Welcome to the 2nd Annual San Diego Brain Bee Neuroscience Competition!


~Where the best brains meet.

  • All the participants on stage All the participants(2009) on stage.
  • The organizers The organizers of the competition.
  • On Stage Byron asking the judges a question.
  • Winning Trophy Winning Trophy.
  • The final 2 The final 2.
  • 5 Title text 5

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 after lunch 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 $500 UCSD Bookstore gift certificate, and a full paid trip for the winner and a parent/guardian to Baltimore to compete in the U.S. National Brain Bee. A trophy is also awarded to the winner.


2nd place prize is $100 UCSD Bookstore gift certificate.

Apply


Applications are now closed.


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 October 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 20th and student applications by December 4th for students to be considered.
  4. Students will be notified by email and/or mail on or before Monday, December 14th regarding their registration status. Only the first 75 nominated students who submit applications will be accepted.



If you are eligible, click here

Your information:


First Name:    Last Name:

School:

Grade Level:

Street Address:    Apt. #    Zip Code

Telephone Number:

Email:

Vegetarian:   Yes     No

Nominating Teacher Name:    Email:    Phone:

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

Total number of vegetarian meals (not including participant) :  

Total number of non-vegetarian meals (not including particpant)

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 at The Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla (about one mile north of the main UCSD campus, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Dr., 92121). Directions are described here: http://www.nsi.edu/index.php?page=directions_map.

Study sessions

The review session will be at UCSD in the Cognitive Science Building on January 23rd, 2010, Room 003. Parking is available in the Muir Upper Lot. The Cognitive Science Building and Muir Upper Lot can both be found here.

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
View pdf!

Sponsors



Life Techonologies


The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation


Neuroscience Institute


Society for Neuroscience-San Diego Chapter


National Science Foundation

Competition Day


Event Schedule- Saturday, January 30th:


10:45 - registration opens- please try to make it to The Neurosciences Institute by then to pick up your participation packet (lots of goodies for you guys!) and head into the auditorium (students only)
11:05 – Group photo of contestants on stage- don't be late!
11:10 - Student Quiz handed out (10)
11:30 - Opening remarks
11:45 – Morning Round questioning begins (all students seated on stage, guests in the audience)
1:30-3:00 - Lunch on the rooftop terrace: students will be assigned a table designation with a neuroscientist and current graduate or medical student (8 total per table). Open seating for family members, friends, and teachers will also have a chance to share lunch with neuroscientists, graduate students, and other guests at separate tables.
3:00-3:45 - Final Round for the top ten finalists (from the First and Second Rounds)
3:45 – 4:00 Awards ceremony and closing remarks

Dress code: feel free to wear the official Brain Bee t-shirt during the event. Otherwise, not too formal (don't even think about wearing a jacket and tie!), but don't look like you spent the night on a park bench either.

Contact


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





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


Brain Bee 2009


Watch a slideshow!
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Ben GammagePranay RungtaLaura GrossmanTaylor UekertJoel StarrWarren RocketVarun Chaturvedi Devan DiwanjiPaulina AlvarezByron InocencioSamvit RamadurgamSujin ParkTara AlpertAmin AalipourAlex AlimAndre OrnishAyesha BoseHannah SlaterSarah SchweizerJames GiammonaJazmin MurnierGabriel MandellJosie AlvarezThiebalt BagnolMichael BergsmaNali GillespieOlivia LenzOmar ShariorPhilip WeberPrabhav JainSnigdha Poddar

Hover over the participant's faces to see their name.

Participants
Participants


Winner: Prabhav Jain, Torrey Pines High School


Runner Up: 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
© 2009 Prabhav Jain. All rights reserved.