Yale Neuroscience Summer Scholars Program

The Yale Neuroscience Summer Scholars (YNSS) Program provides research experiences in neuroscience, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation for high school students from New Haven Public Schools. YNSS is led by Co-Directors Dr. Chen Liu and Dr. Pallavi Gopal.

Each summer, a cohort of YNSS Scholars will participate in an eight-week session that includes didactic education, hands-on training in laboratory techniques, and completion of a supervised research project. Scholars will participate in scientific writing workshops and receive instruction on course selection and preparation for future applications to college science programs. They will gain experience in reviewing scientific literature, conducting research in a laboratory, writing research summaries, and presenting research findings.

This cohort-based program encourages interaction not only with other Scholars, but also with undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, to enable Scholars to gain an understanding of various career paths related to neuroscience research. Drawing on the strengths of Yale’s Departments of Pathology, Neurology, and Neuroscience, as well as the Yale Center for Human Brain Discovery and the Yale Wu Tsai Institute, the YNSS Program will provide a comprehensive introduction to research in a variety of neurological disorders as well as to biomedically focused careers in neuropathology, neurology, and related fields.

The YNSS Program aims to equip talented high school students with the research skills, confidence, and practical knowledge needed for higher education and careers in neuroscience research and neuropathology. By engaging students in a comprehensive curriculum, YNSS prepares them to understand brain functions and apply this knowledge to real-world problems related to brain health and diseases, ensuring they are ready for future academic and professional challenges.