Consciousness Science Education
Educating the Next Generation
The Center for Consciousness Science (CCS) is passionate about educating the next generation and the public about consciousness.
For the past decade, CCS faculty have taught a Neuroscience Graduate Program course on the Cognitive Neuroscience of Consciousness, the first of its kind at the University of Michigan, and open to interested community members.
- We have sponsored institutional symposia open to the public on topics such as sleep, pain, altered states, and psychedelic neuroscience
- We also host the Edward F. Domino lecture in Consciousness Science on an annual basis
- We have co-led or sponsored major international conferences on the science of consciousness
CCS faculty members are active in numerous basic science departments and graduate programs, serving as dedicated mentors to graduate students interested in the field of consciousness science.
Annual Symposium
Covert Consciousness in Humans, Animals and Machines
Different views from the disciplines of clinical and experimental neuroscience, neurobiology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence are featured, followed by open discussion.
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE
Near-death experience (NDE) has captivated humanity throughout history. As mortal beings, we are bound to confront the end of life eventually, and the way we or our loved ones pass away holds great significance for many.
Past Symposiums & Lectures
2025 - Covert Consciousness in Humans, Animals, and Machines (October 14, 2025)
- David Fischer (University of Pennsylvania)
- Matthias Michel (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- Matthew Owen (Yakima Valley College)
- Robert Long (Eleos AI)
- Joscha Bach (California Institute for Machine Consciousness)
- Lenore Blum (Carnegie Mellon University)
- Kentaro Toyama (University of Michigan)
2024 - 10 Year Celebration (June 12, 2024)
- Biyu He (New York University)
- Dinesh Pal (University of Michigan)
- UnCheol Lee (University of Michigan)
- Zirui Huang (University of Michigan)
- Stephanie Blain-Moraes (McGill University)
2023 - Near Death Experience (October 5, 2023)
- Charlotte Martial (Coma Science Group)
- Jimo Borjigin (University of Michigan)
- Basil Eldadah (National Institute on Aging)
2025 - Boris Heifets
2024 - Max Kelz
2023 - Beverley A. Orser
2019 - Michael Avidan
2018 - Emery Brown
2017 - Irene Tracey
2016 - John Krystal
Grant Support
Our graduate students have enjoyed grant support from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. They have published their work on consciousness in highly respected scientific journals and have lectured on consciousness nationally and internationally.
