About SNP

The Summer Neuroscience Program (SNP) is a hands-on course about the brain for NYC public high schoolers. SNP is led by graduate students who spend most of their work lives thinking about brains – and in particular the countless mysteries they still hold.

How do we form memories? | What are smells? | Why do we sleep and dream? | How did our brains evolve? | What happens to the brain in Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease? | Why are some drugs addictive? | How do brain cells work? | Are animals conscious? | How do we hear sounds? | Why do we fall in love? | What happens to the brain when we’re depressed? | And many many more…

Content

Mornings in SNP consist of a series of interactive lectures presented by Rockefeller scientists. We cover everything from fundamentals to new discoveries, and we’re always excited to add content according to the interests of the class. Students choose a research paper to read and present in a journal club. Then they conduct an original neuroscience experiment and present their findings to the group. Throughout SNP, we aim to give a sense of what life is like on a research campus. Among other things, students visit laboratories and core facilities, dissect brains, and meet with Rockefeller scientists.

Program Basics

SNP takes place from 9:30am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, during the last two weeks of August (please see the main page or application page for specific dates). Classes are held at the Rockefeller University in Manhattan, and we cover all expenses, including metro passes, meals, and any necessary school supplies/equipment.

Applicants

We seek motivated, mature, curious students, irrespective of grades or previous science experience. To be eligible, applicants must be enrolled in a New York City public school, and must be at least 16 years of age at the start of the program — we cannot make exceptions. Students should complete the application on our website and have a mentor submit a corresponding reference form. We will contact a subset of applicants in early April to arrange a virtual interview.