The Brain Architecture Game Experience:
Scientific Translation: Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team at USC Creative Media & Behavioral Health Center to bridge the gap between the School of Cinematic Arts and the Keck School of Medicine, turning abstract developmental concepts into an engaging physical simulation.
Facilitation & Professional Engagement: Traveled with researchers and game designers to present and facilitate workshops for medical residents and professionals, managing the "guest flow" of an educational intervention.
Tactile Systems Thinking: Used "humble materials"—pipe cleaners, straws, and weights—to represent the structural integrity of neural connections, showcasing the cumulative effects of toxic stress versus supportive environments.
Global Impact: Contributed to a project that has been utilized by learners across the globe, as evidenced by its widespread implementation in healthcare, education, and policy-making sectors.
The Game Loop: Architecture of Experience
Phase 1: The Genetic Lottery & Life Journal
Participants roll dice to determine their Genetic Starting Point, establishing the initial quality and quantity of building materials (social supports) available.
Every group utilizes a Life Journal to document their developmental progress and track the cumulative history of stressors and supports.
Phase 2: Navigating Life Experiences
Teams draw Life Experience Cards representing scenarios categorized into Positive, Tolerable, or Toxic Stress.This "Serve and Return" dynamic grants strong materials (straws/pipe cleaners) for positive experiences, while negative experiences introduce structural vulnerabilities.
Phase 3: Tactical Construction & Stress Tests
Participants physically build a 3D model, constructing upward for cognitive function and outward for foundational sturdiness.
Facilitators periodically introduce weights to the structure, representing toxic stressors like trauma or neglect to physically test the architecture’s resilience.
Phase 4: Structural Outcomes & Debrief
The simulation culminates in a final test where the model must stand independently under all accumulated stressors; a collapse visually demonstrates the lifelong impact of weakened brain architecture.
The loop concludes with a guided reflection, connecting the tactile building process to real-world medical, educational, and policy implications.
Reflection: From Abstract Science to Concrete Empathy
Translating "Toxic Stress": Through the debriefing sessions I facilitated, I witnessed how the physical act of a model collapsing under weights (simulated stressors) made the abstract neurobiology of "toxic stress" an immediate, felt reality for medical professionals.
Design for Resilience: By tracking the "Life Journal" and "Genetic Lottery" results, we showed participants that while genetics provide the base, social supports are the "braces" that reinforce brain architecture against life's inevitable pressures.
A Multidisciplinary Research Collaboration:
This project was a landmark partnership between four world-class institutions, bridging the gap between cinematic arts, neurobiology, and clinical practice:
Creative Media & Behavioral Health Center @ University of Southern California
Center on the Developing Child @ Harvard University
Clinical & Translational Science Institute @ the University of PittsburghFrameWorks Institute
Through this unique, cross-institutional collaboration, we worked as a unified team of medical professionals, globally recognized researchers, and cinematic artists to translate complex neurobiological concepts into an interactive, high-impact learning tool. My role within this collective effort involved facilitating workshops for medical residents and professional audiences, ensuring the "guest flow" and engagement of the educational intervention remained seamless.
