At the public library in downtown Nashville, the Vanderbilt Brain Institute transformed the library’s space into a neuroscience playground as part of their annual Brain Blast on March 26. The event allowed kids, families, and the greater Nashville community to spend their day with neuroscientists and learn about the brain by building a neuron (with candy!) or touching a real brain. The annual get-together, open to students in grades K–8 and their families, aims to encourage young students’ interest in neuroscience and highlight cutting-edge neuroscience research taking place at the Vanderbilt Brain Institute.
“Brain Blast is not only a celebration of science but a reflection of the VBI’s core mission: connecting the excitement of discovery to the broader community,” said Lisa Monteggia, the Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute.
Underpinning the day was the celebration of a noteworthy milestone: the VBI’s quarter-century legacy of advancing brain research, education, and outreach since its founding in 1999. “This year was particularly special,” Monteggia said. “We celebrated 25 years of brain research, training, and outreach that have shaped lives locally and globally.”
Since its inception in 1999, the VBI has spearheaded interdisciplinary neuroscience research and education. Over the years, the VBI has grown into a vibrant, trans-institutional hub that spans the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, the College of Arts and Science, the School of Engineering, the Peabody College of education and human development, and other schools and departments throughout Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The VBI oversees, facilitates, and fosters excellence in brain-related disciplines, and is home to one of the top-ranked neuroscience graduate programs in the country, which attracts students from across the globe.
Monteggia is herself an internationally renowned neuroscientist known for her work on depression and neuroplasticity and has led the VBI since 2018. Under her guidance, the institute has sharpened its focus on translational neuroscience, drug discovery, and integrative data science approaches to the brain.
The VBI is also distinguished by its state-of-the-art research infrastructure, which supports high-impact discoveries across disciplines. From mapping how psychedelics alter neural pathways to exploring how neural data can inform AI algorithms, Vanderbilt researchers are pushing the frontiers of what’s possible in brain science through VBI and its cores.
But beyond the research, community engagement remains a central mission. Brain Blast is just one of many outreach initiatives designed to make neuroscience accessible and exciting to people of all ages.
“We are excited about the strong upward trajectory of neuroscience on campus and the continued engagement in the community that we are building,” Monteggia said.
The mark that the VBI has made on the Vanderbilt community and beyond could be seen throughout the Brain Blast event through interactive booths. These exhibits showcased everything from optical illusions and brain-controlled computer games to brain-machine interface demos, many staffed by Vanderbilt graduate students and postdocs eager to share their work with future scientists.
“Our ‘prep your microscope slide’ [booth] was a hit!” Baris Tosun said. “We sparked the curiosity of the next generation of brain scientists!” Tosun is a research fellow in the pharmacology lab of Richard Sando.
As the VBI looks toward its next 25 years, it will continue to advance neuroscience education, research, and training at Vanderbilt. With that spirit of community and innovation alive and well at Brain Blast 2025, it’s clear the VBI’s future is full of potential.