THE NEW YORK CITY REGIONAL BRAIN BEE COMPETITION
In celebration of Brain Awareness Week, the Dana Alliance coordinates the annual New York City (NYC) Regional Brain Bee, a live competition that tests the neuroscience knowledge of high school students. The competition is open to students in grades 9-12 from public and private schools throughout New York City and Westchester County. 

Every year, regional competitions like the New York City Bee are held worldwide as part of the International Brain Bee. The winners of regional Bees in the United States are invited to compete in the United States National Brain Bee at the University of Maryland, a highlight event during Brain Awareness Week. The United States National Champion competes with other national champions in the International Brain Bee and receives a paid summer internship with an esteemed neuroscientist, among other prizes.  

For more information on the New York City Regional Brain Bee, including how to register, please contact the Alliance, bawinfo@dana.org.

2010 NYC Regional Brain Bee Competition
The 2010 NYC Regional Brain Bee took place on Thursday, February 11th at New York University’s Helen & Martin Kimmel Center for University Life.  A record forty students participated in the competition, representing twenty-three schools from all five boroughs of New York City, Westchester County, and for the first time, Dutchess County. Dana Alliance member Michael E. Goldberg, M.D., (pictured below) of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons moderated and judged the competition, along with two graduate students from his lab, Sara Steenrod, a Ph.D. student, and Yixing Xu, an M.D.–Ph.D. student.

For the first time ever, the competition resulted in a tie: Koryalys Edwards (left, in photo above) and Ashley Jabar (right), both of Queens Gateway to Health Sciences Secondary School, both took home first prize and traveled to the National Brain Bee competition in Baltimore during Brain Awareness Week. Both students participated in the 2009 competition, with Ms. Edwards placing third and Ms. Jabar placing fourth. Ms. Edwards and Ms. Jabar received an all expenses paid trip to the National Brain Bee Championship, a $250 cash award from sponsor NRTA: AARP’s Educator Community, and study materials to prepare for the National Bee. Third place winner Sun Young Chung, a junior at Staten Island Technical High School, received a $100 cash award. Congratulations to all the participants!

News story: Two Queens Students Tie for First at NYC Regional Brain Bee

Sponsors
The New York City Regional Brain Bee is by the Dana Alliance and co-sponsored by NRTA: AARP’s Educator Community and the Society for Neuroscience.