In Puerto Rico, the phrase “en arroz y habichuelas” means explaining something in plain, simple terms, as straightforward and essential as the rice and beans found in nearly every meal.

That’s exactly the inspiration behind Neurociencia en Arroz y Habichuelas, a colorful, interactive booklet designed to make brain science fun, accessible and relatable to Puerto Rican youth.

This resource was born through NeuroBridges, a partnership between the University of California, Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (UCI CNLM) and NeuroBoricuas, a nonprofit led by Puerto Rican scientists and educators dedicated to promoting neuroscience education and research on the island. The vision was simple but powerful: create a neuroscience resource that reflects Puerto Rican culture, speaks the language of its audience, and sparks curiosity about the brain.

Thanks to generous support from the Dana Foundation and the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) for Brain Awareness Week 2025, this vision came to life. The project brought together an incredible team—graduate students, faculty, and community educators—working across Puerto Rico and California.

At the heart of this project is Gimarie Irizarry Martínez, a Puerto Rican neuroscience graduate student at UC Irvine who founded NeuroBridges. She guided the process from idea to finished booklet, working closely with collaborators in Puerto Rico and California to ensure that the resource spoke directly to the needs and culture of Puerto Rican youth while maintaining scientific accuracy.

The result is a booklet that takes readers on a journey through the brain, covering memory, senses, mental health, neurodegenerative diseases, and even the effects of substances—all explained “en arroz y habichuelas.” Students can learn what neurotransmitters do, explore how we remember birthdays, test their attention with a Stroop task, or imagine brain plasticity like molding clay. Every page invites engagement, questions, and discovery.

“Neurociencia en Arroz y Habichuelas represents not only collaboration but true co-creation. By centering culture and lived experience, it shows us how we can reimagine the way community resources are built,” says Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa.

Copies of the booklet were distributed during Brain Awareness Week 2025 in schools across Puerto Rico, but we aren’t stopping there! Our hope is that Neurociencia en Arroz y Habichuelas will continue to be shared with schools and community groups across the island, that scientists will use it for their outreach programs and science fairs, and that teachers will adapt it for lessons in the classroom.

“I am deeply grateful to the Dana Foundation, IBRO and collaborators in Puerto Rico and California for helping create Neurociencia en Arroz y Habichuelas. Together, we have created a resource that brings neuroscience to the community in an accessible and engaging way. We hope it inspires readers to explore, learn, and share science!” says Gimarie Irizarry Martinez.

While the original booklet was created with and for Puerto Rican youth, we are now putting together working groups that will adapt it to different groups.

The project was possible thanks to a Brain Awareness Week grant from the Dana Foundation and IBRO. We are grateful to every collaborator who brought this project to life—especially Gimarie Irizarry Martínez and NeuroBoricuas founder Dr. Christian Bravo Rivera.

The booklet is available in print and as a free PDF download, so anyone can use it to bring neuroscience into their community. Together, we can make brain science accessible, engaging, and, yes, served up Puerto Rican style.

Learn more and download the PDF here.