TALENTED Westbury teenager, Tim Lee, has become the national Brain Bee champion, the neuroscience competition for teenagers, and will now represent the UK in the international competition.
Tim, aged 17, was introduced to the Brain Bee challenge by his chemistry teacher at his previous school, Kingdown School, in 2020.
Now a student at South Wiltshire Grammar School in Salisbury, Tim told White Horse News, “I took part in the 2020 Brain Bee and had to sit an online exam and got through, and competed in the south west regional competition and placed third.
“I was originally meant to compete in the 2020 National Brain Bee, which was cancelled due to Covid, so I competed this year and won the national competition.
“I had to study two neuroscience textbooks, and learn neurological diseases and diagnosis methods and histology and anatomy (parts of the brain under microscope slides or parts of an actual brain).
“The regional and national competition tested all of this with a multiple choice exam, patient diagnosis exam, anatomy and histology exam and live Q&A section.”
Tim says he would like to become a doctor, and has always been interested in neuroscience, but never had a chance to explore it much before Brain Bee.
“I’m very happy to be the national champion, and I’m quite proud as I have put a lot of work into learning the content,” he added.
“Representing the UK is pretty exciting, but quite scary as I will be with the best in the world, but I’m excited for the challenge. I was meant to compete in San Diego with a fully funded trip, but that can’t happen with Covid, so that’s the only downside, but it will hopefully be a great experience.
“The next stage is in November, where I will compete at the International Brain Bee virtually, and there will be some training sessions before then with a neuroscience mentor. “
The International Brain Bee was founded in 1999 and is the world-wide neuroscience competition for high school students. Directed by founder Dr. Norbert Myslinski, the Brain Bee motivates students to learn about the brain, captures their imagination, and inspires them to pursue neuroscience careers to help treat and find cures for neurological and psychological disorders.
Currently, more than 60 nations are engaged in coordinating Brain Bee programmes around the world, and this number is rapidly increasing. About 50,000 students participate across all six continents every year, and more than 600 neuroscientists have been involved with organising and judging the events. An Alumni Club has been established to sustain the global community of young scientists into their university and career tracts.
