Brain research apprenticeships for high school students in New York
Official title: Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC)
Run by Columbia University · NCT04728022 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will try to help Upper Manhattan and South Bronx high school students gain hands-on neuroscience lab experience and boost their confidence in science over eight months.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 15 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 180 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Columbia University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (New York, New York) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | December 30, 2020 |
| Main results expected | August 2026 |
| Study ends | August 2026 |
| Registry record updated | February 20, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT04728022 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Local high school students from Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx, and their program mentors, are the intended participants and will be invited to enroll.
✕Probably not a fit
Students who cannot attend in-person activities, do not complete the full eight-month program, or are outside the target communities may not receive the program's intended benefits.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The program enrolls local high school students and mentors in an eight-month apprenticeship with a summer research placement at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute. Researchers will use a one-group pretest–posttest design and mixed methods, combining surveys, retrospective alumni surveys, individual interviews, and focus groups to measure changes in scientific self-efficacy and science identity. The study also evaluates program implementation through attendance records and activity documentation to connect program elements to observed outcomes. Where possible, longitudinal analyses of alumni will examine how participation influences later academic and career choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could increase participants' science self-efficacy and identity, improving their likelihood of pursuing STEM education and careers.
How similar studies have gone: Similar high-school research apprenticeship and mentoring programs have shown improvements in science identity and persistence in STEM, so this approach builds on prior successful educational interventions.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * All students and mentors in the program will be invited to enroll Exclusion Criteria: * None
Where it's running
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Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University
New York, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Daphna Shohamy, PhD — Columbia University
- Study coordinator: Daphna L Shohamy, PhD
- Email: ds2619@columbia.edu
- Phone: 212 854 7560
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.