On March 1, 2025, nearly 70 students from more than 34 Long Island and New York City high schools participated in the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell hosted the seventh-annual Long Island Brain Bee competition.
The LI Brain Bee serves as the inaugural stage in a nationwide competition focused on brain sciences. Champions of this regional contest advance to the National Brain Bee Championship, where they will compete for a chance to represent the country at the International Brain Bee.
The LI Brain Bee consists of two rounds, a multiple-choice exam based on “Brain Facts,” published by the Society for Neuroscience and a hands-on laboratory practical where participants analyze and engage with real human brain and neurological specimens to identify anatomical structures and their functions.
“The Brain Bee is always an exciting competition that we enjoy hosting at the Zucker School of Medicine. Students are able to get conceptual and hands-on experience all while learning about the brain and neurosciences,” explained Vanessa Reddin, PhD, associate professor of Science Education and Brain Bee 2025 organizer. “We’re hoping that from this competition today, the participating students discover new things about the brain, learn lots of brain facts, get exposed to variety of brain anatomy and specific parts of the brain, and hopefully spark an interest for a career in the brain sciences or medical field in the future.”
This year’s top three performers in the contest were revealed to be Isabella Fong, Great Neck South High School (first place), Vincent Foschino, Island Trees High School (second place), and Soha Jhaveri, Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School (third place).
She now prepares to go head-to-head with other regional champions when they convene at the National Brain Bee Championship at Rutgers University on May 3-4.
When asked about how she prepared for the competition, Fong said it was consistent studying and last year’s Brain Bee that was integral to her success. “I studied consistently for about a month and made sure to study as much as I could every single day.
Participating in last year’s competition also helped me know what to expect and motivated me to work hard,” explained Fong, who is currently a high school sophomore. “It feels surreal to win, but at the same time, so rewarding. I’m really proud of myself and I’m excited to go to Nationals.”
The Zucker School of Medicine also offers interactive sessions exploring different aspects of brain study, led by medical professionals, during the competition. These sessions, one of which taught students how to diagnose certain brain diseases and neurological conditions, keep students engaged in neurological studies, helping to pave the way for future careers in medicine and science research.
“This event mirrors the Zucker School of Medicine’s Structure curriculum by allowing learners to see the brain from many different perspectives. This year they saw authentic anatomy in real brain specimens, surgical videos, and medical imaging. Students also met professionals working in all aspects of brain science and healthcare,” said Robert Hill, director of the Structural Sciences and Anatomical Gift Program and associate professor of Science Education. “It’s a special opportunity for young people interested in medical careers to meet medical students, practicing physicians, and medical school faculty.”
As the champion of the LI Brain Bee at the Zucker School of Medicine, Fong will also participate in a summer internship opportunity sponsored by the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, where she will conduct research and complete a summer research project on a topic of her choice.
“I’m looking forward to meeting all the researchers and scientists and immersing myself in a research environment,” said Fong. “I am excited to have a new opportunity to engage in research, gain experience and see what’s to come.”
