Rita Barakat
Video
Biography
As a member of the teaching faculty in the department of biological sciences, I am primarily focused on educating, supporting and mentoring students from a variety of academic backgrounds and lived experiences, with the goal of increasing representation of historically underrepresented individuals in STEM disciplines. I teach courses in cell biology, human physiology, neurobiology and cognitive science to undergraduate non-majors, majors and graduate students. I am also a member of several departmental, college and university-wide committees that serve students, staff and faculty, largely centered around building communities across the institution and addressing commuication gaps that affect all members of the university.
In addition to my teaching, I advise undergraduate students on psycholinguistic and human behavioral studies of bilingualism and executive functioning, and I am also an associate faculty member in the USC Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP), of which I am an alum.
Education
- Ph.D. Neuroscience, University of Southern California, 5/2022
- BA Molecular and Cellular Biology (Neurobiology), University of California Berkeley, 5/2015
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Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments
- Assistant Professor (Teaching), University of Southern California, 2025-
- Lecturer, University of Southern California, 2022-2025
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Summary Statement of Research Interests
Previous literature suggests that individuals who are bilingual, particularly from an early age, may have cognitive advantages that extend from the increased cognitive load of managing more than one language stream at any given time. To investigate this bilingual advantage hypothesis, my lab utilizes a computer-based version of the Stroop task to assess cognitive interference in bilingual participants, and compare these results with matched monolingual controls.
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- (Fall 2022) BISC 104. How the Body Works, MWF, 01:00pm – 01:50pm, ONLINE
- (Fall 2022) BISC 230. The Biology of the Brain, MWF, 12:00pm – 12:50pm, ONLINE
- (Fall 2022) BISC 421. Neurobiology, MWF, 11:00am – 11:50am, SAL101 & ONLINE
- (Spring 2023) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TTh, 09:30am – 10:50am, THH101
- (Spring 2023) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TTh, 08:00am – 09:20am, THH101
- (Spring 2023) BISC 230. The Biology of the Brain, MW, 12:00pm – 01:50pm, ZHS252
- (Summer 2023) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TWThF, 10:00am – 12:05pm, HNB100
- (Fall 2023) BISC 104. How the Body Works, MWF, 01:00pm – 01:50pm
- (Fall 2023) BISC 230. The Biology of the Brain, MWF, 03:00pm – 03:50pm, MHP B7B
- (Fall 2023) BISC 421. Neurobiology, MWF, 11:00am – 11:50am, SAL101
- (Spring 2024) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TTh, 09:30am – 10:50am, THH101
- (Spring 2024) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TTh, 08:00am – 09:20am, SAL101
- (Spring 2024) BISC 230. The Biology of the Brain, MW, 12:00pm – 01:50pm
- (Summer 2024) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TWThF, 10:00am – 12:05pm, HNB100
- (Fall 2024) BISC 104. How the Body Works, MWF, 01:00pm – 01:50pm, ZHS159
- (Fall 2024) BISC 230. The Biology of the Brain, MWF, 03:00pm – 03:50pm, MHPB7B
- (Spring 2025) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TTh, 09:30am – 10:50am, THH101
- (Spring 2025) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TTh, 02:00pm – 03:20pm, SAL101
- (Spring 2025) BISC 230. The Biology of the Brain, MW, 12:00pm – 01:50pm, DMC258
- (Spring 2025) BISC 407. Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, TTh, 11:00am – 12:20pm, ZHS159
- (Summer 2025) BISC 220. General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, TWThF, 10:00am – 12:05pm, HNB100
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- NSCI-525: Advanced Topics in Neuroscience II Guest Lecture Title: “Crash Course in Mammalian Neuroanatomy”, 2024 –
- BISC-194: Introduction to Research II Guest Lecture Title: “A Bottom-up Approach to Becoming a Neuroscientist and the Value of Early STEM Education”, 2023 –
- BISC-321: Multidisciplinary Seminar: Science, Technology and Society Guest Lecture Title: “The Reading Brain: Exploring the Neuroanatomical and Behavioral Correlates of Reading in Children with Dyslexia”, 2023 –
- BISC/ NEUR-199: Neuroscience Colloquium Guest Lecture Title: “A Bottom-up Approach to Becoming a Neuroscientist and the Value of Early STEM Education”, 2023 –
- BISC-193: Introduction to Research I Guest Lecture Title: “A Bottom-up Approach to Becoming a Neuroscientist and the Value of Early STEM Education”, 2022 –
- BISC-150: The Nature of Human Health and Disease Guest Lecture Title: “The Reading Brain: Exploring the Neuroanatomical and Behavioral Correlates of Reading in Children with Dyslexia”, Spring 2023
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Book
- Barakat, R. (2025). Biology of the Brain. Top Hat.
Journal Article
- Barakat, R. (2022). Science and Representation: Examining the role of STEM Educational Intervention in Primary School Children’s Self-Identity. Spring Nature (SN) Social Sciences. Vol. 2 DOI
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- Neuroanatomy, BISC, Fall 2023
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Office Hours
- Thursdays : 2:30 – 4:00 pm
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Committees
- Member, Biological Sciences Laboratory Safety Committee, 2024 –
- Member, Neurobiology Section Executive Committee, 2024 –
- Chair, Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP) Connectome, 2023 –
Other Service to the University
- Elected Board Member on University Club Board of Councilors, 2024 –
- Elected Member of Dornsife Faculty Council (DFC) , 2025-2026
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Professional Memberships
- Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER), 2024 –