The LIU Post Brain Bee Neuroscience Competition was recently held in Brookville, with 58 local high school students among the 92 registered from the Tri-State area. After an intense and exciting day of competition, Preeti Kakani (daughter of Drs. Rajesh and Sonali Kakani) from Jericho High School won the regional title after three previous attempts in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Second place in the LIU Post Brain Bee went to Crystal Zheng, also from Jericho High School.
The Brain Bee is a live question and answer competition that tests the neuroscience knowledge of high school students. Young men and women from all over Long Island, Queens, and Westchester, competed today to determine who is the “best brain” on topics such as genomics, intelligence, memory, emotion, and addiction.
Kakani will go on to attend the national championship at the University of Maryland, Mar. 14 – 15, during Brain Awareness Week, where they will compete against the winners of other local Brain Bee competitions that were held across the country. Winners of each national competition from around the world will attend the International Brain Bee Championship in Washington D.C., in August.
The LIU Post Brain Bee Competition is co-chaired by Neuroscientist and Professor Dr. Grace Rossi and Psychology Department Executive Secretary Susan Ansbro, who also organized several neuroscience workshops at LIU Post for the students during the month of February. Both women collaborate throughout the entire year to make the event special for all students who attend.
“We were fortunate to hold our 15th Annual Long Island University Brain Bee Competition today,” said Rossi. “Each year we look forward to hosting talented, local high school students at LIU Post and hope that it will inspire them to pursue a career in biomedical brain research.”
Dr. Norbert Myslinski, founder of the International Brain Bee continues to motivate students in basic and clinical neurosciences and encourages them to study the brain and nervous system.
