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Rutgers-Central NJ Regional Brain Bee Competition

The 2024 Rutgers-Central NJ Regional Brain Bee was held on Saturday, February 10, 2024

 

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  Congratulations to our 2024 Winners!

 

First Place

Charles Solazzo
Monmouth County Academy for Allied Health & Sciences
 

Second Place

Anand Prashad
Matawan Regional High School
 

Third Place

Siddharth Rajakumar
Monmouth County Academy for Allied Health & Sciences
 
Charles will represent the Rutgers-Central NJ Region in the National Brain Bee at the University of Central Florida in April.

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Overview: 

Our 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 Central NJ at the 2024 US National Brain Bee, which will be held in person at the University of Central Florida on April 19 – 21, 2024.

National champions from around the world will go on to compete in the 2024 International Brain Bee, which will be held virtually in conjunction with the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL on October 5-9.

Format: 

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

Round 1: 45-50 question written test for all contestants

  • Everyone will be given the same question
  • Question will be projected on the screen
  • You will have 30 seconds to answer each question

Lunch Break and Neuroscience Educational Programs

Round 2:  5 question oral answer test for first-cut finalists

  • Round-robin question-and-answer
  • Each contestant will be given a different question to answer orally
  • Each contestant will answer 5 different questions during the round
  • You will have up to 30 seconds to answer

Round 3: Jeopardy-style oral answer test for second-cut finalists

  • Grand finalists will be chosen from the top performers in Rounds 1 and 2
  • All contestants will be given the same question and will write their answers on a white board (“jeopardy-style”)
  • You will have 1 minute to answer each question
  • The round will continue until the top three finishers are determined

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

Study Guide:  

Questions from all three 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.

Round 3 questions may also include additional material on CNS anatomy, histology, and clinical neurology from diverse sources.

Prizes:

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

First place: $300 | Second place: $200 | Third place: $100

In addition, reasonable travel expenses (lodging, food and transportation) will be reimbursed, in accordance with University policy, to the first place winner (competitor + parent/guardian) to attend the National Brain Bee competition, if it will be held in-person.

General Rules:

  • 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 are prohibited from competing again.
  • Contestants and parents may not use any recording devices or take notes of any kind during the competition.

Registration:

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

Registration is closed.

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

  • Your Name
  • Home Address
  • E-mail Address
  • Current Grade Level
  • High School Name
  • High School Address
  • Name of your Biology Teacher

Additional Information:

  • Registered students will receive further information by email prior to the competition date (directions, parking instructions, competition day shedule listing enrichment activities).
  • Attendance at the competition is open to all students, parents, teachers, and guests
  • Pizza lunch and refreshments will be provided by the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology
  • The Regional Brain Bee Competition Day Schedule will also include opportunities to discuss science, academic careers, and other issues with RWJ Neuroscience professors, research professionals, students and postdoctoral fellows.

SPECIAL COVID-19 INFORMATION:
  • This competition will take place in-person in the Main Lecture Hall and Great Hall of RWJMS in Piscataway.
  • All attendees (contestants and guests) will be required to abide by all University, State or Federal public health guidelines.
  • We will update all registered attendees via email during the week prior to the competition to provide up-to-date information on the guidelines and requirements, but at minimum all guests should be prepared to wear a surgical or N-95 facemask while indoors at all times.

Contact:

For questions/inquiries about the Central New Jersey Regional Brain Bee Competition, please contact competition adminstrator Ms. Joan Mordes (mordesja@rwjms.rutgers.edu)  or competition organizer Michael Matise, PhD (matisemp@rwjms.rutgers.edu).