Celebrate Public Health

“What Causes Disease” Bingo 
Have you ever wondered why some people develop lung cancer if they smoke and others don’t? What about those who get lung cancer but have never smoked? Most diseases are multi-factorial, meaning that the disease is caused by more than one factor, such as genetics, lifestyle, and the environment. This interactive approach shows why some people develop a disease when they are exposed to risk factors while others don’t. 

 
Become a Disease Detective and Solve the Outbreak! 
Become an epidemiologist, or disease detective, and help keep the population safe by identifying causes of a disease outbreak. Work individually or as a team to learn and implement techniques epidemiologists use to prevent disease spread and keep more people from getting sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created this test case.  

Be Aware, Connect with Care: Cybersecurity Workshop 
Cybersecurity attacks can affect us personally and in the health care industry. Given the increasingly sophisticated and widespread nature of cyber attacks, we must prioritize cybersecurity. In this workshop with Phillip Zane, JD, assistant professor of Health Administration and Policy, learn how cybersecurity is connected to health care and how to protect yourself from virtual threats. 

 
Health and Well-Being of the Health Care Workforce Booth 
Visit this booth to take a well-being break and learn more about box breathing (relaxation technique) and Mason’s mental health and well-being resources for students, faculty, staff, and the health care force. Sponsored by the Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program, which delivers education and training activities to advance the overall safety, health, and well-being of a diverse population of public health practitioners and health care leaders practicing in rural and underserved communities as part of a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). 

MAP Clinic’s Opioid Response and Education 
Stop by to learn more about the College’s Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics, their partnerships with the community, and their leading effort to implement strategies that improve public health and fight the opioid epidemic. 

 
Germ Gel Demo & PPE Demo 
Find out how dirty your hands really are using germ gel, and check your hands under a black light to reveal what our eyes can’t see. Registered Nurses will also demonstrate the proper usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure to germs and illness. 

 
A Day in the Life of a Pediatric Nurse 
Visit the Nursing Simulation Lab to view a pediatric oxygen demonstration with “Baby Tory,” the pediatric simulation patient, and learn about a day in the life of a pediatric nurse. Our nursing students use the simulation lab to practice many clinical skills before heading to a live clinical setting. 

 
Jenga Trivia & ECHO Research  
Play Jenga Trivia to learn about childhood health with the ECHO research team. Mason is one of 70 cohorts participating in ECHO, Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes, a seven-year NIH initiative to assess how environmental exposures impact children. The ECHO team will also tour our Population Health Center—a nexus for interprofessional clinical care for underserved populations, research of consequence to improve the public’s health, and learning and development opportunities for practitioners and students.  

Can you Taste the Difference in These Eggcellent Fats? 
Come to the Mason Nutrition Teaching Kitchen to learn about healthy fats and the benefits of eggs. Led by our Master of Nutrition Dietetics students, you can sample a regular egg omelet and an omelet with added healthy fat—can you taste the difference? Also, see our state-of-the-art teaching space for 25 nutrition students to learn healthy ways to prepare nutritious meals. 

Pre-Diabetic Testing 
Find out if you are at risk of type 2 diabetes with a quick on-site blood test. Assistant Professor Raedeh Basiri and her students will evaluate your risk for becoming a diabetic patient and administer a blood sugar test to help determine your average blood sugar levels during the past three months and whether they might indicate pre-diabetes. Dr. Basiri is studying nutrition interventions to help people with pre-diabetes reduce the chance of becoming diabetic or experiencing heart disease. 

Using Virtual Reality to Manage Opioid Use 
In our Virtual Reality Simulation Lab, become a social worker through virtual reality and practice working with a person with opioid use disorder. What might you say? How would you react? Experience the same simulation our students use to practice skills they’ve learned in the classroom. 
 

Stronger Memory 
Improve your brain health with Social Work’s Stronger Memory program. The program stimulates the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which governs the ability to retrieve memories. Compete with one another and test out the Stronger Memory exercises. Mason researchers are currently studying the program for use with people with dementia.   
 

Mindfulness & Social Work  
Learn mindfulness skills and distress tolerance/emotion regulation skills from Master of Social Work (MSW) students. These exercises are used as part of the MSW students’ Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) training, which helps people understand and accept difficult feelings or emotions and teaches skills to manage them.
 

Improving Elder Care Through Storytelling 
Tap into your imagination and experience TimeSlips, a creative storytelling intervention for people with dementia. Timeslips uses sounds and images to connect with people with dementia, who are encouraged to contribute and interact, thus creating an environment that focuses on dignity and strengths rather than their memory deficits.  
 

Horticulture Therapy 
Create your own unique terrarium using mixed media for succulents. You’ll be able to take home and nurture the plants for your personal wellness as well. An abbreviated demonstration of horticulture therapy will be offered to showcase the innovative research that takes place within the Department of Social Work. 
 

Technology in Social Work Research 
See the crucial role technology plays in research. Faculty will demonstrate just some of the technology being used in current research and teaching, including Muse, the brain-sensing headband that helps with sleep and meditation; the Empatica E4 wristband that offers real-time physiological data; our virtual reality headset; and the 3D-printed EEG cap. 

College Research 
Explore recent research happening throughout all College departments and the School of Nursing. Read through academic research posters to learn about different research methods and outcomes that are improving health and well-being for all. Some students and faculty may be on hand to discuss their research.