Brainy teens tackle neuroscience challenge

High school students recently competed at the Brain Bee Challenge, hosted by the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research.

Year 11 students from 30 secondary schools competed in the live neuroscience quiz, toured brain research labs, and heard from acclaimed researchers about the wonders of the human brain on 25 June.

To earn a place at Brain Bee, students had to achieve top scores at a series of neuroscience quizzes at their schools.

The overall winner was Nakisha Wood from Carmel College, who received the highest quiz score. Second place went to Hannah Tegg and third place Shvein Hewage, both from Westlake Girls’ High School.

Nakisha will now face the South Island winner to decide the New Zealand Brain Bee champion, with the national winner advancing to the International Brain Bee, to be held virtually in December.

The top ten students received a Brain Bee Neurological Foundation Internship, giving them the opportunity to spend a day as a neuroscientist at the Centre for Brain Research in September.

Distinguished Professor Sir Richard Faull, Director of the Centre for Brain Research, says the event is a wonderful way to open young minds to the possibility of a future in brain research.

“These students are the next generation of brain explorers,” Sir Richard says.

“The Brain Bee lights a fire – you can see it happen on the day. Some of these young people may go on to make discoveries that change lives.”

Associate Professor Deborah Young, national coordinator of the NZ Brain Bee Challenge, says it’s not just about the competition.

“We want students to get excited about how the brain works, and to spark a curiosity about pursuing a career in neuroscience when they reach university.

"We punch above our weight in brain research, and we want young people to know they could be a part of cutting-edge discoveries being made right here in New Zealand,” says Young.

A highlight of Brain Bee is the chance for students to meet real-life scientists – including Jiantao Shen, who discovered his passion for neuroscience when he attended a Brain Bee as a Mt Roskill Grammar student 12 years ago.

Now a postdoctoral researcher, Jiantao is developing cutting-edge tools that use 3D brain imaging and artificial intelligence to help neurosurgeons remove brain tumours.

“I studied Engineering Science and Computer Science at the University of Auckland and was always looking for ways I could apply that knowledge to the brain,” says Shen.

“My postdoctoral research is perfect because it combines my background in AI and computer science to figuring out how to help people diagnosed with a brain tumour.”

The Brain Bee is supported by the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, the Freemasons Foundation and Freemasons – Lodge Discovery, and the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust.