Micro-volunteering with Beta Catchers
- Beta Catchers is an online citizen science project speeding up Alzheimer’s research at the University of California, investigating ethnic differences in Alzheimer’s disease
- This project is in the pilot phase, so it is currently a one-off activity suitable for a one-hour time slot
- Participate in real-world science through an analytic activity – find amyloid plaques while looking through a virtual microscope
- Our projects have received global coverage, including PBS, Wash Post, Wired, and Science Friday and a featured event during Microsoft’s October Giving Campaign
How it makes a difference
- Direct data analysis: One hour of participation equals 10-20 minutes of expert analysis of Alzheimer’s research data.
- Financial support: Each hour of volunteer time logged in Benevity provides a company-matched donation that enables a full day of laboratory-equivalent research.
- How does playing Beta Catchers help find a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease: info here
- Additional Comments: We are excited to partner with corporate volunteers on this impactful research to help folks contribute directly to Alzheimer’s disease research by combining human cognition with AI to improve human health and well-being.
Privacy Info: Beta Catchers does not collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII), though email addresses used to register are stored in a secure database to enable future logins (see our Privacy Policy).
Organize a Beta Catchers meetup for your group
All you need to run an online Beta Catchers event is to pick a one-hour time slot that fits your schedule, and then invite your group. Use the appropriate chart below depending on whether it is self-run by you (DIY) or facilitated by us (if at least 50 participants):
60 minutes (DIY)
|
Welcome from Event Organizer
|
5 minutes |
|---|---|
|
Onboarding
|
5 minutes |
|
Catchathon (Beta Catchers volunteering activity) |
30-40 minutes |
|
Acknowledge group effort and collective research impact. |
5 minutes |
|
Log volunteer time |
5 minutes |
60 minutes (facilitated event, with at least 50 participants)
|
Welcome from Event Organizer
|
2 minutes |
|---|---|
|
Project overview talk (with slides) by HCI host – explains origins, purpose, and impact of the project |
8 minutes |
|
Onboarding (HCI host guides participants):
|
5 minutes |
|
Catchathon (Beta Catchers volunteering activity) |
30-40 minutes |
|
HCI facilitator acknowledges effort and collective research impact. |
5 minutes |
| Log volunteer time |
5 minutes |