BRITISH NEUROSCIENCE OLYMPIAD

As the world is becoming increasingly complex, STEM subjects are becoming more critical for the UK’s future success. Young people should be equipped with the skills that enable them to solve difficult problems, to gather and evaluate evidence, to make sense of information, and come up with logical, careful analyses to determine what is the best course of action. These skills are the ones that students can learn if they choose to study one of the STEM subjects, including neuroscience. Additionally, with the rising rates of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia that affects more than 850,000 people (2014 Dementia UK report), we urgently need highly-qualified neuroscientists and neurologists to tackle complex brain diseases.

The British Brain Bee is an initiative that runs outreach neuroscience initiatives in the UK, fostering neuroscience education in schools. Since 2017, we have been running an annual school student competition called the British Brain Bee. We are:

• Creating an interest among school students in neuroscience, psychology, medicine, research, and STEM in general;
• Providing an opportunity for school children to meet with neuroscientists and university students, connecting academic research with society and schools;
• Raising awareness of the opportunities that a career in STEM, psychology, and neuroscience can offer;
• Providing career mentoring;
• Visiting schools across the country and teaching about neuroscience and psychology.

The Brain Bee was founded in 1999 and is the worldwide neuroscience competition for high school students. Directed by founder Dr Norbert Myslinski, the Brain Bee motivates students to learn about the brain, captures their imaginations, and inspires them to pursue neuroscience careers in order to help treat and find cures for neurological and psychological disorders. There are currently about 175 Local Chapter Brain Bee coordinators in more than 50 countries across 6 continents that conduct competitions annually.

Our Vision
An educated, inquisitive community of young future leaders that will serve society by
developing new diagnostic techniques and treatments for neurological disorders.

Our Mission
To educate the young generation through engagement with neuroscience.