UCI Brain Camp for High School Students

Registration for the Summer 2023 UCI Brain Camp is now open. This 2-week full-day program is open to 6th-12th grade students and offers an opportunity for immersion in neuroscience. The program will feature lectures and seminars, workshops, laboratory visits, hands-on demonstrations, and experiments.

Camp Dates: July 24 - Aug 4, 2023

Learn More and Register

Campers will engage with world-renowned faculty and PhD students as they learn not only about the fundamentals of neuroscience but also about the path to neuroscience careers, scientific communication, data analysis, critical thinking and more. UCI Brain Camp will prepare students for college and beyond! We will explore topics such as:

  • Brain anatomy
  • Learning and memory
  • Neuropathology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Optogenetics
  • Experimental design
  • Neuroethics
  • Sensation and perception
  • Brain-machine interfaces
  • Neuropharmacology
  • Brain Imaging
  • Chemogenetics
  • Data analysis
  • Scientific communication
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Student holds a brain up to the camera
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A student taking a picture on his phone pf something on a microscope
Someone looking into a microscope
a circut attached to a worm
a bug leg pinned to some cork inside a circuit
3 students sit on a blanket in Aldrich park. One holds up a peace sign
Aa student holds a waffle with whip cream and sprinkles to the camera
UCI Brain Camp students in a seminar

Meet the UCI Brain Camp Director

Irvine Summer Institute in Neuroscience Team Member, Manuella Oliveira Yassa

Manuella Oliveira Yassa earned her Bachelor's Degree in Neuroscience from The Johns Hopkins University and her Master's Degree in Social Ecology with a focus on science education at UC Irvine. Prior to joining UCI as Director of Outreach and Education, Manuella taught middle school science in Baltimore City where she fell in love with neuroscience education. Manuella founded UCI Brain Camp in 2019 as the only neuroscience summer camp in Orange County and one of only a handful in the world. In addition to her roles at UCI, Manuella serves on the Education Advisory Committee for the Irvine Unified School District.