Meet Your Professor: Oliver Zhao ’14

Which courses do you teach?
This spring I’m teaching a course called Neuro 103: Neurodiversity, Equity, and Ethics. It’s a course for neuroscience majors, and it also fulfills the university’s cultural diversity requirement. The course is built around three main components. First, neurodiversity. We explore a range of cognitive and developmental conditions, such as autism and ADHD, examining how these are understood both clinically and socially. Second, equity. We look at the historical and ongoing marginalization of individuals with disabilities, from early movements like German eugenics, to the disability rights movement in the U.S., and current advocacy efforts. The third part is ethics. The entire course is grounded in a bioethical framework, where students can critically reflect on how medicine, society, and policy shape our understanding of neurodiversity. Overall, it’s a highly interdisciplinary course, and my goal is to help students connect neuroscience with the broader social and ethical context.

What brings you to USF?
I’m an alum. I graduated in 2014 as a kinesiology major on the pre-med track, and I also explored neuroscience, gerontology, and dance — three minors. USF was a turning point for me. After my dream in ballet didn’t work out, I wasn’t sure what direction to take, or even whether I would succeed academically. But during my time at USF, I found a purpose. USF became the starting point of my journey into medicine. Since then, I’ve trained and worked across different settings, including UCSF, Harvard, Oxford, and Peking University in China, which has given me a global perspective. But throughout that journey, USF has always felt like home — not only because I’ve lived in San Francisco for much of my life, but because of the values it represents: community, cultural diversity, and a commitment to service. Coming back as a faculty member feels meaningful to me. I hope to support and inspire students in the same way I was supported here.

What do you bring to USF? 
Empathy. As an alum, I understand the students’ experience here. I can relate to students not just academically but personally — especially those who may still be figuring out their path. I also bring an interdisciplinary perspective, with a background in medicine, global health, and bioethics. And I bring experience as a physician who has provided patient care in both the United States and China, helping students see how what they learn applies to health care and to society.

Your advice to incoming first-year students?
Take college seriously. Of course, you should enjoy your time here, but always remember why you are here. Spend time exploring who you are, what interests you, and what resources the university offers. Our faculty and staff truly want to see you succeed, so take advantage of that. Talk to people — your peers, your professors — because each conversation can bring a new perspective into your life. Try not to stay in your own bubble. Step outside of it, connect with others, find what inspires you, and start building a path that is uniquely yours.

Your favorite place in San Francisco?
Clement Street. There’s so much good food there, especially Asian food. It’s such a lively and welcoming neighborhood, with so many fun things to explore. And the best part is, it’s close to campus and actually pretty affordable for college students.