The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Daily 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Animal Discovery Zone 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
We’ll bring our science programs to you.
We partner with school districts to support science learning. We offer district-wide elementary, middle, and high school programs, either virtually or in-person.
We collaborate with a range of partners to innovate in science education. Together, we go further.
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Are you curious about how doctors diagnose and treat illnesses or how scientists innovate to help people with chronic diseases and other conditions? In this program, you will deepen your knowledge of body systems, investigate how some of these systems may break down, and explore how scientists and engineers are working to solve these problems. Together we will use actual diagnostic techniques to solve medical mysteries for fictitious patients. Dissect a simulated heart, step inside a blood vessel and a cell in our Planetarium, and interview practicing doctors to learn more about their field. Also, we will learn about CRISPR, a current gene-editing technology, and acquire skills for designing and prototyping a prosthetic hand. Parents are invited at 4 p.m. on the last day to see and hear teens share their projects and receive their U.C. Berkeley certificate of completion.
Your days begin with gathering on campus and signing in to your respective program tracks. From there, you head to your respective lab spaces and form an opening circle to frame the day, including a quick social check-in and content-related invitation to learning. Each day, you get to engage in STEM-related explorations and investigations, sometimes in pairs and sometimes in small groups. You do things such as dissecting a sheep heart, closely observing human brains, and conducting brain science investigations. Later in the week you will be building model lungs or a model digestive system, doing a DNA extraction, or running patient diagnostics. Midday, you take time to eat lunch on campus and enjoy some social downtime with peers in your track as well as other STEM tracks. Afternoons continue investigations and incorporate tours to related labs, museum exhibits, and sites on and off campus. Some days include graduate students or faculty joining you for Q&A and sharing about cutting-edge research happening on or off campus. Your STEM track content wraps up with a closing circle around 3:30 p.m. After that, you gather together for additional unique career pathway programming in mixed groups. This can include a U.C. Berkeley campus tour, a current student panel and Q&A, and other personal or professional development workshops. Programming concludes at 5 p.m. If you opt for the residential track, you will stay on campus for dinner and evening activities— both involving social as well as college preparedness—and then sleep in the U.C. Berkeley dorms.
Gaby Arango
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Gaby began her academic journey at Santa Rosa Junior College, earning AS and AA degrees before pursuing BS and MS degrees in Biology at Sonoma State University. Her master’s research focused on the blood oxygen stores in olive ridley sea turtles, a remarkable physiological adaptation for breath-hold diving. Currently, she is a fifth-year PhD student in the Integrative Biology department within the Vazquez-Medina lab, investigating the evolutionary adaptations of sea turtles to withstand oxidative stress from extreme life stressors such as reproduction and hypoxic exposure during diving. She is passionate about science communication, engaging broad audiences of all ages in both formal and informal settings.
In her free time, Gaby loves to play with Goku, the silliest German Shepherd.
Phoebe Hall
Phoebe received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago where she did her thesis on butterfly genetics. She is a biologist working as a strain engineer in the alternative protein industry. This summer Phoebe serves as an instructor in a wide range of Teen Research Programs at The Lawrence.
When not doing science, Phoebe loves playing ultimate frisbee, hiking, and crocheting.