The brain is an amazing thing. It’s constantly working, telling the heart to pump, legs and arms to move, developing speech and personality traits plus a million more things that keep the body functioning. As a Ph.D. candidate in neuroscience at Utah State University, Emmett Speed takes a human brain to schools and other events to show the kids its fascinating functions.

Speed recently gave presentations at the Davis School District Northern Utah STEM Expo with the human brain of Joy, who donated her body to science at the University of Utah.

“The governor under community culture and engagement had the goal for parents, teachers and students to have access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) resources,” Speed said. 

Speed is a Program Support Specialist with Amercorps Math Mentors Program but the presentations are not put on by the group. “The Amercorps program is one of many programs that helps kids who are struggling with math,” Speed said. “Members deploy to schools to work one-on-one with students using personalized software.”

As part of the Ph.D. program, Speed has taken the brain in a jar to psychology classes and given guest lectures and takes every opportunity for outreach. “Students are not usually grossed out by the brain,” said Speed. “The majority of folks are really into it. There have been some who need to step out. I’m told others have thrown up immediately after but most stick around to ask more questions. They’re curious even if their stomach can’t handle being in the room.”

Speed has had Joy’s brain in a jar for the last six years. “I anticipate keeping her for another year or two. “I couldn’t even dissect frogs in high school,” Steed said. “As preparation for my neuroscience lectures I hold it in my hands and show students how the eyes and spinal cord connect and the full central nervous system.”

Speed was diagnosed with clinical depression at age 12. “I wanted to know why my brain was doing that to me and how I could fix it. I give my presentations about some of my own brain history and how autism and depression look in the brain.”

Depression as a teen affects academic performance, said Speed. “I had a lot of people help me to succeed when I didn’t think I could so I want to pay it forward. If people can understand their own brain they can harness the power for good.”

Kids wonder why they have a weird hunk of meat in their skulls that needs to be taken care of, Speed said. “It inspires wonder in everybody.”

Response to the presentation has been extremely positive, Speed said. “Kids come up to me in the grocery store and say ‘you’re the one with the brain.’ It has inspired some students to go into neuroscience as a career. If I can’t answer a question I give them my card and tell them I’ll look it up so that I can answer them better. If there’s a brain question I have a brain answer. I want to be your brain person.”

Speed is passionate about the brain and talks openly about it. “I want to show how it connects people to neuroscience and spur interest where there might not have been. I want students to know about it in a more concrete way. It feels different once you’ve seen one and know how it connects and how it works.”   λ