Welcome to the 4th Annual San Diego Brain Bee Neuroscience Competition!


~Where the best brains meet.

  • All the participants on stage All the participants (2011) on stage.
  • The organizers The judges of the competition.
  • Registration Finalists with Dr.Spitzer
  • Thinking Doctor Spitzer(left) and winner Abby Stuart(right)
  • Thinking Doctor Spitzer(left) and winner Abby Stuart(right)

About


The Brain Bee is a live question and answer neuroscience competition that is designed to teach students about our most powerful computing machine- the brain. Already there are 70 local brain bees and more than 20 participating countries. High School students from all over the world compete for the title of best brain and are tested in such topics as brain cognition and function, diseases, physiology, and chemistry. Students will study from a publication from the Society of Neuroscience called Brain Facts.


The rules of the competition are quite simple: The first round will be a written test that will only take about 15 minutes to administer. The second round will give every student the opportunity to answer three questions: a least difficult, moderately difficult, and most difficult question each, which are valued at 2, 3, and 4 points, respectively. All students will be sitting up on stage and will approach the podium to answer each question, which will be posed by the uber-friendly panel of three judges. Essentially, by the end of the Second Round, you will have been at the podium three times. If time permits more rounds will be added.

The Final Round will begin with the top ten finalists, according to the points accumulated during the First and Second Rounds. After all students answer a least difficult, and then a moderately difficult question, all further questions will be ranked "most difficult". The format will be triple-elimination. The last remaining contestant on stage after all others have missed three questions each will be our Brain Bee winner!


1st place prize is a full paid trip for the winner and a parent/guardian to Baltimore to compete in the U.S. National Brain Bee on March 4th and 5th.

Apply


We will begin accepting applications in Fall 2011.


Eligibility


  1. High school students only grades 9-12, home-schooled students welcome
  2. Resident of San Diego County
  3. No past winners of either the International Brain Bee or any subset (including the local bees) - past participants are still welcome
  4. Teacher Nomination

Application Process


Since every school may only nominate two students, we must receive a personal email from each nominating teacher before a student submits their application. Letters are sent in early November to every high school science department with complete event information. Students may also bring their teachers’ attention to this website to learn more about the contest. If there is more interest from any school beyond the two-student limit, teachers may hold an individually-designed school contest to determine the two students who may apply to enter the San Diego Brain Bee.

  1. Teachers must send an email to sdbrainbee@gmail.com with the nominated students’ name and grade level.
  2. Students can then submit their application by completing the form below.
  3. Nomination emails must be received by November 30th and student applications by December 10th for students to be considered.
  4. Students will be notified by email and/or mail on or before Monday, December 21st regarding their registration status. Only the first 75 nominated students who submit applications will be accepted.



Your information:


First Name:    Last Name:

School:

Grade Level:

Street Address:    Apt. #    Zip Code

Telephone Number:

Email:

Have you participated in a brain bee before?:   Yes     No

Nominating Teacher Name:    Email:    Phone:

Number of guests planning to attend competition (not including participant):

Interested in attending an official Brain Bee study session?:   Yes     No

T-shirt size:   Small    Medium     Large     Extra Large  




Download Preparation Materials


The contest will be based on information found in the Society for Neuroscience Brain Facts publication. Download it here, or you can visit http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainfacts

Competition Venue

The event will be held in the auditorium (B210, 211, 212) on the east building of the Super Computer Center at the UCSD campus. (9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92092 ). Click for map to the venue.


Want some practice?

These following local bee sample questions were officially released by the International Brain Bee:


Click the question to reveal the answer.


  1. Approximately how many neurons does the brain contain?
    100 billion
  2. Name the device that measures brain waves.
    Electroencephalograph
  3. Stargazer mice are experimental models for which type of epilepsy?
    Petit mal epilepsy
  4. Prozac relieves symptoms of depression by affecting which neurotransmitter?
    Serotonin
  5. The Greek word for the branches of a tree give us the name of what part of a neuron?
    Dendrites
  6. Name the surgical procedure that destroys part of the basal ganglia and helps Parkinson's patients.
    Pallidotomy
  7. The biological clock is located in what part of the brain?
    Hypothalamus
  8. Name a brain disorder named after a famous baseball player.
    Lou Gehrig's disease
  9. What is the most common type of inherited mental retardation?
    Fragile X Syndrome
  10. Name the peptide that accumulates in the senile plaques of brains of Alzheimer's patients?
    Beta Amyloid
  11. What chromosome is altered to cause Huntington's disease?
    Four
  12. What is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation?
    Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
  13. The abbreviation PET stands for what brain imagine technique?
    Positron emission topography
  14. What kind of molecules are netrins and semaphorins?
    Guidance molecules
  15. Name a cognitive disorder associated with chronic alcoholism.
    Korsakoff's Syndrome

Sponsors



Sponsors

Competition Day


Event Schedule - Sunday, February 12, 2012:


Location: Auditorium (B210, 211, 212) in the east building of the Super Computer Center at the UCSD campus. Click for map.

Contact


Name
Subject
Your Email:
Your Phone:
Comments/Questions:





Emails can also directly be sent to our sdbrainbee@gmail.com account.


2009 Brain Bee


Participants


Winner: Prabhav Jain, Torrey Pines High School

2nd Place: Nali Gillespie, Moutain Valley Academy


Alex Alim, Canyon Crest Academy
Joel Starr, Charter School of SD
Warren Rockett, Charter School of SD
Omar Sharior, Charter School of SD
Michael Bergsma, Francis Parker
Ayesha Bose, Francis Parker
Tara Alpert, Francis Parker
Devan Diwanji, Francis Parker
Andre Ornish, La Jolla Country Day
Laura Grossman, La Jolla Country Day
Olivia Lenz, La Jolla Country Day
Sujin Park, La Jolla Country Day
Ben Gammage, La Jolla High
James Giammona, La Jolla High
Sarah Schweizer, Mountain Valley Academy
Taylor Uekert, Moutain Valley Academy
Nali Gillespie, Moutain Valley Academy
Jazmin Murier, San Ysidro
Josephine Alvarez, San Ysidro
Paulina Alvarez, San Ysidro
Byron Inocencio, San Ysidro
Philip Weber, Scripps Ranch
Thibault Bagnol, Scripps Ranch
Prabhav Jain,Torrey Pines
Varun Chaturvedi,Torrey Pines
Samvit Ramadurgam,Torrey Pines
Amin Aalipour,Torrey Pines
Pranay Rungta,Torrey Pines
Hannah Slater, University City
Snigdha Poddar, University City
Gabriel Mandell, Canyon Crest Academy

2010 Brain Bee


Participants


Winner: Omar Sharior, Audeo Charter School

2nd Place: Samvit Ramadurgam, Torrey Pines High School

3rd Place: Praneet Mylavarapu, Torrey Pines High School


Rebecca Koppel, Patrick Henry High School
Josie Alvarez, San Ysidro High School
Hector Lerma, San Ysidro High School
Anna Simpson, Patrick Henry High School
Samvit Ramadurgam, Torrey Pines High School
Benjamin Gammage, La Jolla High School
Abby Stuart, Cathedral Catholic High School
Priya Bisarya, Torrey Pines High School
Praneet Mylavarapu, Torrey Pines High School
Michael Bergsma, Francis Parker
Billy Evans, Francis Parker
Devan Diwanji, Francis Parker
Jaleh Najmi, High Tech High North County
Melissa Fisher, High Tech High North County
Ian Trahan, La Jolla High School
Howon Lee, Torrey Pines High School
Caroline Yu, Torrey Pines High School
Vaishnavi Rao, Canyon Crest Academy
Sujin Park, La Jolla Country Day School
Barbara Varsanofieva, Canyon Crest Academy
Alexandra Castillejos, La Jolla Country Day School
Jack Cassou, La Jolla Country Day
Omar Shahrior, Audeo Charter School
Ashley Johnson, The Classical Academy High School
Hannah Lo, Heritage Christian
Jordan Lynn, Heritage Christian School
Gi Hye Im, Eastlake High School
Jeremy Feinstein, San Diego Center Academy
Iryna Ivasyk, Canyon Crest Academy
Alex Abdel Alim, Canyon Crest Academy
Warren Rockett, Charter School of San Diego
Andrew Buss, Classical Academy High School
Alison Mills, San Pasqual High School
Nali Gillespie, Moutain Valley Academy
Leo Zhou Scripps, Ranch High School
Glenn Ibarra, Jr., Castle Park High School
Heather Barnes, Cathedral Catholic High Schol
Michael Ruder, San Pasqua High School
Neda Jafar, Bayshore Prep
Sarah Schweizer, Mountain Valley Academy
Stephanie Parker, Bayshore Prep
Taylor Uekert, Mountain Valley Academy
Connor Sullivan, San Pasqual High School
Madeleine Mauro, Eastlake High School
Jack Schreiber, The Grauer School
Tina Rickard, Westview High School
Jose Olivas, Castle Park High
Nick Altieri, Scripps Ranch High School
Janine Chow, Pacific Ridge School
Chiara Dorigo, Pacific Ridge School

2011 Brain Bee


Participants


Winner: Abby Stuart, Cathedral Catholic High School


2nd Place: Vaishnavi Rao, Canyon Crest Academy

3rd Place: Marci Rosenberg, Torrey Pines High School

4th Place: Priya Bisarya, Torrey Pines High School

5th Place: Praneet Mylavarapu, Torrey Pines High School


Apoorva Mylavarapu, Torrey Pines High School
Praneet Mylavarapu, Torrey Pines High School
Nafis Akbar, Scripps Ranch High
Priyanka Bisarya, Torrey Pines High School
Joe Matten, Canyon Crest Academy
Devan Diwanji, Francis Parker
Hannah Moody, Heritage Christian School
Gautam Soundararajan, Francis Parker School
Vaishnavi Rao, Canyon Crest Academy
Abby Stuart, Cathedral Catholic High School
Thomas Ryan, Scripps Ranch High School
Siddhartho Bhattacharya, Torrey Pines High School
Vivek Vishwanath, Scripps Ranch High School
Kamran Jamil, The Bishop's School
Marci Rosenberg, Torrey Pines High School
Gi Hye Im, Eastlake High School
Samuel Mejia, Bayshore Prep
Neda Jafar, Bayshore Prep
Matthew Higgins, The Grauer School
Shawn Bharadwaj, The Grauer School
Jack Schreiber, The Grauer School
Luis Bracenas, San Ysidro High School
Walter Jule, San Ysidro High School
Nathan Baker, High Tech High North County
Ian Torbett, Pacific Ridge School
Radmer van der Heyde, Pacific Ridge
Milan Halgren, La Jolla High School
Ashley Johnson, Classical Academy High School
Isabellas Pacheco, Martin Luther King High School
Parul Pubbi, Torrey Pines High School
Anthony Livingston, High Tech High North County
Robert Ramirez, High Tech High North County
Jaleh Najmi, High Tech High North County
Andrew Cross, La Jolla Country Day School
Michael Bergsma, Francis Parker High School
Tina Huang, The Bishop's School