NYIT HFAN Research at NYIT - High School Researchers

High School Summer Research in Neuroscience & Cognitive Science

Begin your research journey in high school. Continue it at New York Tech.

How do radiologists find signs of cancer? Why do experts notice things that other people miss? What can someone’s eye movements tell us about their attention and decisions?

At New York Tech’s Human Factors and Neuroscience (HFAN) lab, we use eye-tracking technology to study visual attention, learning, and expertise. Much of our work connects these questions to medical-image interpretation: understanding how people examine complex images and how we can help them become more accurate.

High school researchers contribute to this work while learning how to investigate questions, evaluate evidence, and collaborate with a scientific team. Starting early gives you time to build skills, take increasing responsibility, and explore the possibility of continuing your research as a New York Tech undergraduate.

We prioritize the involvement of current sophomores applying for the summer before eleventh grade (rising juniors), with an interest in returning for a second summer and exploring New York Tech as a place to continue their education and research.

Starting before college gives you time to learn our methods, develop relationships with faculty and student researchers, and begin contributing to questions that interest you.

Returning allows you to build on that foundation and take on increasingly substantial work.

If you choose New York Tech for college, those experiences can become the beginning of a much longer research journey.

Curiosity, care, community

Follow our work on:

A Research Home from High School through College

Imagine beginning your first college semester already knowing your mentors and teammates, understanding the lab’s methods, and having experience contributing to its work. You can bring that foundation into your classes while continuing to develop as a researcher.

Over time, sustained involvement can support deeper scientific understanding, greater independence, and increasingly substantial contributions to research projects, presentations, manuscripts, and peer mentorship.

Your involvement can grow through several stages:

First summer: Learn foundational methods, practice research procedures, and contribute to an ongoing project.
Second summer: Strengthen your technical skills, deepen your understanding of the research, and take greater responsibility.
Early undergraduate years: Continue research alongside your coursework, connect classroom learning with scientific practice, and develop greater independence.
Later undergraduate years: Work toward more substantial intellectual contributions, potentially including developing research questions, conducting analyses, contributing to manuscripts and presentations, and mentoring newer researchers.

Responsibilities and opportunities grow with your preparation, contributions, and continued engagement.

Because we invest in students’ development over time, we prioritize applicants who are seeking sustained research involvement and are seriously interested in exploring New York Tech for their undergraduate education. You do not need to have made your college decision before applying; the summer experience can help you explore whether our research community and university are a good fit.

The Summer Intensive at a Glance

Location: In person at New York Tech’s New York City campus in Manhattan.
Schedule: 9:00 a.m.–3:15 p.m., Monday–Friday, throughout the summer.
Fees: There are no application or participation fees.
Compensation: None. These are unpaid volunteer research positions.
How to apply: email Dr. Alexander with the materials listed below.

Please consider whether the daily commute and summer commitment are sustainable for you before applying. Our high school summer intensive is an in-person experience at the Manhattan campus (not the Long Island campus!).

What Could You Help Investigate?

How people find abnormalities in medical images

We study how people search images for important findings, including potentially cancerous abnormalities. Our research examines how cues, experience, and image characteristics influence what people notice and how accurately they respond.

What eye movements reveal about attention

An eye tracker measures where someone looks. Those measurements help us investigate how people explore images, direct their attention, and gather information before making a decision.

How expertise develops

We examine differences between experienced professionals and less experienced viewers. Understanding those differences can help us develop better approaches to training and assessment.

Your activities will depend on current projects, your preparation, and the skills you develop. You may help prepare study materials, review scientific literature, operate research equipment, support data collection, organize datasets, analyze results, or contribute to scientific writing.

Build Skills Across Two Summers—and Potentially into College

We are particularly interested in students who hope to develop a sustained relationship with the lab.

During a first summer, you can establish foundations: learning procedures, becoming a dependable teammate, and contributing to a manageable research question.

During a second summer, returning students can build on that preparation through deeper project involvement and greater responsibility.

As a New York Tech undergraduate, you can explore continuing your research alongside your coursework, developing greater independence within a team you already know.

Returning and continued participation depend on engagement, project fit, and available mentorship. You do not need to have decided where to attend college before applying. The experience can help you discover what interests you and what you want from your education.

Meet Students Who Started Research Before College

Many former high school researchers have later enrolled at New York Tech and continued working in HFAN. Read some of their stories in New York Tech News!

Is HFAN a Good Fit for You?

We’re looking for students who bring:

Strong academic preparation and an interest in understanding scientific evidence.
Curiosity and a willingness to ask thoughtful questions.
Reliability, persistence, and attention to detail.
Respect for other people and a collaborative approach.
Openness to feedback and a willingness to improve.
The ability to meet the intensive’s in-person summer schedule.

Prior research or programming experience is not required. Tell us what you already know and what you hope to learn.

We are especially looking for rising juniors (current sophomores applying for the summer before eleventh grade), who have an interest in potentially returning for a second summer and building a sustained research relationship.

How to Apply

If you are interested in volunteering to work in our research group, please email Dr. Alexander with the following information so that we can learn about you.

Use the subject line “HFAN High School Summer Research Application — [Your Name]” and include the following:

Your current grade or year of study, and which high school you attend.
Confirmation that you understand the schedule. Please explicitly confirm that you understand that the summer intensive takes place in person, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., Monday–Friday, throughout the summer at New York Tech’s Manhattan campus (16 West 61st Street, NYC).
Your resume
An unofficial transcript
A description of your experience (if any) with technical tools. In particular:
1. Have you done any programming in Python? If so, what have you used it to do?
2. Have you conducted statistical analyses using SPSS or R? If so, describe your experience.
3. Have you created data visualizations, plots, or charts, particularly to communicate research findings? What tools did you use?
4. Have you used Excel beyond basic data entry, such as working with lookup functions, pivot tables or pivot charts, macros, or other analytical tools? Please give examples.

These skills are not prerequisites. Your answers help us understand your preparation and identify where you could begin contributing.

A short personal statement addressing the following questions. And don’t worry if you’re still figuring things out. Many students don’t know exactly what they’re looking for at first, and that’s completely okay.
1. Why do you want to join our group?
2. What do you hope this experience will help you achieve in the short-term?
3. How do you hope this experience will shape your future?
4. What interests you about the possibility of attending New York Tech and continuing your research with HFAN during college? You do not need to have made a college decision. We would like to understand how sustained research involvement could fit your educational and career goals.

You can also include any additional skills, perspectives, or experiences you think we should know about.

We're excited to learn more about you.

Email Dr. Robert Alexander at ralexa04@nyit.edu.

Testimonials

“That environment gave me more confidence in my ability to contribute to scientific work and helped me begin to see myself as a researcher instead of just a high school student.” - high school researcher, Summer 2026
“From the beginning of the Summer to now, you have allowed me to feel like I have something to offer and can contribute in ways that feel real.” - high school researcher, Summer 2025
“I think that throughout this summer I've been able to truly find my passion for research” - high school researcher, Summer 2026
“The undergraduates that I was able to interact with everyday were some of the kindest, smartest, and welcoming people I met.” - high school researcher, Summer 2026

What you'll get out of this experience

Certification in human subjects research and ethical research conduct
Hands-on research experience
Step-by-step practice with eye-tracking hardware and software
Development of the skills needed to succeed in a professional research environment.
A supportive and inclusive peer community

We know that beginning something new can feel intimidating. But you won’t be doing it alone. We’ll walk with you, every step of the way. No one starts here already knowing how to do all of this. But with time, trust, and support, students grow into these roles. And you can too!

Frequently Asked Questions

“Do I need prior research experience? I’ve never done anything like this before. Can I still join?”

No. We provide training. We look for preparation, motivation, reliability, and a willingness to learn. Starting early gives you time to build skills, explore your interests, and find your place in the research community.

“Do I need to arrive with my own research idea?”

No. Students contribute to the lab’s ongoing work and learn how to develop research questions through that experience.

“Can I participate remotely?”

No. The summer intensive requires in-person participation at our Manhattan campus on the schedule described above.

"Will I publish a paper or present at a conference?"

Those opportunities depend on the project, its progress, and your contributions. They are possible outcomes of sustained research involvement, rather than guaranteed results of a summer placement.

"Is it competitive to get into the group?"

Yes. However, you don’t need perfect grades or prior experience. We’re looking for students who are curious, kind, reliable, and motivated. What matters most is that you’re excited to learn and ready to be part of a supportive community.

“What if I’m shy or unsure?”

That’s completely okay. A lot of students feel uncertain at first. Maybe it’s their first experience with research, or they’re still finding their voice, or they’re worried they won’t “know enough.” But in our research community, you don't need to be confident or perfect to belong. We care more about your willingness to grow than having all the answers. You’ll be met with patience, support, and a team that genuinely wants you to succeed. If you're unsure, you're not alone, and you're still exactly the kind of person who’s welcome here.

“Is there a fee? Will I be paid?”

There are no application or participation fees. The positions are unpaid.

"What if I’m still figuring out who I am and what I want to do?"

That’s not just okay, it’s welcome here. Many students come in unsure of their path and grow into a clearer sense of who they are through the work, the mentorship, and the relationships they build here. You don’t have to have it all figured out yet. Exploring your career direction is part of the experience.