Congratulations to Helene Li, 2022 Canadian National Brain Bee Champion and 2022 International Brain Bee Champion!!
Helene Li has competed at the level of our local Ottawa Brain Bee, the Canadian National Brain Bee competition, and the International Brain Bee Championship – and succeeded at each level to take first place as world champion! Congratulations and well done, Helene!
What is the Brain Bee?
The Brain Bee is a competition for high school students, grades 9 through 12, where students are tested on their knowledge of neuroscience and the brain. A three-tiered organization (i.e., local, national, and international), the Brain Bee is composed of regional and national competitions all around the world, culminating in a final competition: the International Brain Bee (IBB) World Championship. The World Championship is held every year in conjunction with major scientific conferences. The 2022 World IBB Championship was held in conjunction with the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2022 in collaboration with the Paris Brain Institute.
Since its inception in 1998, it has grown to boast 175 local Brain Bee competitions in 50 countries around the world. At the Canadian National level, there are local brain bees across the country, taking place in Vancouver, Yukon, Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Toronto, New Brunswick, and more. Most importantly, the Brain Bee brings students together – whether it be at the level of their community, country, or the world – to foster an environment where they may support one another, network, and share their passions for learning, neuroscience, and the brain.
For more on the International Brain Bee, click here.
From Ottawa to the World
Based at Carleton University, the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Ottawa Chapter proudly organizes and hosts the Ottawa Brain Bee every year. The Ottawa Brain Bee (BB) is run entirely by Carleton neuroscience graduate students and is spear-headed by PhD student, Brendan Hoffe. On April 30th, 2022, nine students were tested on their neuroscience knowledge for a chance to be crowned the Ottawa BB winner and to compete at the Canadian National level. Every year, study material is provided ahead of time and SfN Ottawa Chapter members organize and compile study resources, create lecture content and host review sessions before the competition. After this year’s competition, competitors also had the opportunity to attend information panels with undergraduate and graduate students in neuroscience to share experiences and discuss post-secondary education, neuroscience, research, and more.
OUR TOP THREE OTTAWA BRAIN BEE COMPETITORS:
First Place: Helene Li
Second Place: Ruhi Nayar
Third Place: Harsh Mutupuri
Congratulations to all our Ottawa competitors!
As our Ottawa BB winner, Helene Li went on to compete at the 2022 CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee on May 27-28, 2022 against twelve other students, all winners of their own local BB competitions. After successfully winning first place, Helene then went on to represent Canada on July 2-9, at the 2022 International Brain Bee competition. While the Ottawa and Canadian Brain Bee competition material was the same, the International Brain Bee expanded upon this material to test competitors on entirely new content, giving students just five weeks to learn and study new material before the championship.
2022 International Brain Bee Championship
The IBB competition was split into two parts. First, all 31 competitors from around the world completed four separate tests: a written exam, a neuroanatomy, neurohistology, and patient diagnosis section all within a three-day timeframe, under pre-arranged supervision. Then, based on total combined scores, 11 finalists advanced to the live judging session: a Q&A round with four neuroscientist judges.
Watch the competition here!
The top three 2022 International Brain Bee Championship finalists were:
First place: Helene Li (Canada)
Second place: Anmol Bhatia (USA)
Third Place: Ugne Birstonaite (Lithuania)
These top three were awarded a full scholarship to a 2023 Virtual Advanced Medical Neuroscience Internship or an Advance Medical Public Health Internship. As IBB World Champion, Helene received a monetary prize of US $3,000, a personalized plaque, and a medal alongside her internship. As Ottawa BB winner, she also received a scholarship for an internship in a neuroscience research lab at Carleton University. Finally, Helene also received the 2022 IBB Neuroanatomy/Histology Award, awarded to the competitor with the highest scores in the neuroanatomy and neurohistology components of the competition. Well done, Helene!!
Helene Li: Future Neuroscientist
An incredible student and future neuroscientist, Helene Li is quite accomplished for a student her age. As such, these accomplishments are well-deserved and fitting for an individual so determined and dedicated to learning about the brain. Excelling at the challenges of competing across the levels of the Brain Bee, Helene has commented on her experience as a competitor during her CBC News interview, noting how her Brain Bee journey has ultimately made her a better student. An inspiration to many, Helene has also been vocal about her passion for neuroscience as well as her future plans to contribute to the field of neuroscience research.
Read about and listen to Helene’s CBC News interview here!
Helene’s thoughts on her Brain Bee experience, future plans, and more:
I am Helene Li, a Grade 10 student in the International Baccalaureate program at Merivale High School in Ottawa. I was a competitor representing Canada in the International Brain Bee 2022. I am honoured and glad to have achieved success at the international level. I would like to thank my science teacher at school, Mme Brunet, and my homeroom teacher, Mrs. Stalder, for their inspiration and kind support. My interest in neuroscience began with my keen curiosity about the complexity of the brain and its intricate structures. Then, the Brain Bee guided me to a well-rounded neuroscience curriculum, which covered topics from molecular mechanisms to patient presentations. The kind professors and mentors I met through the Brain Bee provided me with valuable guidance and encouragement, which greatly improved my performance and gave direction to my future studies.
During my preparation, I effectively used my daily travel time by listening to a chapter of Brain Facts (a required textbook for the regional and national competition 2022). I had more time to digest knowledge and ponder concepts throughout the day, which promoted my efficiency during concentrated study at home. When I came across challenging concepts, I utilized the video modules and Q&A sessions that the Ottawa Brain Bee committee prepared for all Ottawa competitors. Prior to the national and international competition, I received guidance on neuroscience knowledge, neuroanatomy, and neurohistology sections from my mentors, Brendan and Maja, from the Ottawa Brain Bee committee. I am very grateful to the Ottawa Brain Bee committee for their efforts in preparing the additional resources and encouragement.
I can now understand the basics of current neuroscience breakthroughs with the knowledge gained from the competitions. One example is the discovery of the molecular mechanisms of temperature and touch receptors, which I recognized from my textbooks, by Nobel laureates Drs. David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Their accomplishments are a source of inspiration for me to further my study in neuroscience and increase my desire to pursue a similar career.
What I have learned through my experience in the Brain Bee extends beyond neuroscience. Competing in the Brain Bee has urged me to become a better student. I have met outstanding professors, mentors, and successful peers. With the professors’ and coordinators’ support for the success of the competition, the Brain Bee was memorable and insightful. I am inspired by the accomplishments and the highly disciplined work ethics of the competitors and alumni I have met through the Brain Bee. They have outstanding skills in many areas, such as leadership and public speaking. With their influence, I strive to become a learner with diverse knowledge and a well-rounded skill set.
As my next step, I plan to propose additional neuroscience sessions in the Science Club at my school to encourage my peers who are interested in neuroscience and want to compete in the Brain Bee. I wish to invite guest speakers who can share knowledge in the field. I believe their insight is very impactful and would guide youth to pursue their passion in neuroscience. Additionally, I am very grateful to have the opportunity to take part in a lab internship at Carleton University and an internship provided by Leadership Initiatives as the sponsor of the International Brain Bee. I look forward to the exciting years ahead, and I will continue studying neuroscience as I complete my high school education.