ESP Biography



JOYCE WANG, MIT grad student studying neuroscience




Major: 9

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Joyce Wang

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I love to learn about the brain and to talk about it with anyone who will listen! When I am not in the lab, I like to draw and play video games.

I helped organize Splash during undergrad at Duke, and I teach several neuroscience classes for MIT ESP with my fellow grad students. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about our classes!



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

S13997: The Biological Basis of Neurological Disorders in HSSP Summer 2020 (Jul. 11, 2020)
Neurological disorders are one of the greatest threats to public health, affecting as many as one billion people worldwide. In this course, we will learn about how biological and neural abnormalities contribute to different neurological disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and many more. Just as importantly, we will learn about treatments for these disorders, with a focus on both current and future therapies.


S13752: Sensational Neuroscience: How Your Brain Understands the World in HSSP Spring 2020 (Feb. 29, 2020)
Ever wonder why some people hear “yanny” while others hear “laurel”? Or how visual illusions work? Come learn how the brain processes information from the senses to generate your perception of the world, and how this process can be hijacked. The classes will consist of interactive lectures followed by demonstrations, in which you will make sour things taste sweet, bend your vision, and mind control your classmates. During the last class, we will tour real neuroscience labs at MIT! We're excited to explore the brain with you! (Note: The first class will involve a sheep brain dissection. Any students who wish to leave during this portion of the class will be welcome to do so.)


S13383: Introduction to Neuroscience in Splash 2019 (Nov. 23 - 24, 2019)
Ever wonder how a 3 pound blob of fat in your head gives rise to all your thoughts, emotions, and experiences? Or whether mind control is really possible? Come learn about how your brain works, from the level of individual neurons to massive networks of cells. We'll also talk a lot about some of the groundbreaking new techniques that neuroscientists use to study the brain here at MIT. We're excited to explore the brain with you! Note: The class will include a sheep brain dissection and an arm muscle control demo that involves a minor electrical shock. Students will not be required to participate in these if they so choose


S13106: Sensational Neuroscience: How Your Brain Understands the World in HSSP Summer 2019 (Jul. 07, 2019)
Ever wonder why some people hear “yanny” while others hear “laurel”? Or how visual illusions work? Come learn how the brain processes information from the senses to generate your perception of the world, and how this process can be hijacked. The classes will consist of interactive lectures followed by demonstrations, in which you will make sour things taste sweet, bend your vision, and mind control your classmates. During the last class, we will tour real neuroscience labs at MIT! We're excited to explore the brain with you! (Note: The first class will involve a sheep brain dissection. Any students who wish to leave during this portion of the class will be welcome to do so.)


S12813: Sensational Neuroscience: How Your Brain Understands the World in HSSP Spring 2019 (Feb. 23, 2019)
Ever wonder why some people hear “yanny” while others hear “laurel”? Or how visual illusions work? Come learn how the brain processes information from the senses to generate your perception of the world, and how this process can be hijacked. The classes will consist of interactive lectures followed by demonstrations, in which you will make sour things taste sweet, bend your vision, and mind control your classmates. During the last class, we will tour real neuroscience labs at MIT! We're excited to explore the brain with you! (Note: The first class will involve a sheep brain dissection. Any students who wish to leave during this portion of the class will be welcome to do so.)


S12275: The Foundations of Intelligence: An Introduction to Neuroscience in HSSP Summer 2018 (Jun. 30, 2018)
Ever wonder what's going on in your brain? How do we form memories? Why do we dream? Is mind control really possible? In this course, we’ll give a broad overview of the field of neuroscience, discussing scientific findings from different species that have helped give us insights into these questions. We'll talk about neurons, memory, artificial intelligence, and much, much more! The classes will mainly be interactive lessons, with a number of hands-on activities and demonstrations mixed in. During the last class we will tour real neuroscience labs at MIT! We're excited to explore the brain with you!


S12078: Memory and Mind Control: An Introduction to Neuroscience in HSSP Spring 2018 (Feb. 24, 2018)
Ever wonder what's going on in your brain? How do we form memories? Why do we dream? Is mind control really possible? In this course, we will go over cool topics in neuroscience in an easy-to-digest way. We'll talk about neurons, false memories, brain technology, and much, much more! The classes will mainly be interactive lessons, with a number of hands-on activities and demonstrations mixed in. During the last class we will tour real neuroscience labs at MIT! We're excited to explore the brain with you!


S11632: Introduction to Neuroscience in Splash 2017 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2017)
Ever wonder what's going on in your brain? Why do we dream? Where do emotions come from? Is mind control really possible? In this course, we will go over some cool topics in neuroscience in an easy-to-digest way. We'll talk about neurons, common myths, and much, much more! We will also have demonstrations about tools that scientists can use to control minds, and a real brain to dissect!


S11501: Mind Control and Other Cool Topics in Neuroscience in HSSP Summer 2017 (Jul. 09, 2017)
Ever wonder what's going on in your brain? Why do we dream? Where do emotions come from? Is mind control really possible? In this course, we will go over cool topics in neuroscience in an easy-to-digest way. We'll talk about neurons, senses, brain technology, and much, much more! We welcome students of all ages and encourage questions and hands-on activities. The first half of every class will be interactive lessons, and the second half will be demonstrations with tools that scientists use to read and control minds! Over this course, we will cover: 1. An introduction to neuroscience + sheep brain dissection 2. Cellular and molecular neuroscience + glow-in-the-dark neurons 3. Systems neuroscience + laser mind control 4. Cognitive neuroscience + illusions and mind tricks 5. Neurotechnology and the future + telekinesis 6. Tours of MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences' real labs! We're excited to explore the brain with you!


A10808: Doodling for Designers in Splash 2016 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2016)
Do you doodle in class because there's nothing else to do? Are you an active doodler and own thousands of scraps of paper filled with doodles? A lot of people think that doodling is a waste of time, but in fact, doodling is a great way to explore the principles of design! It helps us figure out what makes some things look good and other things look not as good. In this class, we will learn about basic design principles and how they affect the way we see things as art. From product identity to infographics, and yes, even to doodling in the margins of your notes, the principles of design are everywhere and available for you to use to your advantage. Whether you're thinking of designing websites or just want better margin-doodles, we will talk about just what makes something look good and why. I won't be teaching you the "right way" to doodle, I welcome all students to doodle alongside me as I talk about different aspects of design. It's not every day that a teacher asks that you doodle MORE in class!


S10866: Sex, Drugs, and Mind Control: Cool Topics in Neuroscience in Splash 2016 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2016)
Ever wonder what's going on in your brain? Why do we dream? Where do emotions come from? Is mind control really possible? In this course, we will go over some cool topics in neuroscience in an easy-to-digest way. We'll talk about neurons, senses, how substances can affect the brain, and much, much more! We will also have demonstrations about tools that scientists can use to control minds, and a real brain to dissect!