CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee
The CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee is a competition that brings together top-performing high school students from across the country to test their neuroscience and brain research knowledge. The winner of the national competition advances to the International Brain Bee World Championship, which was founded in 1998 with a mission to build better brains to fight brain disorders.
The Brain Bee is similar to a spelling bee, except that high school students answer questions about intelligence, memory, emotions, stress, brain imaging, sleep, and neurological disease. The Brain Bees and the studying leading up to the competitions aim to inspire students to pursue careers in neuroscience and related fields.
From Brain Bee to Parliament Hill
CIHR is proud to support the next generation of neuroscientists in Canada. Through the CIHR National Brain Bee, teens across the country explore the world of neuroscience and are inspired to pursue careers in brain health.
Anya Sinha and Melisa Eraslan, Ottawa Brain Bee champions, were introduced to neuroscience through the program and are now pursuing opportunities in the field. On February 11, 2026, they helped CIHR mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by meeting with the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, and members of the women’s caucus on Parliament Hill. Their journey reflects the impact of the CIHR National Brain Bee.
To learn more about the CIHR Canadian National Brain Bee, please visit the official competition website.
- 2025 Participants
- 2024 Participants
- 2023 Participants
- 2022 Participants
- 2021 Participants
- 2020 Participants – cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
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