The Brain Bee: Bringing Neuroscience to the Next Generation
Author: Nadine Barone
For many students, an interest in neuroscience begins long before they enter a university classroom. The Brain Bee gives high school students an opportunity to explore that interest, connect with the neuroscience community, and put their knowledge of the brain to the test!
Here at McMaster, the Hamilton Brain Bee brings together students from across the region for a day dedicated to neuroscience. Alongside the competition, students can meet members of the neuroscience community and take part in hands-on workshops and demonstrations.
The experience can also be the beginning of a much bigger journey! The local winner advances to the CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee, where students from across the country compete for the opportunity to represent Canada at the International Brain Bee. This year, the CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee was even hosted alongside Canadian Association for Neuroscience 2026 conference, bringing the students into Canada’s broader neuroscience community.
But the Brain Bee isn’t just an opportunity for high school students! Undergraduate and graduate students are both an important part of making the event happen, with many ways to get involved. Volunteers can serve as hosts, question readers, timers, workshop leaders, or student panelists. Previous workshops have included activities such as sheep brain dissections, optogenetics demonstrations, and SpikerBox demos. There are also plenty of other ways to help throughout the day, from welcoming students and teachers to preparing materials and helping the event run smoothly.
For graduate students, getting involved is a great opportunity to share our enthusiasm for neuroscience while supporting students who may be experiencing the field for the first time. Whether you’re leading a demonstration, answering questions on a student panel, helping out on the day of the event, or simply cheering on the competitors, the Brain Bee is a fun way to connect with the local community and help foster the next generation’s interest in neuroscience.
For more information about the Brain Bee and upcoming events, visit the Brain Bee website or contact Dr. Nikol Piskuric at piskurn@mcmaster.ca