University of Waterloo Brain Bee

Fascinated by the human brain?

Are you interested in:

how our mind interprets our surroundings and makes decisions
how our brain controls our muscles so we can move, and
how chemical imbalances in the brain may cause a range of different neurological diseases?

If yes, then participate in the University of Waterloo’s Annual Brain Bee Competition! You will learn this and much more!

The University of Waterloo’s Department of Kinesiology is proud to host the annual University of Waterloo Brain Bee. It is an exciting opportunity for students to learn about the brain and the importance of brain research. It also provides the opportunity to visit the University and to meet some of our students and professors in kinesiology, neuroscience and other areas.

Lots of fun, gift packages, and cash prizes for the winners!

Check back in January 2018 for updated details and registration for the 2018 event.

So...what's a brain bee?

Watch the video and review the sections below to learn more about the competition and what you can expect.

You can also take a look at the Brain Bee poster (PDF) which contains all the main information about the competition, all of which is also on this website.

Watch video on YouTube

What is the Brain Bee competition?

The Brain Bee is a competition for high school students where competitors answer questions about the brain and neuroscience that are taken from a free introductory neuroscience publication/booklet available below.

First and second place prizes are awarded, $400 and $100 respectively. All participants will get lunch and a gift package just for participating. The first place winner will move on to the Canadian National Brain Bee. The winner of the National will move on to the International Brain Bee (IBB), where competitors across the globe will compete for the international title and prizes.

Students study topics such as memory, sleep, intelligence, emotion, perception, stress, brain imaging, neurotransmitters, genetics and brain disease, to list a few.

The competition will take place using iclickers, which involves pressing a button to indicate your answer to a multiple choice question. Your answer will not be available to any of the other competitors or the audience, therefore the competition is completely anonymous. A computer will tally the results. Your family and friends are welcome to come and take the quiz, space permitting. However, their answers will not be counted towards winning the competition.

Photo gallery

Check out photos of past Brain Bee competitions and our winners gallery

Who can participate?

The competition is open to students in grades 9 through 12 in the Region of Waterloo.

When and where is the competition held?

The University of Waterloo Brain Bee will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2017 from 10:00 a.m. until 1 p.m. Registered students should arrive by 9:30 a.m. to sign in.

It will be held at the University of Waterloo in AHS Expansion building (AHS) Room 1689. See AHS on the UWaterloo main campus map.

Parking is available in Lot N and Lot X (approximately a 5 minute walk). Refer to the UWaterloo main campus map for visitor parking locations. For visitor parking rates, refer to the Visitor Parking section on the UW Parking Services - Rates page.

How can I participate?

To participate, you must sign up by filling out the registration form (check back here for the link when registration opens in January 2018).

After signing up, download the free study material and prepare for the competition! A link to the study material is provided in the next section. Review the information on this website and come back periodically for updates.

What do I need to study for the competition?

Download the free Neuroscience: Science of the Brain publication provided by the British Neuroscience Association. Study the information contained in this book. All the questions in the competition will be taken from this booklet only.
Sample questions which will be similar to the ones in the competition can be found at the end of the Brain Bee video which explains about the event.
Reference the free Brain Facts book provided by the Society for Neuroscience. This is the previous Brain Bee study guide, and can be used as an extra source of information.
For assistance with studying, review the information and sample questions on the National Brain Bee website. There are useful resources under Students > Preparing for the National that can also be used for extra information.