Spring 2026 Topics

Spring 2026 Topics

This class focuses on how daily lifestyle choices support a healthier mind and body. Research shows that strong brain health is influenced by several key factors that affect how we think, feel, learn, and age.

For Spring 2026, our lessons are organized around four core brain categories: 

Course Categories

• CBP = Core Brain Function & Perception

• ESB = Emotional & Social Brain Development

• CPL = Cognitive Performance, Learning & Motivation

• BAR = Brain Health, Aging & Resilience

Weekly Course Schedule (18 Weeks)

Week 1 – 1/22
Orientation: Course overview, expectations, and foundations of brain health. (Team) (CBP)

Week 2 – 1/26
Color, Light & the Brain: How color and light influence mood, attention, memory, and overall cognitive function. (Minoo) (CBP)

Week 3 – 2/5
Perception vs. Reality: How the brain constructs reality, why people interpret the same experience differently, and how attention and memory shape everyday decisions. (Erika) (CBP)

Week 4 – 2/9
Pain and the Brain: How the brain constructs pain, including phantom and referred pain, and how emotion, memory, and culture influence perception, with drug-free tools such as mindfulness and pain-gating techniques. (Charisse) (CBP)

Week 5 – 2/16
The Neuroscience of Laughter: How humor strengthens the brain, supports resilience, and enhances cognitive health. (Sharon) (CBP)

Week 6 – 2/23
Emotional Intelligence & the Brain: Training emotional regulation, empathy, and self-awareness for cognitive and social benefits. (Minoo) (ESB)

Week 7 – 3/2
Family Relationships & Birth Order: How early family roles shape emotional patterns, stress responses, and resilience across the lifespan. (Sharon) (ESB)

Week 8 – 3/9
Religion & the Brain: How spirituality, ritual, and belief influence brain activity, meaning-making, moral decision-making, and social belonging (non-denominational). (Erika) (ESB)

Week 9 – 3/16
Dyslexia & the Aging Brain: Neurological differences associated with dyslexia, highlighting both challenges and strengths across aging. (Sharon) (CPL)

Week 10 – 3/23
The Organized Brain: Understanding procrastination, motivation, and perfectionism, with brain-based strategies to improve daily functioning. (Minoo) (CPL)

Spring Break: March 30-April 3 (No Class) 

Week 11 –4/6
OCD & ADHD: How frontal-lobe function, dopamine, and anxiety circuits affect focus and motivation, with tools to manage overwhelm and build momentum. (Erika) (CPL)

Week 12 – 4/13
Chrono-Nutrition & Cognitive Health: How meal timing and circadian rhythms influence cognition, mood, and energy. (Minoo) (BAR)

Week 13 – 4/20
Sleep Interrupted: Insomnia, sleep medications, and their effects on memory, toxin clearance, and long-term brain health. (Charisse) (BAR)

Week 14 – 4/27
Environmental Toxins & Brain Health: How pollutants and chemicals affect cognitive aging and strategies to reduce exposure. (Minoo) (BAR)

Week 15 – 5/4
Inflammation & Aging: Understanding microglia and astrocytes, chronic inflammation, and impacts on memory and resilience. (Charisse) (BAR)

Week 16 – 5/11
Cancer & Brain Health: How cancer and cancer treatments affect cognition, fatigue, and brain resilience, with strategies to support recovery. (Erika) (BAR)

Week 17 – 5/18
Addiction & Recovery: Neuroplasticity, substance effects on reward circuitry, and the brain’s capacity for healing. (Charisse) (BAR)

Week 18 – 5/26
Course Review & Summary: Reflection, integration, and practical takeaways from the semester. (Team) (BAR)