Research Experiences for High School Students

The public craves information about neuroscience. It is difficult to read a newspaper or popular magazine without reading about brain research. Many students, even those not yet in college, also have an interest in neuroscience. Although reading books, magazines, journal articles and web sites can provide the background about scientific discovery, there is nothing like working in a lab to really experience science.

Working in a neuroscience lab is possible for young students. Many programs operate during the summer and some offer stipends. Here are some programs for high school students interested in gaining lab experience:

• The Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (CSNE; Seattle, WA) Young Scholars Program. [Note: I am the Executive Director of the CSNE.]
• The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP; nationwide) places high school students in Department of Navy laboratories.
• Summer Internship Program at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD).
• Research Mentorship Program at the University of Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA).
• Biomedical Research Academy at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA).
• Oregon Health & Science University (Portland, OR) Summer Internship Program.
• Summer Program in the Neurological Sciences and Other Neuroscience Research Training at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Bethesda, MD).

Applications for these programs are available now and space is limited, so apply soon. Also, if you know of more programs, please let others know.

About the Author

Eric Chudler

Eric H. Chudler, PhD, is a research neuroscientist interested in how the central nervous system processes information about pain and nociception. In addition to performing basic neuroscience research, Dr. Chudler works with other neuroscientists and classroom teachers to develop educational materials to help K-12 students learn about the brain.