Stimulating and forward looking--when the news came out about Obama's desire to better understand the brain, this course prepared the listeners in the best ways possible to the challenges and better knowledge ahead to deal with neurological and a myriad of other disorders. Thank you for providing us with access to some of the best minds in the country. They were all generous in their sharing of years of research.

This program was a mixed bag. Seven of the lecturers were great. The others not so great. Some of the "hands-on" activities seemed more suitable for middle-school students than for adults. The Primate Center coordinator (Diana Gordon) and the Road Scholar tour director (Linda Wanless) were efficient, intelligent, and nice. The bus left the hotel at 8:15 am each morning to be at the Primate Center by 9 am. Three days were spent til 4:30 pm at the Primate Center in Beaverton, the other day at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. I felt trapped at the Primate Center, since the only transportation back to the hotel mid-day was a $45 taxi ride. (One participant opted out of two days at the Primate Center; another participant opted out of one day at the Primate Center.) Wednesday was the worst, with five one-hour lectures at the Primate Center and one evening lecture at the hotel, with the only activity being a half block walk to the Primate Center cafeteria at lunch. There were no mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks and/or tea or coffee on any of the days. I was often hungry and exhausted by mid-afternoon. On Wednesday one lecturer told us about the need for us to be active during the day and a nutitionist told us about what we should eat. Our meals during the program often did not follow the nutritionist's recommendations. The hotel (Courtyard Marriott at Lloyd Center) was quite comfortable, but located across the river from downtown Portland. The hotel was surrounded by fast food restaurants and busy streets so there was no place that it was easy or interesting to walk. I wish the advance information had told me that I could get a refrigerator and a microwave in my room and that there were coin laundry facilities at the hotel.