The Ultimate Guide to UCLA's BrainSport Internship for High School Students
If you’re a high schooler keen to develop your skill set and knowledge in STEM, consider an internship!
Some of the best STEM internships for high school students provide practical experience and a deeper understanding of scientific concepts, both of which are solid for increasing your knowledge and are highly valued by admissions officers! Engaging in such programs demonstrates your commitment and passion for learning and can set you apart from other applicants. So if you’re interested in topics like neuroscience, brain health, and the impact of sports on human health, then today’s blog covering UCLA’s BrainSport Internship is just for you.
What is UCLA's BrainSport Internship?
The UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSport Internship is a three-month internship opportunity to research sports-related concussions and brain health under UCLA’s BrainSport program. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the program integrates research, clinical care, and education to improve safety and treatment outcomes. As a participating intern, you’ll work directly with research staff to recruit patients, work on research data, and conduct study protocols under the guidance of leading professionals like Dr. Christopher Giza, a prominent figure in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery at UCLA.
How is the BrainSport Internship structured?
The internship is a thorough learning experience, where you’ll be collaborating with a team of researchers comprising other interns, UCLA undergrads, clinicians, and other medical professionals. You will be contributing directly to ongoing research at UCLA Health labs by recruiting patients for studies, analyzing research data, and understanding and implementing study protocols. You’ll also be attending weekly Traumatic Brain Injury lab meetings with the BrainSport team, learning from their real-world experiences. The internship culminates in a project presentation, allowing you to showcase your work on a research topic of interest. While exact dates for the next session aren’t available, you can expect to be working 3-4 half-days per week (or 16 hours) from early June to late August.
Is it prestigious?
UCLA's BrainSport Internship is not only prestigious due to its association with one of the top universities in the country but also because it puts you squarely in the middle of real research under the tutelage of some of the most notable names in neuroscience.
The program is led by Dr Christopher Giza, co-chair of the American Academy of Neurology’s committee, UCLA's principal investigator for the NCAA/DoD CARE Consortium research project, and currently a Professor of Pediatric Neurology and Neurosurgery. Of course, you’ll also get to work alongside other dedicated researchers, UCLA students, and your fellow interns, providing you ample networking opportunities as well as great learning experiences.
While there’s not much data on the selectivity of the internship, just these factors alone make it a pretty prestigious experience to add to your resume.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligibility criteria are fairly simple - you just need to be a rising high school junior, with the intent that you may mentor a rising junior the next year. BrainSport particularly recommends applying if you’re interested in extending your internship into the academic year.
Pros and Cons to Consider
Pros
You can gain exposure to multidisciplinary research: You’ll experience firsthand how a leading research team integrates neurology, psychology, and sports science to tackle sports-related concussions, providing a unique educational depth that you won’t find in broader programs.
You will receive mentorship from experts: Direct mentorship from notable professionals like Dr. Christopher Giza, who has extensive experience in pediatric neurology and sports concussion management, offers a rare insight into neuroscience that can significantly influence your future career paths in medical research.
You will work on real-world impact projects: The opportunity to work on impactful projects such as the CARE4Kids study, which looks into persistent post-concussion symptoms in adolescents, offers you a chance to contribute to significant advancements in sports medicine and patient care.
Cons
The application process is competitive and Intensive: The selective nature of the internship means it demands high commitment and can be intense, which might be challenging if you’re not accustomed to high-pressure research environments.
You will need to work on your living arrangements: Given the non-residential nature of the internship, you’ll likely need to find and finance housing in Los Angeles, which can be a substantial logistical and financial challenge.
The program has a very focused scope on concussions and brain injuries: While this is not strictly a con, the internship heavily focuses on sports-related brain injuries. This means that it may not be the best way to learn about broader medical fields or if you’re looking for a more varied biomedical research experience.
Our review
The UCLA BrainSport Internship offers a unique opportunity for high school students to understand and contribute to the world of sports medicine and concussion research. It's ideal if you’re passionate about neuroscience and brain trauma and are looking to learn how research progresses in this field. It’s a specific internship that demands a fair bit of time and effort, but that’s also what makes it a valuable addition to your profile. If you’re serious about pursuing a sub-field related to neurological health and trauma, then this is a program you should apply for.
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs!
This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.
You can find the application link here
One other option - the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research in STEM, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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