ESP Biography



KAREN CRUZ, MIT PhD Student, Brain and Cognitive Sciences




Major: Brain and Cognitive Science (9)

College/Employer: MIT

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Karen Cruz

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I have a B.S. in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science from the University of Arizona and am a doctoral student at MIT's BCS department. My main research interests are the neurobiolgical underpinnings of social and emotional behavior, but outside of science, I like to read, write, and pretend to do art.



Past Classes

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

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!


S10782: What Makes Us Human? in Splash 2016 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2016)
What is it about the human brain that makes us special? Why is it that only humans make music, create art, write books? Why don't monkeys do calculus? What is it in our brains that makes us different from other animals? In this lecture, we'll explore what make the human brain unique-- and what doesn't.


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!