Home Industries Business Services Heimer-McGinn is making waves through neuroscience

Heimer-McGinn is making waves through neuroscience

By

Hugh Minor

-

05/24/2024

FAMILY MATTERS: Victoria Heimer-McGinn, co-founder and president of Brain Waves Rhode Island and a psychology professor at Roger Williams University, needed to better understand schizophrenia after her uncle was diagnosed with the mental health disorder.  PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

2024 Business Women Awards WOMAN TO WATCH | NONPROFITS: Victoria Heimer-McGinn Brain Waves Rhode Island president; Roger Williams University professor AS THE CO-FOUNDER and president of Brain Waves Rhode Island, Victoria Heimer-McGinn is committed to bringing neuroscience to the masses for reasons both personal and academic. An assistant professor of psychology at Roger Williams University,

Already a Subscriber? Log in

To Continue Reading This Article

Become a Providence Business News subscriber and get immediate access to all of our premier content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Critical RI business news and analysis updated daily.
1 year of print (26 issues).
Unlimited access to all subscriber only content on our website, on any device.
Free email alerts.
Annual Book of Lists Print Edition.
All special issues produced during subscription term.

Click Here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article

PBN Branded Content

Investing Wisely: Enhancing Efficiency & Value Through Sustainable Operations

Amgen is using its innovative capabilities to combat climate change and preserve natural resources through…

Learn More

No posts to display

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

2024 Business Women Awards WOMAN TO WATCH | NONPROFITS: Victoria Heimer-McGinn Brain Waves Rhode Island president; Roger Williams University professor

AS THE CO-FOUNDER and president of Brain Waves Rhode Island, Victoria Heimer-McGinn is committed to bringing neuroscience to the masses for reasons both personal and academic. An assistant professor of psychology at Roger Williams University, Heimer-McGinn tells the story of her uncle, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Heimer-McGinn and her family, she says, needed to understand this illness better to support her uncle. But she also wanted to inform the public about it. “Everyone experiences mental illness in their family at some point,” Heimer-McGinn said. “There are so many stereotypes about mental illness and my work is to deconstruct them.” She jokingly referred to the concept of the “evil genius scientist” that children are exposed to regularly in movies and books and on television. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Heimer-McGinn closely monitored the latest medical news, following the same sources as Dr. Anthony Fauci, yet there were times when people still didn’t trust the information she shared. “We too frequently portray scientists as weird people, which then makes it hard for us to trust them when they communicate important information,” she said. Through Brain Waves Rhode Island, Heimer-McGinn demystifies the science, and makes it accessible and fun for everyone. What began as Brain Week Rhode Island in 2016, the organization now thrives on revealing the wonders of neuroscience to children and adults. “Our goal is to make science come alive. Often, we start by telling a story, then we sneak in the science,” Heimer-McGinn said. “That’s when we see the spark.” That spark, she says, is the love of science that she has fostered her whole life. The daughter of a science writer and literature professor, Heimer-McGinn was destined for this role. Through “Brainy Visits” to schools and other learning centers, as well as the organization’s signature annual “Brainy Fairs” in March, Brain Waves Rhode Island has laid the groundwork to advocate for more neuroscience education and brain research. “Now that we’ve been doing it for a while, we’re ready to expand our grassroots nonprofit business and make our organization even stronger,” Heimer-McGinn said.