Directed by Harvard Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology Dr. Samuel Kunes (Pew Scholar in Biomedical Sciences), this curriculum investigates neural circuitry, memory formation, and experimental design. Students develop hypothesis-driven reasoning and author a collegiate-style neurobiology paper.
Work to the standards of academic research: frame a precise question, weigh the evidence critically, and build an argument that holds up to expert scrutiny.
Students author their own research manuscript. Journal submission and acceptance are separate steps, not guaranteed outcomes.
Direct feedback and ongoing guidance from scholars active at top global institutions.
Start with what you want to investigate. Develop your own research question and write your own paper, with professor and TA guidance on methods, evidence and revision. The course theme is a starting point—not a predetermined paper to reproduce.
Applications & feesProgram at a glance
See the dates and teaching schedule for this cohort.
Students work toward their own research manuscript. Journal submission and acceptance are separate steps; publication and university admission are not guaranteed.
Course Description: This course style explores how learning and memory emerge from molecular and cellular mechanisms, and how those mechanisms fail in neurological disease. Students learn how synaptic plasticity, gene regulation, and neural circuits connect to behavior and long-term memory.
Emphasis is placed on hypothesis-driven reasoning and experimental design: what would you measure, what controls would convince a skeptic, and how would you interpret conflicting results?
Projects often involve reading landmark papers, designing an experiment plan, and writing a research-style report. The outcome is a student who can connect molecular biology to brain function with scientific rigor.
Assessment Methods: Group Projects, Recommendation Letter Opportunities, Research Papers
Students fascinated by how the brain forms and stores memories at the molecular level. • Potential Topic: Investigate the molecular mechanisms of memory formation, synaptic plasticity, and how neurons communicate to create long-term memories. Students interested in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. • Potential Topic: Explore the cellular and molecular changes that lead to dementia, analyzing how amyloid precursor protein and other factors cause neurological decline. Students curious about consciousness, anesthesia, and the biological basis of awareness. • Potential Topic: Study how anesthesia affects neural circuits and what this reveals about consciousness, using experimental approaches from cutting-edge neuroscience research.
Biology, Neuroscience, Psychology | Experimental Design, Genomics, Laboratory Skills, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Research Methods
Led by Samuel Kunes
Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology • Harvard University
Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University, Dr. Samuel Kunes is a celebrated neuroscientist and geneticist whose laboratory explores the fundamental cellular mechanisms of learning, memory, and neurodegenerative disease. A Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences and recipient of the Damon Runyon–Walter Winchell Fellowship, Professor Kunes guides students through experimental design and molecular neurobiology with the uncompromising academic rigor of Harvard's premier bioscience programs.
Course Description: This course style explores how learning and memory emerge from molecular and cellular mechanisms, and how those mechanisms fail in neurological disease. Students learn how synaptic plasticity, gene regulation, and neural circuits connect to behavior and long-term memory. Emphasis is placed on hypothesis-driven reasoning and experimental design: what would you measure, what controls would convince a skeptic, and how would you interpret conflicting results? Projects often involve reading landmark papers, designing an experiment plan, and writing a research-style report. The outcome is a student who can connect molecular biology to brain function with scientific rigor. Assessment Methods: Group Projects, Recommendation Letter Opportunities, Research Papers
Professor Hours
30 hours
TA Mentoring Hours
20 hours
Schedule
9AM-3PM
Applications are reviewed for research readiness and fit. A place is confirmed only after an admissions decision.