Local teens interested in testing their knowledge about the brain can make a beeline for Brock University.
Science enthusiasts and newcomers alike are invited to explore the mind’s inner workings at the inaugural Niagara Brain Bee Competition on Monday, April 7.
Hosted by Brock’s Centre for Neuroscience, the competition is part of a larger network of events happening across the country and around the world. Niagara’s winner will be invited to the annual Canadian National Brain Bee, sponsored by the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR), and the winner of the national event will have the opportunity to take part in an international contest.
Assistant Professor of Psychology Paula Duarte Guterman, Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Neuroscience, likens the Brain Bee to a traditional spelling bee but with questions about the brain and how it works. However, she emphasizes that students do not need expertise or even a background in neuroscience to sign up.
“The Brain Bee is for everyone who is interested,” she says. “We provide the study materials, so the only thing you need is the motivation to learn.”
Links to all open-source study materials are available on the event website under the heading “Study Materials.” In the run-up to April 7, participants can also join online study sessions with undergraduate Neuroscience students to help them prepare.
Assistant Professor Stephen Glasgow in the Department of Biological Sciences says the event, which will also include activities and information on Brock’s Neuroscience program, is a great opportunity for participants to learn about a field that may be less familiar to teens.
“When I was a high school student, we had biology and chemistry and physics, but neuroscience wasn’t a path I would have known about,” he says. “Sub-specializations like neuroscience are interdisciplinary and can be combined, so we want students to learn about this viable path they may not even know about yet.”
Glasgow also notes that Niagara competitors have had to travel out of the region to take part in previous years, so he is excited to bring the Brain Bee tradition to Brock.
“This inaugural event will highlight the growing neuroscience community at Brock,” he says. “It’s a great opportunity for students to get exposure to real research and build their neuroscience understanding.”
Duarte Guterman is also eager to welcome the community.
“This is such a fun part — sharing the amazement people experience when they learn new things,” she says. “So, I’m really looking forward to meeting high school students, family members and teachers and getting to know the community, as well.”
All Niagara high school students from Grades 9 to 12 are welcome to take part but must register online by Friday, March 28.
