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by Bhakti Nagalla, a Junior at the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Sciences from Farmington , CT
Reprinted with permission from the March/April 2005 issue of Imagine Magazine of Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth

Brain Bee Battles

I'll never forget when my freshman biology teacher brought out a human brain in one day. I found it a bit overwhelming to be near something that had once had so much power over someone's life, and I doubted if man would ever be able to make a machine that could outdo the human brain. Thus began my initial curiosity about the brain and neuroscience.

I was able to act on that curiosity through the Society for Neuroscience's Brain Bee, an international neuroscience competition that tests students' knowledge of the brain and nervous system. The North South Foundation, an organization that awards scholarships to financially needy students in India , also sponsors several academic competitions for Indian American students. When I heard that they sponsored a regional Brain Bee, I couldn't wait to sign up.

Third Time's the Charm

To prepare for my second regional a year later, I read each chapter several times and then went back to highlight important points. I also made up practice questions, which my mom used to quiz me before the competition: What are the drugs used to treat Tourette's syndrome? What is the name of the fatal blood disorder that schizophrenic patients can develop from taking the drug clozapine? How many photoreceptors are in each eye? I was happy to place fifth, but I was determined to win the next year.

At the regional competition during my sophomore year, I was very calm, which is quite unusual for me. The 50 or so students were asked to sit in the first five rows of the lecture hall and come up to a podium when asked a question. Students were eliminated once they answered three questions incorrectly.

After about four hours of intense competition, I answered my final question: What is the midpoint between the optic chiasm and visual cortex? (Answer: the lateral geniculate nucleus.) As soon as the judge said "correct," I was incredibly relieved and ecstatic. After three years of trying, I was finally going to the international competition.

Crunch Time

In addition to revisiting Brain Facts for the International Brain Bee, I had just one month to study a book published by the Dana Alliance called Progress Report on Brain Research 2004 : The Brain Immune Connection . This book covers new accomplishments and endeavors in fields such as neuroimmunology, disorders and disease, gene therapy, and neuroethics.

Unlike the regional competitions, there would also be a lab practical to test students on the anatomy of the brain. To study for this, I used an anatomy atlas and paid visits to Professor Doug Oliver at the University of Connecticut Health Center, who allowed me to assist him with a few brain dissections. I found that many scientists love interacting and taking part in the education of youth, if you just ask.

Also in the month before the international competition, my father drove the entire family every weekend from Connecticut to New York to attend preparation classes for the Long Island Brain Bee. These prep classes delved into topics not mentioned in Brain Facts and gave me extra practice being quizzed.

Unlike at the third regional, I was extremely nervous at the international competition. In fact, video footage shows both of my legs shaking on stage throughout the entire ordeal. About 30 students, winners from regionals around the U.S. and Canada , participated in seven rounds of Brain Facts questions and a neuroanatomy practical.

The Brain Facts round was worth 70 percent of the final score, and the rest was determined by 30 questions from a college neuroanatomy test. The five students with the highest scores proceeded to the final round, which used questions from the Progress Report.

After 13 rounds of questioning in the final round, only one other competitor and I remained in the competition. Twenty-two rounds later, my opponent faltered, making me the 2004 International Brain Bee Champion.

Beyond the Brain Bee

As a result of winning the 2004 International Brain Bee, I received an all-expenses-paid trip to San Diego to attend the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting, where it was a thrill to converse knowledgeably with the world's greatest neuroscientists. There, I met Dr. Paul Aravich, a truly inspiring neuroscientist and teacher whose work focuses primarily on Parkinson's disease. After some discussion, he offered to let me do some research in his Virginia lab this summer.

My experience with the Brain Bee encouraged me to pursue an independent project at my school, the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science. There I am learning about electrophysiology by studying the electrical properties of neurons in leeches.

I was also inspired to propose a Connecticut Regional Brain Bee to the director of my school. When February 5th comes along, I will be standing on stage at the Connecticut Regional greeting the 30 or so contestants who are excited to be pursuing their interests—just as I was three years ago.

Follow Up on CT Brain Bee

Seventeen students competed in the first CT Regional Brain Bee on February 5th at the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Sciences in Hartford . Goda Thangada, a junior from Glastonbury who attends Deerfield Academy in MA, won first place at the CT Regional. Olen Shen, junior, from Farmington , CT won 2nd place and Trevor Harris, a senior from Rocky Hill, won third place.
The International Competition took place in March at the University of Maryland in Baltimore . Goda went on to the International and won 3 rd place there. Along with the title, she won $1,000! She's grown to be a good friend of mine and is helping me with conducting the 2006 CT Regional Brain Bee next year. We are again planning on an early February date for the Regional competition, and the International will be in March 2006.

I would like to get the word out about the 2006 CT Regional Brain Bee so we can have even more students compete. Please tell everyone you know about it and contact me at brainbee@crec.org if you would like more information. (Our website is under construction.) The competition is open to all students in Grades 9-12. I highly recommend it!