Rutgers-Central New Jersey Regional Brain Bee

March 14, 2026

OVERVIEW

The Rutgers-Central NJ Regional Brain Bee is part of an annual international competition for High School Students testing their knowledge in the field of Neuroscience, sponsored in part by the Society for Neuroscience based in Washington DC, the largest professional Neuroscience society in the world. 

The winner of our competition will represent the Rutgers-Central NJ chapter at the 2026 US National Brain Bee to take place in person at the University of California Irvine on Saturday, April 26.

The US National Champion will join other winners from around the world to compete in the 2026  International Brain Bee which has been held virtually since 2020.

HISTORY

Our Regional Brain Bee has been held continuously since 2011 (except 2021 and 2022), and is organized annually by Dr. Michael Matise with the administrative support of Joan Mordes and funding by the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Chaired by Dr. Cheryl Dreyfus. We are proud that our competitors have routinely finished in the top 10 at the US National Brain Bee and count 1 National Champion and a number of top 3 finishers among our alumni.

We were honored to host the 2025 US National Brain Bee Championship at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway.  Competition pictures can be viewed here.

FORMAT

The Central NJ Brain Bee competition will take place in two rounds:

Round 1: 50 question written test for all contestants (before lunch break)

• Everyone will be given the same question
• Question will be projected on the screen and read aloud at the podium
• You will have 30 seconds to answer each question

Round 2: Jeopardy-style oral answer test for finalists

• Grand finalists will be chosen from the top performers in Round 1
• All finalists will be given the same question and will write their answers on a white board (“jeopardy-style”)
• Contestants will have 1 minute to answer each question
• Contestants will be eliminated after missing 3 questions
• The round will continue until the top three finishers are determined
• Some questions in this round may come from Dr. Zhang’s lecture on Neuroscience at Rutgers.
• In case of ties, the finishing order will be determined by first round score if possible.

Please note that specific aspects of the competition format may vary from the above.

JUDGING and SCORING

Round 1 comprises written answers that will be graded during lunch, while Round 2 will have live judging from a panel of expert professional neuroscientists.  All judging decisions are final.

Due to confidentiality needs, competitors will not have access to their first round scores or finishing order.

Questions from all  rounds will be based primarily on information contained in the 2018 edition of Brain Facts, a publication of the Society for Neuroscience, which can be downloaded here.

Cash prizes will be provided for the top three finishers in the Central NJ Brain Bee.

1. 1st place:  $300
2. 2nd place: $200
3. 3rd place:  $100

In addition, we will provide funding (registration fee, food and transportation) to the first place winner and chaperone (parent/guardian) to attend the National Brain Bee competition, in accordance with University policy.

• All students currently enrolled in a New Jersey public or private high school are eligible to compete.
• Students may compete in only one regional Brain Bee per year.
• Contestants who placed in the top 3 finalists from any prior year in our competition are prohibited from competing again.  You are eligible if you place in other regional competitions in prior years.
• Contestants and parents may not use any recording devices or take notes of any kind during the competition.
• We expect contestants to observe an Academic Honor Code during the competition.

Participation is free and open to all students who wish to attend. Space is limited so advance registration is required. 

Registration is now OPEN.

Please send the following information via e-mail to Joan Mordes at: mordesja@rwjms.rutgers.edu

We welcome and encourage science teachers to attend the competition with their students. 

If you are planning to attend, please contact Ms. Joan Mordes or competition organizer Michael Matise, PhD. so that we can issue a name tag and make sure to check in with you when you are here!

• Registered competitors will receive further information by email prior to the competition date (directions, parking instructions, competition day schedule listing enrichment activities).

• Our competition welcomes families, teachers and friends who accompany the competitors to observe the competition as well as attend lunch.
• Pizza lunch and refreshments will be provided by the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology
• Our event also includes opportunities to discuss science, academic careers, and other issues with RWJ Neuroscience professors, research professionals, students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Observers may not use any recording devices or take notes of any kind during the competition and may be asked to leave if found to be doing so.

The International Youth Neuroscience Association (IYNA), founded in 2016, is a student-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to connecting, educating, and inspiring the next generation of neuroscientists. Representing over 6,000 student members across the globe, its goal is to provide both free, high-quality educational opportunities and a global community to help students explore neuroscience and related fields. To achieve this goal, the IYNA runs an annual online “introduction to neuroscience” summer course, publishes a globally read student neuroscience journal, and supports an international chapter system that empowers high school and undergraduate students to conduct neuroscience outreach in their own communities. The group also organizes other events, including the Neuro & Career webinar series in collaboration with the Dana Foundation, an Ideathon in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, and a Brain Bee Bootcamp with the support of the International Brain Bee. To learn more about the IYNA and get involved, please visit our website (youthneuro.org)!