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About the Brain Bee

Neuroscience has never been more relevant to pushing the boundaries of humanity's potential. By studying the mechanisms of the mind, the roots of behavior, the causes of disease, and the capacity to grow and change throughout one's life, neuroscience opens a window into what makes us human.

 

Alongside its own merits, the field also serves as a launchpad for public interest in science. With brains of our own, we're all naturally fascinated by the gift of thought, perception, and experience. In an age when neural networks are being applied to advance technology and brain-computer interfaces are being introduced to market, the study of neuroscience takes center stage. It is the mission of the International Brain Bee to expand that stage to every classroom of the world and, ultimately, fuel the next generation of top scientists and doctors.

 

Currently, 53 nations are engaged in coordinating Brain Bee programs, and the number progressively increases. About 50,000 students participate across all six continents every year, and more than 600 neuroscientists have been involved with organizing and judging the events. An Alumni Club has been established to sustain the inspired and global community of young scientists into their university and career tracts.

 

The Brain Bee competition platform is organized on three levels: local, national, and international. Local scientific institutions are licensed by the International Brain Bee (IBB) to carry out city-wide or regional events, engaging high school students. The first-place prize winners are granted the opportunity to compete at the national level. The National Champions are, in turn, invited to represent their country at the annual international competition, which is hosted by different neuroscience organizations during an international conference.

 

The format of the competitions vary between events, but the most common program includes a live judging panel of neuroscientists, posing questions about neuroscience directly to the students, in a style much like a Spelling Bee. Hence, the name "Brain Bee". Additional competition components include a neuroanatomy practical, neurohistology identification and characterization, patient diagnosis based on interactive medical examinations and video footage, and written exams.

 

Partnerships with and support from universities, organizations, foundations, and companies make the Brain Bee possible. All coordination is done on a volunteer basis by members of local scientific communities.

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httpneuroscience.williams.edu

httpneuroscience.williams.edu

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Past International Champions

1999: David Alpay: Earl Haig High School, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

2000: Otilia Husu: Mountain Ridge High School, Glendale, Arizona, UNITED STATES

2001: Arjun Bharioke: Churchill Junior High, New Providence, New Jersey, UNITED STATES

2002: Marvin Chum: Earl Haig High School, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

2003: Saroj Kunnakkat: Lynbrook High School, New York City, New York, UNITED STATES

2004: Bhaktapriya Nagalla: Farmington High School in Connecticut, UNITED STATES

2005: John Liu: Michigan High School, Berea, Ohio, UNITED STATES

2006: Jong Park, UT High School, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

2007: Melody Hu, Wayzata High School, Minneapolis, MN, UNITED STATES

2008: Elena Perry, Richard Montgomary High School, Bethesda, MD UNITED STATES

2009: Julia Chartove, Richard Montgomary High School, Bethesda, MD UNITED STATES

2010: Ritika Chohani, Prabhavati Padamshi Soni International college, Mumbai, INDIA

2011: Thanh-Liem Huynh-Tran, Cate School, Carpinteria, California, UNITED STATES

2012: Teresa Tang, Brisbane State High School, Queensland, AUSTRALIA

2013: Jackson Huang, Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology, Queensland, AUSTRALIA

2014: Gayathri Muthukumar, National Public School, Bangalore, INDIA

2015: Jade Pham, James Ruse Agricultural High School, Carlingford, AUSTRALIA

2016: Ana Ghenciulescu, "Mihai Viteazul" National College Bucharest, ROMANIA

2017: Sojas Wagle, Har-Ber High School, Arkansas, USA

2018: Piotr Oleksy, Liceum Ogółnokształcące High School, Krakow, POLAND

2019: Yidou (Gwen) Weng, Jiangxi Normal University, CHINA

past events

“It changed the way I view the world and myself.”

Jiantao Shen

Australia

“My Brain Bee experience was one of the defining experiences of my high school career. It helped my self-confidence to grow enormously. It was a fantastic academic challenge and sparked an interest in neuroscience, allowed me to meet people with whom I still maintain valuable connections”.

Rachael Wiltshire

New Zealand

“Before the Brain Bee, I wanted to be a biology teacher, now I’m going into medicine. Thank you.”

Ammar bin Ahmad Mokhtar

Malaysia

“It changed my point of view towards life, gave me a completely different perspective. I feel that I became a wide minded person.”

S. Amontova

Germany

“It opened me up to the world of neuroscience and careers in scientific research, we don’t get that in high school.”

Hannah Kelly

New Zealand

“It was an awesome experience which made me understand both the beauty and the importance of Neuroscience.” 

Gianmarco

Italy

 “It made me realize that there are still so many opportunities for research in the field of medicine. Whether it’s finding out the best course of treatment or even a cure for diseases like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s, there is still so much to learn and discover which I could one day contribute towards.” 

Koki Mutungi

Kenya

“I am now proud to be a PhD student focusing on axonal regeneration.” QM., Australia

Q. M.

Australia

“It was with no doubt the best experience I’ve done so far in my whole life. Absolutely!”

Giulio Deangeli

Italy

“I honestly view my participation as a dividing line in my life- there is before Brain Bee and there is after Brain Bee.”

R. W.

New Zealand

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Testimonials

testimonials

Organizing Committee

Organizing Committee

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CAITLIN BANKS

 

 

Director of Operations

Graduate Student Researcher,

University of California, Davis

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DR. MILLIE COPARA

Partnership Director

The FUTURES Program

University of California, Davis

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STELA PAVLOVA PETKOVA

Neuroanatomy Lead

PhD Candidate in Neuroscience

UC Davis

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DR. JULIANNE McCALL

Scientific Director

Science Officer, California Governor's Office of Planning and Research

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NICHOLE HOLM

Press Director

PhD Candidate, Genetics

UC Davis

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DR. KAREN L. JONES

Student Recruitment Lead

Public Policy Fellow

League of Women Voters

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DR. MARISSA KRAYNAK

Scientific Coordinator

Research Analyst

Educational Results Partnership

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DR. LIZETH PEREZ

Logistics Support

Adjunct Professor

Folsom Lake College

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DR. LANDON KLEIN

Scientific Coordinator

Privacy Committee Senior Consultant

California State Legislature

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DR. CHANEL MATNEY

Communications Support

Transportation Consultant

California State Legislature

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International Brain Bee Home

The official website of the International Brain Bee provides information about the organization's leadership and the upcoming World Championship.

Host Conference: 10th Congress of the International Brain Research Organization

The host conference for the 2019 World Championship is the International Brain Research Organization, where neuroscientists gather from across the globe to discuss the latest research breakthroughs. Key topics this year include stem cells, neurodegenerative diseases, and cutting-edge research technology.

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Fun Links

Check out this curated list of videos and course material from TED Talks, all about the brain and neural mechanisms

Produced by Cold Spring Harbor, this interactive web learning platform allows users to explore the brain in 3D.

Everyone's favorite resource for a general and updated introduction to neuroscience.

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Info Links

links

Significance of the Brain Bee Logo

logo

The Brain Bee logo consists of a combination of a brain on the top and a bee on the bottom, reflecting the name: the brain for the main focus of the competition, and the bee for the coming together for challenging, educational competition.  The stinger of the bee represents the quill or tip of a pen, the sign of intelligence and education. The two lobes of the brain also resemble the traditional symbol of the heart, symbolizing passion for our fellow man.

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