Fairfield University to host "Brain Bee" | Press Releases

Fairfield University's Neuroscience Club, in conjunction with the Program in Neuroscience, will host the first "Brain Bee" in Connecticut on Saturday, Feb. 19th, at 9 a.m. in Canisius Hall, Room 15. The winner of the local Brain Bee will receive a trophy and be invited to compete in the International Brain Bee at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, March 14 and 15. The winner of that event will receive $3,000 with second place receiving $2,000 and third, $1,000.

Aisha A. Seyal, a graduate of Fairfield High School and president of the Neuroscience Club at Fairfield University, is helping to arrange the Brain Bee which was held last year for the first time at 18 sites in the United States and Canada. This year Fairfield University is one of 45 sites in several countries holding the contest .

Dr. John Boitano, director of the Program in Neuroscience at Fairfield, said the competition is intended "to motivate our youth to learn about the brain, capture their imagination, and inspire them to pursue careers in biomedical brain research." That is important, he noted, because, "We need their energy and their passion to fight and win the war against mental retardation, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury and other brain disorders."

He expects students from Fairfield High School, Fairfield Prep and Notre Dame High School to compete this year and plans to expand to other schools next year. All questions at the competition come from a book, "Brain Facts," which the students are given to study beforehand.

The International Brain Bee is scheduled as part of International Brain Awareness Week, which is March 15 to 22.