Neuroscience as a multi-disciplinary approach - March 2018
The incorporation of new disciplines into neuroscience, such as mathematics, physics, computer science, and others, represents a progressive departure from the traditional domains of neurobiology and medical neuroscience, which have dominated neuroscience research for centuries. Viewing neuroscience through a multidisciplinary lens is a relatively recent concept. The overwhelming majority of neuroscience research has traditionally been purely clinical, with only a few basic studies emerging in fields like genetics and physiology in the past 15 years.
At SNPs, we firmly believe in the significance of adopting a multidisciplinary approach in the study of neuroscience, particularly in regions that are historically underrepresented, such as Sudan and sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.
In March 2018, we organized our inaugural workshop, titled “Neuroscience as a Multidisciplinary Approach,” in collaboration with TReND in Africa and Osaka University. This workshop garnered participation from professors, doctors, and students across various specialties and backgrounds. We were honored to have notable figures like Professor Montasir from the Sudan Institute of Endemic Diseases, Professor Osheik from the Department of Medicine (Neurology) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, and Professor Ammar El Tahir from the Department of Physiology (Neurophysiology) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum.
Use of EPOC+/Emotiv devices to obtain EEG recordings of brain activity - November 2018
During this event, our SNPs team officially commenced our collaborative journey with Sapien Labs. We had the privilege of hosting representatives from Sapien Labs, namely Dr. Tara Thiagarajan, Dr. Dhanya Parameshwaran, and Olesia Topalo.
This workshop was held at the Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, on November 11th and 12th, 2019. With the overarching theme of establishing a strong foundation for professional networking, our esteemed presenters provided a concise introduction to the fundamentals of applied electrophysiology. They focused on training our team members in the use of portable EEG devices with wireless capabilities, taking a visionary approach that accounts for the constraints of limited specialized facilities, personnel, and funding on one hand, and the research opportunities that could emerge if these limitations are surmounted..
The workshop also emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in neuroscience, exploring diverse methods and opportunities to leverage technology in bridging existing gaps. Special thanks to our collaborators at Sapien Labs, who conducted a session on utilizing the Brainbase platform and various protocols for EEG recording, data analysis, and the collaborative prospects offered by the Brainbase platform.
The seeds sown during this workshop sparked rich discussions, subsequently leading to the initiation of two significant projects: the assessment of the mental health status of the Sudanese population using the MHQ, and the exploration of the effects of music on emotions and electroencephalogram-recorded brain activity.
