American Legion National Commander Visits Brain Sciences Center

    Legion National Commander Marty Conatser, of Illinois, visited the Brain Sciences Center during his tour of Minnesota in January, 2008.   Department of Minnesota Commander Jim Copher, and about a dozen Legion officials, accompanied Commander Conatser to listen to American Legion Brain Sciences Chair Apostolos Georgopoulos talk about his lastest research involving the MEG brain imaging instrument.  The BSC tour was part of Commander Conatser’s five-day stop in Minnesota that included visits to the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis, the Veterans home in Luverne and many Legion posts through-out the state.

A collaborative effort

    The endowed University of Minnesota Brain Sciences Chair was created out of the effort and generosity of the American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, and Sons of The American Legion, who raised over 1 million dollars in the late 1980's.  This gift was matched by the University of Minnesota and the Chair was dedicated in a 1991 ceremony at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.  Shortly thereafter, the Brain Sciences Center at the VAMC was established as the seat of the Chair.

     Under the direction of Dr. Apostolos P. Georgopoulos, researchers at the Brain Sciences Center are studying Alzheimer's Disease, schizophrenia, alcoholism, and areas of the brain involved with movement, timing and cognitive processes.

     In addition, national and international collaborations of Center staff, seminars by neuroscience experts from this country and abroad, the organization of international meetings, and the annual American Legion Brain Sciences Lecture, have made the Center an exciting place to work and advance brain research. 

Brain Sciences Scholarship Award

     The Brain Sciences Scholarship was created in 1997 to recognize the outstanding academic achievements of students, involved in brain research, at the University of Minnesota and Brain Sciences Center.  The award was created by the American Legion family’s Brain Science Foundation who presents it, each year, to aide in the educational pursuits of these exceptional scholars.