The Open Science Neuro Hackathon and Workshop is dedicated to building training, research, and software tools for neuroscientists and researchers across the African diaspora and continent.
# Open (Data) Science Neuro Hackathon
The two week program bridges interdisciplinary topics such as neuroscience, data science, ethics, and open access frameworks. Attendees will receive hands-on instruction and problem-solving experience by developing novel hackathon solutions. The course is Python-intensive and lectures will introduce neuroimaging data preparation, processing, and modeling. Attendees may present their solutions to their peers in a knowledge sharing environment.
# Short Course
**Location:**
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)
**Dates:**
Feb 10 - 21, 2025
## **Facilitators**
**Victoria McCray**
*Health Data Scientist | Director, Black In Neuro | MS Candidate in Bioinformatics, Northeastern University*
**Najja Marshall, PhD**
*Research Scientist, Meta Reality Labs*
**Eberechi Wogu, PhD**
*Director, African Brain Data Network | Neuroanatomy Lecturer, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria*
**Elizabeth Bandason, PhD**
*Head of Horticulture Department, LUANAR*
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## **Teaching Assistant**
**Dennis Makwakwa**
*Sr. Full Stack Engineer, LUANAR | MS Candidate in Artificial Intelligence, International University of Applied Sciences*
## Daily Agenda
### Day 1: Introduction to Python for Data Analysis
**Presenter: Victoria McCray**
- Learning data types, syntax, and structures for programming in Python
- Principles for data visualization, data pipelines, and handling large datasets efficiently
- Introduction to exploratory analysis and statistical analysis techniques using Python
- Exposure to standard libraries for data processing like NumPy, Matplotlib, and Pandas
### Day 2: Introduction to Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
**Presenter: Victoria McCray**
- Metaphors for the brain and historical understanding of the nervous system
- Modern neuroimaging techniques including fMRI and EEG
- Structural and functional imaging types and data acquisition
- Exposure to open-source libraries for neuroimaging, electrophysiology, …