July 5 - July 26, 2025
- Residential move-in date: July 5
- Student orientation: July 6
- Move-out date: July 26
The Neuroscience Research Academy has reached capacity, and we are no longer accepting new applications for summer 2025.
The Neuroscience Research Academy explores the biological foundations of the brain, progressing from the cellular foundations of the neuron to an understanding of the sensory systems, and culminating with higher-order cognitive functions such as memory, emotion, and morality. Taught by members of Penn’s undergraduate neuroscience program, the Neuroscience Research Academy introduces students to this cutting-edge field in both research and medicine, which has provided important insights into understanding the mind in both health and disease. The Neuroscience Research Academy is fully residential with no commuter or online options.
If you attend a School District of Philadelphia public or charter high school, you may be eligible to attend Penn Summer Prep free of charge with a scholarship.
Features
Lectures and discussions: Attend twice-daily lectures and conversations with Penn’s distinguished neuroscience faculty. Additionally, participate in a journal club to discuss peer-reviewed neuroscience literature and develop presentations on those papers, and take part in a neuroethics club to debate current ethical dilemmas within the neuroscience field.
Lab activities: Participate in hands-on laboratory activities to gain an introduction to experimental techniques.
Applications outside the classroom: Further your understanding of the brain in a fun and educational setting with related films, discussions, and readings. Past trips have included visits to the Mütter Museum and the Franklin Institute.
Download: 2024 Syllabus (PDF)
Prerequisites
- One year of high school biology and one year of high school chemistry completed before the program begins
- For any students who will be using the high school course Living Earth or Living Environment as their one year of biology prerequisite, please include the course description with your transcripts for the admissions committee to review
- If you are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course(s), please submit your school report card or unofficial transcript showing at least one marking period, quarter, or semester, with your first and last name clearly visible, along with your application
Program Director: Mary Ellen Kelly
Dr. Kelly has worked in undergraduate neuroscience education for over 10 years at both Haverford College and the University of Pennsylvania. Currently Dr. Kelly is a lecturer, neuroscience program coordinator in Penn’s undergraduate Neuroscience Program, and Director of the Neuroscience Research Academy at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Kelly received her doctoral degree from Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). After post-doctoral training fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, Dr. Kelly worked for several years as a Stokes Research Fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, studying and researching mechanisms of temporal lobe epilepsy. Dr. Kelly has focused much of her teaching around the neural mechanisms that underlie brain disorders.
