Harvard Summer Program in Mind/Brain Sciences

June 9 - August 4, 2012

General Information

The Harvard Mind/Brain/Behavior (MBB) Initiative and the Harvard Summer School, in collaboration with the University of Trento, Italy, are offering an eight-week program in mind/brain sciences at the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC) in Trento. The program enrolls both US and Italian students to foster a cross-cultural learning environment. Taught by neuroscientists and cognitive scientists from Harvard and the University of Trento, the courses include lectures as well as hands-on laboratory sessions (e.g., neuroimaging demonstrations, discussion sections).

The program also provides room and board in Trento. As part of the program, students participate in day and weekend trips to Verona, Venice, and Lake Garda, as well as hikes in the Italian Alps. Courses run Monday through Thursday; Fridays are dedicated to program outings and student activities.

Call for financial aid and the application form are available in the box "Download" (box at right bottom of the page)

The application deadline has been postponed to March, 26th!

Faculty

Alfonso Caramazza, PhD, Daniel and Amy Starch Professor of Psychology, Harvard University; Director, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento
John Assad, PhD, Professor of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School
Giorgio Coricelli, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Trento
George Alvarez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Harvard University

Courses

Students will receive course credit from the Harvard Summer School and can request an official transcript of their marks. The course credit obtained through the program may be recognized by the student's home institution upon petition.* All students take the introductory course offered in the first half of the program (MBB S-101). For the second half, they choose one of the two in-depth courses to be offered. All instruction is in English. We also offer a non-credit Italian language course aimed at non-Italian students.

MBB S-101. Windows into the Structure of the Mind/Brain (Caramazza & Assad)

The mind and brain can be studied at multiple levels of description and with various methodologies. The course reviews methods from psycholinguistics to neuroimaging, and from computational modeling to clinical neuroscience. Each method is illustrated through laboratory demonstrations. This course is mandatory for all program participants, and it is meant to provide the neuroscience and cognitive science foundation necessary to explore specific topics in the field.
Pre-requisites: None.

MBB S-95. Mind, Brain and Behavior in Decision Making (Coricelli)

Economists have produced remarkable theories describing how people make decisions, but, until recently, their approach treated the human brain as a "black box." The introduction of neuroscience tools (brain imaging, neuropsychological studies, single-cell recording) and the discovery of evidence about the importance of emotional and social states in economic decision making are revealing new perspectives in the field of behavioral economics. This new discipline combines economics, psychology, and neuroscience in order to study decision making in individual and social contexts. Students learn about economic decision-making principles (e.g., choice under risk and uncertainty, intertemporal choices, bargaining, cooperation, and competition); lectures and laboratory sessions cover contemporary theories of behavioral economics as well as the application of methods from neuroscience (e.g., single-cell recording, fMRI, TMS) to the study of decision making.
Prerequisites: MBB S-101

MBB-S-95. Cutting Edge Neuroscience in Film and Television (Alvarez)

Film and television shows often capture the cutting edge of science, and they sometimes even anticipate future scientific advances. In this class, we'll use examples from film and television as an introduction to several hot topics in the field of neuroscience, such as mind control, mind reading, smart pills, and brain machine interfaces, which are all quickly moving from the realm of science fiction to reality. Will neuroscientists ever be able to control a person's thoughts, or to know what a person is thinking? Can taking a pill really awaken untapped brain power? Will you ever be able to drive a car without touching a steering wheel? In this course, we'll cover the state of the art science and the future of these exciting areas of neuroscience (and entertainment). Because these are not textbook topics, this is an advanced course that will focus on lectures and reading the primary literature.
Prerequisites: MBB S-101

Key Facts

ITALIAN DEADLINE: applications are due on March 26, 2012 (application must be received by this date).
Candidates must be enrolled in a laurea triennale (2nd or 3rd year) or magistrale (1st year), no exceptions.
Students are required to live in the University of Trento dormitories in San Bartolameo. A key element in Harvard's study abroad programs is the intercultural environment.
Students receive room and board.
Most activities are included in the cost of the program; an example student budget will be posted shortly.
Courses, taught in English, are conducted at the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC) in Mattarello.
Cost includes tuition, room & board, program activities, and course materials.
Extensive financial aid available using the ISEE declaration and financial application (the "borsa di studio" module) which must be submitted along with the rest of the application materials.