World Brain Bee Championship: A neuroscience competition for teenagers

The Brain Bee is a neuroscience competition for young students, 13 to 19 years of age.  It will be hosted by the American Psychological Association. The competition has three tiers.  Worldwide there are about 200 local Chapter competitions, each one involving many schools. The winners of those then compete in their respective Regional (National) championships. The Regional winners then go on to represent their countries in the World Championship. They are tested on their knowledge of the human brain including such topics as intelligence, emotions, memory, sleep, vision, hearing, sensation, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, addictions and brain research. The competition involves oral tests, a neuroanatomy laboratory exam with real human brains, a neurohistology test, and a patient diagnosis component with patient actors. Sample questions include: What kind of molecules are semaphorin, ephrin, neuropilin and plexin? Sonic hedgehog is important for the development of what part of the nervous system? What is the medical term for when you start dreaming before you fall asleep? Stargazer mice are experimental models for which type of epilepsy? The winner will receive $3000, a trophy, and the right to represent the Brain Bee around the world. 

The purpose of the Brain Bee is to motivate young men and women to study the brain, and to inspire them to consider careers in the basic and clinical neurosciences. We need them to treat and find cures for the 1000 neurological and psychological disorders around the world. The International Brain Bee President and Founder is Dr. Norbert Myslinski (nmyslinski@umaryland.edu) of The University of Maryland Dental School Department of Neural and Pain Sciences. We encourage neuroscientists and educators around the world to start a Brain Bee competition in their cities. It is easy and fun and the media loves it. 

Visit www.internationalbrainbee.org for more information.