014 through aesthetics, medicines, lifestyle and devices \u2014 while also discussing the ethical questions that come with altering the brain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople might want to optimize how their brain works beyond what nature gave them,\u201d said Mourad, \u201cor improve brain function due to diseases and injury.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the brain <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To start his students\u2019 exploration of brain function, Mourad interweaves material on neuroanatomy with aesthetics \u2014 a delicious cookie or a sunset, for instance \u2014 to show how these inputs are processed by the brain and hence affect brain function. From there, he explains how students might be able to use their favorite song to their advantage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf music puts you in a good mood and you want to be in a good mood, listen to the music and you\u2019ll be in a good mood,\u201d said Mourad. \u201cYou\u2019ve now hacked your brain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The class also explores how students can use lifestyle, including diet and exercise, to positively affect how their brain functions, even how they learn. Mourad calls this section \u201cneuro-lifestyle.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor example, if you\u2019re going to take notes in class, do so writing rather than typing. Why? Because if you\u2019re typing, you can go into automatic mode and not learn anything as you type. You just have a paper filled with words,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen writing, you can\u2019t keep up, which means you start using working memory and storing things into long-term memory right away because you have to assimilate.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking differently <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to these more external ways of affecting the brain, students in the class delve into how internal inputs, using medications or substances such as alcohol, can make an impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome people take migraine medicine. Some people take Adderall for ADHD. Some people trip on ecstasy. Some people smoke pot,\u201d Mourad said. \u201cWe study the neurobiology of these substances and their effects. Where in the brain down to the level of individual neurons do these drugs work? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudents learn about the history of the drug, about where in the brain it works, about what it does at that portion of the brain, and about the pros and cons of a given medication.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toward the end of the quarter, the class learns about neuro-devices: electromagnetic energy, ultrasound and medical implants in the brain, which Mourad considers \u201cclassical neuro-engineering.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questioning the ethics <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By covering all these areas of neuro-exploration, Mourad hopes to give students a well-rounded, interdisciplinary look at the discipline while also thinking critically about the ethics of these methods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are multiple things to consider. One is, what if there are ways of enhancing your brain function \u2014 makes you smarter, remember more \u2014 and it\u2019s not equitably distributed or available to all? Is that good? What are the pros and cons of that? That\u2019s one example,\u201d Mourad said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd then there\u2019s the use of devices. When you do research, you really need to make sure that people are informed of the pros and cons.,\u201d he said. \u201cFor example, for some studies researchers implant something in your brain. Does the study include payment for taking it out? What if you like it, and you don\u2019t want it taken out? But then, who\u2019s going to keep track of it? Who\u2019s going to take care of you if something goes bad in 10 years? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are the kinds of ethical questions that arise.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engaging and changing <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the second time Mourad has taught Hacking Your Brain 101, and it has gone more smoothly than the first time around in spring 2020 when the class was interrupted and disrupted by the pandemic. This quarter, Mourad reported that the students are both engaged and inspired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maryam Maabreh, for one, said that she\u2019s now motivated both to clean up her lifestyle and potentially to study computer engineering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first few weeks covered addictions. It feels unsettling to talk about partaking in ill-advised activities while knowing they\u2019re not good for you. This motivated me to fix up my sleep schedule and work on a few small bad habits,\u201d she said. \u201cThrough this course, I\u2019ve gained a greater incentive to pursue Computer Science & Software Engineering and learn more programming languages.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sean Murnane, who still intends to major in Business Finance, said he is now more interested in learning more about neurology. \u201cI decided to take this course because it provided a perfect way to dip my toes into neurological topics,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile I likely will not follow this path for my education, this course has piqued my interest in the neurological field.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s also found himself much more aware of how his own brain functions, and how he can use that knowledge to his advantage while in school \u2014 exactly the effect Mourad hopes this class can have well into the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making informed choices <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis course gives students the opportunity to examine their life choices and how they can experience life more broadly,\u201d said Mourad. \u201cI\u2019m excited to offer a class that has a chance to do that and, given the opportunity, I intend to continue to teach it and to refine it so that it\u2019s both informative and useful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spring quarter 2023, for example, he is planning to offer an expanded edition of the class that incorporates issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion, to be co-taught with Dr. Salwa Al-Noori, associate teaching professor in the School of STEM. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese cross-disciplinary core courses are really important,\u201d Mourad said, \u201cand a special part of how UW Bothell teaches its students.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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