Our lab's logo denotes a computationally-enhanced, brain-focused Rod of Asclepius.
The Rod of Asclepius takes its name from the god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicinal arts in Greek mythology.
The serpent has been seen as a symbol that unites and expresses the dual nature of medical research, which deals with life and death, sickness and health.
The ambiguity of the serpent as a symbol, and the contradictions it is thought to represent, reflect the ambiguity of the use of drugs, which can help -at the right dose- or harm -in a wrong dose.
This was reflected in the meaning of the term pharmakon (φάρμακον), which meant "drug", "medicine" and "poison" in ancient Greek.
A number of organizations and services use the rod of Asclepius as part of their logo, including the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization.
