EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, April 20, 2018
2018 Neuro Film Festival Grand Prize Winners Announced
Entries Highlight the Profound Personal Impact of Neurology
MINNEAPOLIS -
MINNEAPOLIS – The , presented by the ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú, announced today the Grand Prize winners of its 9th annual online video contest. The festival encourages those affected by brain disease to share their story, raise awareness for the need to support neurologic research, and inspire more people to pursue careers in neuroscience. The Neuro Film Festival includes four submission categories to which people can submit their stories. The categories encourage children (Neuroscience Is…™ Cool), students and residents of neurology (Neuroscience Is…™ Rewarding), patients and caregivers (Neuroscience Is…™ Essential) and advocates for brain disease research (Neuroscience Is…™ Critical) to share why neuroscience is important or interesting to them. The festival received nearly 90 submissions across the four categories. Four Grand Prize winners, one from each category, were selected by a jury of physicians. Each winner received a cash prize of $1,000. Neuroscience Is…™ Cool (Only open to kids ages 13-17) Anjali Sadarangani for There is energy all around us, but the brain is what makes it all perceivable. This video explores the brain’s role in processing the sights and sounds that we experience every day. Neuroscience Is…™ Rewarding Alison Caldwell for Alison wanted to be an astronaut ever since she was a little kid. But in college she discovered neuroscience. She was amazed to learn there are more synaptic connections in the brain than there are stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Today she is pursuing her PhD in neuroscience. Neuroscience Is…™ Critical Dr. Carlos Muniz for A group of doctors traveled to a small town in the Dominican Republic to visit residents affected by pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), a rare neurologic condition that causes involuntary movements. Neuroscience Is…™ Essential Trish Flanagan for Morgan was born with an HNRNPH2 mutation. The condition inhibits her normal development, but it cannot limit the spirit of love and happiness that surrounds her everywhere she goes. All of the 2018 entries can be seen on the . The entries cover a wide range of neurologic disorders, such as Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke and epilepsy. Learn more about neurologic disorders at , the ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú’s patient and caregiver website and the online home of Brain & Life, a free magazine that focuses on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health.