Once again, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School (POBJFK) has been awarded head of the hive following a third consecutive win at the annual Long Island Brain Bee, a regional high school science competition held on Feb. 11 at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell that tests knowledge of the brain and nervous system.
This year’s competitor pool included 51 students representing 25 high schools in Nassau and Suffolk counties, double the number of participants since the medical school revitalized the contest in 2017.
“It is my first time competing in the Brain Bee. My [science] teacher encouraged me to enter, and I also have in interest in the brain, so I decided to enter,” said winner, Breanna Huang-Ouyang, a junior at POBJFK who has earned a trip to compete at the USA Regional Brain Bee Championship at Penn State University in April. “I hope to pursue medicine and neuroscience research in the future.”
Second place was captured by POBJFK classmate Kreena Totala while returning competitor, Sachem North High School senior Amy DeLury, finished in third.
“I was hoping to win in my final year of the contest,” said DeLury who was among the top three finishers in 2017 and 2018, “but it’s a gigantic learning experience, I’m happy to be part of it.”
The first leg of a nationwide competition, the LI Brain Bee is one of many local one-day contests that take place in communities throughout the U.S. In New York, it includes Long Island, New York City and Westchester County. The top finishers from these competitions advance to the national Brain Bee and vie for a chance to match wits on a worldwide stage at the International Brain Bee Championship. The goal of the event is to expose young scholars to the study of the brain and motivate early career interest in the fields of neuroscience research and clinical sciences.
“Many students who took part in our earlier competitions are now in college and majoring in neuroscience, it’s gratifying,” said Zeinab Nassrallah assistant professor of science education at Zucker School of Medicine and Brain Bee co-coordinator with Jessica Santangelo assistant professor of biology at Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
“It’s especially wonderful to see so many young women participating in the contest and eager to learn more about opportunities in science and medicine,” said Santangelo.
The LI Brain Bee consists of three rounds of competition: a multiple-choice exam on brain facts, a laboratory demonstration, and a test to identify anatomical functions and structures in real human brain specimens. Contestants also participate in a charades-style round in which they identify brain disorders, treatments, and diagnostic tools based on skits performed by Zucker School of Medicine students. Preparation for the Brain Bee requires study of Brain Facts, a contest primer published by the Society for Neuroscience.
In addition to testing, students learn about the importance of scientific discovery to advance understanding of the brain and the treatment of neurological disorders in a talk given by Zucker associate professor of neurology and science education, Joel N.H. Stern, who is co-director of the autoimmune brain disorder research program at Northwell Health’s Lenox Hill Hospital. Competitors also viewed scientific posters detailing graduate and undergraduate neuroscience investigations followed by a medical student presentation on brain imaging.
“The high level of intelligence, energy, and enthusiasm of these students at such a young age is inspiring,” said Dr. Lawrence Smith, dean of the Zucker School of Medicine who joined the event festivities. “The future of medicine and science is very bright.”
For more information about the Long Island Brain Bee, visit medicine.hofsta.edu.
