Mike Burman interviewed for article in ‘The Courier’ on brain injury

Michael Burman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology and in the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, was interviewed by the Courier for a February 19, 2015 article on the upcoming Love Your Brain gala, a fundraising event for the Michael T. Goulet Traumatic Brain injury and Epilepsy Foundation, which will be held on February 28 at The Landing in Scarborough.

The foundation, formed after the death of 21-year-old Saco Resident Michael Goulet who suffered a brain injury and subsequent fatal seizure, aims to raise awareness and improve treatment for seizure and brain disorders.

In the article, Burman, a director of the foundation, discussed UNE’s efforts to educate local school children through the Center for Excellence in the Neuroscience’s K-12 outreach program focused on brain safety and injury prevention—efforts that are, in part, made possible from a yearly grant from the foundation. According to Burman, Â鶹´«Ã½made 35 visits to schools last year, educating 2,500 students.

"One of the things to understand," said Burman, "is that last year there were 1.5 to 3 million traumatic brain injuries in the United States, and a large chunk of those are preventable."

Brain Awareness Week, sponsored by the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, begins March 2.