Homepage

A large group of smiling students poses in front of a brick building with arches, bearing the words Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center.

The Brain: Introduction to Neuroscience

Become a Summer Trojan and earn college credit.

Program Overview

Attend engaging daily lectures, explore USC research laboratories and apply core neuroscience concepts to unravel a guided mystery case.

To get there, we will conduct collaborative hands-on laboratory experiments that develop introductory resume-ready research and empirical analysis skills.

The course culminates in a mock trial, where you present and defend your findings — bringing together everything you’ve learned in a thrilling final challenge.

A student climbs a tall, rainbow-colored rock-climbing wall in a gym.

Key Information

Topics of Study

Spectrum of neuroscience
Memory and learning
Normal and abnormal function
Lifespan development and aging
Brain structure and function
Neurologic dysfunction
Neuroethics

Learning Highlights

Describe how the nervous system gives rise to behavior
Analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying learning and memory
Evaluate the biological basis of neurodiversity and brain aging
Analyze experimental results and communicate findings
Design and carry out laboratory experiments to gather and interpret data
Produce professional lab reports and present evidence-based arguments
Apply foundational concepts in biology to real-world problems
Collaborate in teams to synthesize diverse perspectives and present a unified scientific defense

Requirements

Students must bring their own laptops
Please pack closed-toed shoes and long pants, dresses or skirts
Students may bring personal lab coats, although reusable lab coats will be provided if needed

Week	Focus	Key Topics	Assignments and Activities
1	Foundations of Neuroscience	Basics of neurons; ion flow and action potentials; aging	Hands-on experiments to understand membranes, synapses, ion flow, and action potentials. Learn how to write lab contracts and reports while building collaborative lab skills.
2	Communication and Control	Neurotransmitters; synapses; basis of learning and memory; movement systems	Guest speakers on neuroscience and college pathways. Hands-on experiential laboratories. Visit USC labs. California Science Center field trip.
3	Senses, Speech and Stress	Vision and hearing; brain anatomy; speech; reward pathways and neurodiversity, stress, fear and PTSD; mind-art-body connection	Virtual and real nervous system/brain dissections. Hands-on experiential laboratories. Immersive art installation experience. Rock climbing field trip to engage in the process of adapting movement learning, controlling fear responses, and leveraging the power of community and oxytocin to succeed.
4	Genetics of Neuroscience and the Big Mystery Case	Mental health; brain health and genetics; Alzheimer’s; neuroimmunology; nervous system infections	Analyze DNA samples and evidence to solve the course mystery case. Push the limits of the vestibular, proprioception, motor learning and stress systems of the brain and body with a field trip to indoor skydiving. Mock trial-style final presentation where you defend your solution to the mystery using data from your labs.

This course gives me a new insight into the field of neuroscience, which gives me more confidence to become a researcher in this field in the future

— USC Summer Programs student participant