Maja Ramljak, Ottawa ON – With 2020 already upon us, our annual, local Brain Bee Competition is just a few months away.

Every year, local Bees take place in cities across Canada, from Vancouver to New Brunswick, as high school students compete for a spot in the National Brain Bee competition – also known as the CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee Championship.

This year’s 13th annual competition will be hosted by McMaster University, with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place national winners receiving trophies and cash prices ($1500, $1000, and $500, respectively). The national winner then goes forward to represent Canada at the International Brain Bee, hosted in Washington, D.C. this season.

Our past Brain Bee winners have noted that the competition left them with more than just a trophy. They also learned valuable studying strategies, gained a deeper understanding and love for Neuroscience, as well as an impactful research experience working in a Neuroscience laboratory on Carleton campus.

Thinking of competing in the local Ottawa Brain Bee? Read the following statements from our previous winners: Melisa Eraslan and Nathan Biniam!

“There are 100 billion neurons in our brain, each of which is able to synapse and form connections to 1000 to 200,000 other neurons. An astonishing amount of information is coded within every synapse that occurs at every second, making it impossible to fully understand how our brain works to manifest basically everything that we are. The unexplained phenomena of the brain is what captivated me and continues to drive me to seek more knowledge in this area. 

In high school, I found out about the Brain Bee, a competition for students in grades 9 through 12, where they are tested on their knowledge about the brain and neuroscience research. As soon as I found out about it, I knew it would be the perfect way to broaden my perspective in the field of neuroscience and so I signed up!

Preparing for the Bee by attending the weekly prep sessions at Carleton was an experience that really benefited me as I was able to learn a lot more about the subject I had a passion for and even got rewarded for all my hard work with a summer job! After I won the 2018 Ottawa Brain Bee, I was off to the Nationals and with the guidance of my mentor, I managed to place 4th at the national competition. 

Following the Bee, I was given the opportunity to work in Dr. Abizaid’s neuroscience research lab over the summer. It was beyond exciting to learn about new laboratory techniques and being involved in the current cutting-edge research that was going on. I definitely learned an incredible amount from my experience in the lab – enough that even enabled me to have a vision for my own project where I explored the role of ghrelin in treating major depressive disorder. All this to say I absolutely loved the Bee as well as the opportunities it gave me. It was for sure a highlight in my high school career!

Now, I’m in my first year at McGill University studying Biomedical Sciences and the knowledge and skills I acquired from the Bee are still helping me in many ways. From my improved study habits, to countless lectures turning into a review simply because I was already familiar with the material. I’m always keeping neuroscience doors open for me in terms of pursuing a career – it is definitely a field I see myself being involved in. 

Overall, my experience with the Bee was extremely fulfilling, and this wasn’t because of the “wins” and the internship. It was because without it, I would not have been nearly as knowledgeable as I am in neuroscience and I also would not have acquired many of the skills and values I gained throughout the worthwhile process of studying, learning, questioning and performing. With that being said, I highly suggest all of you to take a shot at the Brain Bee and take steps towards your passions! Regardless of the outcome of the competition, knowledge always gives us power, so why not learn more if we can?”

-Melisa Eraslan (2018 Winner)

 

“From a very early age I have always been interested in the complexity and intricacy of the human brain, one of the few human organs we are yet to fully understand. In Grade 10, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the Brain Bee, the neuroscience competition which confirmed my passion and love for this field. What intrigued me about Brain Bee was the support provided with weekly review sessions, and neuroscientists to assist students in understanding complex topics whether it be neuroanatomy or even neurological disorders. Attending these weekly sessions not only went through topics focused on in the competition but also informed students about the new discoveries in the field allowing for connections to be made to what we were learning. As the winner of the 2017 Ottawa Brain Bee, I had the chance to attend the national competition and receive further training which all in all was an amazing experience. My love for neuroscience, solidified by Brain Bee, led me and a fellow Brain Bee participant to open a Neuroscience and Mental Health Club at my high school! Most notably, as the winner of the Ottawa Brain Bee, I won an internship (yes – a summer job!) working in a neuroscience lab at Carleton University, during which I got to experience firsthand how research is conducted in this field. Now, I am a first year student at the University of Ottawa studying Biomedical Sciences AND helping out with this year’s Brain Bee! To any high school students, I can not explain how amazing of an opportunity this is and would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat (or should I say action-potential)!”

-Nathan Biniam (2017 Winner)

For more information regarding the 2020 Ottawa Brain Bee, click here.