2,893 Inspirational Passion Project Ideas
Turn inspirations into your passion project.
This collection of project ideas, shared by Polygence mentors, is meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.
- AI/ML
- Animation
- Arts
- Biology
- Biotech
- Business
- Cancer
- Chemistry
- Cognitive
- Computer Science
- Creative Writing
- Dance
- Dentistry
- Economics
- Engineering
- Entomology
- Environmental Science
- Ethics
- Fashion
- Finance
- Game Design
- Healthcare
- History
- Illustration
- Languages
- Linguistics
- Literature
- Math
- Medicine
- Music
- Neuroscience
- Nutrition
- Organizational Leadership
- Philanthropy
- Philosophy
- Photography
- Physics
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Quantitative
- Social
- Social Science
- Sports Analytics
- Statistics
- Surgery
Changes in brain plasticity in neurodegenerative disorders
Plasticity is our central nervous system’s ability to change its structure and/or function in response to intrinsic or extrinsic influences. Changes in neuroplasticity are associated with brain damage and disease, and involve a variety of mechanisms, including molecular, cellular, and circuit-level. How might these changes during critical periods in development give rise to symptoms of damage/disease? What aspects of plasticity go awry in neurodegenerative diseases? This project would focus on the plasticity changes in one type of neurodegenerative disorder (of the student's choice).
Biology, Neuroscience
Functional Genomics of Transporters
Transporters are the gatekeepers of cells, ensuring only the appropriate solutes can get into and out of particular cell types. We have over 380 unique SLC transporter sequences found in our genome, which are divided into about 48 unique subfamilies, serving unique functions. When mutations arise in any of these transporters, the consequences could be quite severe, ranging from Alzheimer's to Diabetes. In this project, your task is to research one particular transporter in one of these subfamilies of your interest and study what major disease arises from mutations in this protein. I will provide a list of the entire families of transporters you can choose from. Doing some literature research is recommended before picking a transporter. Once you are comfortable with the transporter you chose, you will then be able to use several databases and browsers to look at real data on this transporter (if available), including gene expression of the transporter in cells and tissues (Human Protein Atlas, GTEx Portal), clinical variants with phenotype (ClinVar), population specific variants (1000 Genomes, Geography of Genetic Variants) and GWAS servers for mutations (Metabolomic GWAS server). This project can be used to investigate the disease in question and what can be done to correct the function of the transporter as a means of therapy.
Neuroscience
Literature review on intubation techniques done for patients with COVID-19
A literature review that would look at various case reports regarding intubation techniques used on patients with COVID-19, to assess whether invasive intubation techniques were used for patients presenting with respiratory distress. With COVID deaths being attributed to respiratory failure, intubation, or the insertion of a breathing tube into a patient's airway, was often a procedure used to maintain patency of the airway of these patients. This is an invasive procedure, and the decision of whether or not to intubate a patient approaching respiratory failure is a fragile one. We can aim to look at the rates at which COVID patients underwent intubation, as well as any specific tools or methods of intubation that were more common on these patients. Students can use this research idea to learn more about anesthesiology, surgery, epidemiology, immunology, as well as physiology.
Biology, Neuroscience, Social Science, Healthcare, Medicine
Moral Cognitive Decision Making in U.S. Politics
This proposed study could examine the intersection between morality and social decision making in relation to political moral conviction and its potential to predict congressional decisions. The overall goal for the study would be to curate research facilitating national harmony endeavoring an advancement in peoples’ cognitive capacities at empathizing for those who are less fortunate, marginalized, and degraded through the creation, enforcement, and evaluation of U.S. laws.
Neuroscience, Social, Psychology, Social Science, Cognitive
Door-to-door Scientist
Ding dong! You are going door-to-door to talk to your neighbors about new advancements in the field of glial biology. But there's a catch! Each neighbor has their own interests, level of understanding, and point-of-view. Your job is to effectively convey the knowledge you've learned to several different audiences: an elementary school student who loves science, a politician who may want to fund this work, a skeptic who's not too sure if these data are real, and a retired teacher familiar with the field. Students will write a review article analyzing the recent advances in a specific subject or field within neuroscience. Then, the student will prepare several short presentations to effectively communicate their findings to different types of audiences.
Biology, Neuroscience
How do mental illnesses alter brain waves?
Electrical activity is the main form of communication in the brain. How is this activity disrupted in mental illness? This project could focus on any mental illness such as: depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, OCD, or others. There is ample literature and open-source data available. The project could include a literature review and potentially an analysis of some EEG data.
Biology, Neuroscience, Psychology, Arts, Languages
Image Generation or Style Transfer
Image generation has come a long way and being able to more properly interact with the models that generate with the images will be very useful for lots of industries. Alternatively converting images from one style into another has long been a rite of passage for artists. Being able to generate more works in the style of artist is itself a valuable tool.
Neuroscience, Computer Science, AI/ML
Recent advancements in Gene Editing
Gene editing as a technology is constantly growing and evolving. For a long time this technology was thought to not be usable in the treatment of human disease. However, recent advancements are making targeted genetic editing a potentially safe and effective way to treat previously untreatable diseases.
Biology, Neuroscience, Chemistry
Integrating Neuroethics and Public Policy
The more we understand about the brain and human behavior, the more we need to amend and adjust laws and policies that may do more harm than good. What are some current advances in neuroethics that can directly alter current laws and policies in play?
Neuroscience, Psychology, Arts, History
Prenatal Stress Physiology
Individuals' physiology changes with stress, however, there are sensitive periods, such as pregnancy, in which our stress physiology reacts differently in the presence of real or perceived stress. The student will learn the ways in which different stress-based systems, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, or the autonomic nervous system, react (especially during pregnancy).
Neuroscience, Psychology, Social Science
One Brain, Many Minds: The Split-Brain Phenomenon and its Implications for Consciousness
It's easy to take for granted that within each of our brains lies the machinery to power precisely one unified mind, but the behavior of split-brain patients strongly calls this assumption into question. While these patients would seem unremarkable in a crowd, specialized tasks can elicit responses from one cerebral hemisphere that outright contradict the responses of the other, causing patients to behave as if they are simultaneously controlled by two (or more?) distinct minds. In this project, students will explore the split-brain phenomenon in addition to related neurological conditions like blindsight and hemispheric neglect, coming to their own conclusions about the unity of consciousness in health and disease.
Neuroscience
Learn about genes associated with mental health or neurological disorders
You will learn about Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and use the publicly available GWAS Catalog to identify genes associated with a psychiatric disease that you are interested in, like ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, or substance abuse disorder, for example. Then, you will craft a written paper or presentation describing what is known about some of these genes and what particular roles they play in the disease of interest. This project will teach you about the biological basics of genetics, how the brain/body operates in a healthy person versus in a person with a brain-related disorder, and how genetic differences contribute to differences in health and behavior!
Neuroscience, Psychology
Science Communication
Dissemination of fake science is growing rapidly. In an attempt to combat this ever-growing phenomenon, the student will create a social media presence that is devoted completely to the communication of research articles of their interest. This project may involve the creation of infographics and digestible flyers that report data from research articles. Communicating (and digesting) science is a great skill to develop early in one's career!
Neuroscience, Psychology, Social Science
What's the hottest in neuroscience?
There are many articles that boast about the newest, hottest developments in neuroscience. But are they "real"? Do they accurately convey the science? How does this affect the public's view of research and their opinions of science? In this project, we find some popular science articles and compare them to the academically published research. By examining the subtleties (and sometimes not so subtle) of science communication, this project aims to get us thinking about the relationship between science and the public. (Image thanks to iPhone emojis.)
Neuroscience, Ethics
Exploring neural activity of the neurodivergent brain: a literature review
A foray into the scientific literature of neuroimaging paradigms in neurodivergent populations. We will define a particular disorder or diagnosis of interest, review relevant literature and write a review.
Neuroscience
Biotechnology Industry Evolution
How have we gotten from our first production of insulin to genetic engineering in order to provide personalized medicine? The field is extremely dynamic and evolving each day with the constant changes of the landscape. In this project, we will assess the company's in this field, how they propel the sector and where there are lags and barriers in order to find viable solutions to promote innovation and development.
Cancer, Neuroscience, Medicine
8 legs are better than 2!
The octopus is one of my favorite animals- not just because they're crazy smart but because they're amazing movers! 70% of neurons in the octopus are located in their arms, which control their movement, the texture of their skin, the color of their camouflage, and each individual sucker. On top of that, they can detect color and taste through their skin! In this project, you'll learn about the motor and chromatophore systems of these amazing creatures along with their unique behaviors for camouflage. Along the way, you'll learn the core principles of how neurons communicate and produce behavior.
Neuroscience, Psychology, AI/ML
Neuroscience - Student Journal
Would you like to set up a journal where students can publish original research papers and reviews in the field of Neuroscience? I'd love to help you set it up!
Neuroscience
The Neurological Basis of "Long COVID"
We know that some people have long-term COVID symptoms (brain fog, lethargy, loss of smell/taste), but we don't know why. This project could focus on finding what researchers already know about the way COVID affects the body and brain, and develop some educated hypotheses about the pathology of long COVID symptoms.
Biology, Neuroscience, Psychology
The impact of psychotherapy interventions on mental health
Exploring the outcomes of various psychotherapy interventions on mental health is essential to how clinicians provide patient care. Qualifying and quantifying the unique contributions of short term vs. long term therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Parent-Child Psychotherapy to the treatment of various mental health disorders identified in by the DSM-5 is a key area of study that can ensure that patient's are provided with the best evidence based treatment available. Within this topic of study there is room to explore the policies that inform care and cultural factors that contribute to treatment/outcomes.
Neuroscience, Psychology, Arts
