2025 Irvine Brain Bee Inspires the Next Generation of Neuroscientists
On Saturday, February 8th, the UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM) hosted the 7th annual Irvine Brain Bee, bringing together 74 high school students from across Southern California for an immersive day of neuroscience exploration. The Brain Bee, an international competition designed to inspire young minds to pursue careers in neuroscience, challenges students’ knowledge of the brain through a series of rigorous exams and hands-on activities.
This year’s event was made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the CNLM and the dedicated efforts of the organizing committee, postdoctoral fellow Dr. Rachael Hokenson and doctoral students Winny Ning, Allison Morehouse, and Julie Loritsch. The Irvine Brain Bee was founded and is directed by CNLM Director of Outreach and Education, Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa, with support from the CNLM Office of Outreach and Education team Dr. Morgan Coburn and Dr. Erin Purvis.
Students arrived early in the morning, eager to don their signature Brain Bee t-shirts (green tie-dye this year!) and embark on a day of learning, discovery, and friendly competition. The event featured a variety of hands-on neuroscience activities, allowing students to experience the field beyond the written competition. Participants had the opportunity to mount mouse brain slices onto slides, dissect sheep brains, explore real preserved human brains, and test their own brains and motor skills with the mirror star-drawing activity. They also recorded EEG from their brains and explored the fundamentals of neuroprosthetics. Additionally, students toured the research laboratories of Dr. Bruce McNaughton and Dr. Eitan Schechtman, gaining insights into real-world neuroscience research.
For Stanley Suen, a 12th grader from Northwood High School and this year’s Irvine Brain Bee champion, the experience was particularly meaningful. “I had always loved studying the brain, as I was fascinated by the way a squishy three-pound organ makes us what it means to be human,” he shared. “Seeing that the Brain Bee was not only a competition but also a day to tour some of UCI’s neuroscience labs, I was excited to dip my toes into what it would look like to possibly pursue a career in neuroscience. I want to thank all the people who made this day possible, including all the volunteers, Dr. Manuella Yassa, and the UCI professors who graciously volunteered their labs to be toured.”
A highlight of the day was the keynote lecture delivered by Dr. Bryce Mander, a UC Irvine faculty member and CNLM Fellow specializing in sleep and neurodegenerative diseases. His talk, titled “Sleep and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Two-Way Street?”, captivated students with insights into how sleep impacts brain health and memory, providing an inspiring perspective on the intersections between neuroscience and medicine.
Following the engaging activities, the competition culminated in the highly anticipated final round, where the top-scoring students from the written and anatomy exams faced off in an intense Q&A session judged by esteemed faculty members Dr. Eitan Schechtman, Dr. Lulu Chen, and Dr. Steve Mahler. The competition tested the finalists’ depth of knowledge and quick thinking, showcasing their hard work and passion for neuroscience.
Below are the top 10 scoring students who participated in the finals round, in alphabetical order:
Madeline Cheng (Northwood High School, 10th Grade)
Chaewon Kim (North Hollywood High School, 10th Grade)
Diane Magpayo (Troy High School, 12th Grade)
Kayla Roh (Fairmont Preparatory Academy, 10th Grade)
Shravya Sethi (Gretchen Whitney High School, 10th Grade)
Aadhya Shenoy (Arnold O. Beckman High School, 11th Grade)
Stanley Suen (Northwood High School, 12th Grade)
Raelle Tiong (Northwood High School, 11th Grade)
Mahima Wuppalapati (Portola High School, 9th Grade)
Claire Yuan (Orange County School of the Arts, 10th Grade)
For Stanley, the lab tours were a highlight of the experience. “Being able to take a look at real cadaver brains, as well as looking at million-dollar lab equipment and observing mice experiments, was incredible,” he said. His interest in neuroscience is closely tied to his future aspirations—he hopes to become a surgeon and sees the knowledge he’s gaining now as a valuable foundation for medical school.
Congratulations to the 2025 Irvine Brain Bee winners!
🥉 3rd place: Aadhya Shenoy (Arnold O. Beckman High School, 11th Grade)
🥈 2nd place: Kayla Roh (Fairmont Preparatory Academy, 10th Grade)
🥇 1st place: Stanley Suen (Northwood High School, 12th Grade)
Looking ahead to the national competition, Stanley is excited to deepen his neuroscience knowledge and compete on a larger stage. “I will definitely be on the grind to represent Irvine at this competition,” he said. “I’m most excited to compete against all the other aspiring neuroscientists across the country for a spot at the International Brain Bee.”
“We are so proud of our top 3 finalists Stanley, Kayla, Aadya, and all the high schoolers who participated in this year’s Irvine Brain Bee. We are thrilled to see so many students engage with neuroscience in such a meaningful way.” said Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa, CNLM Director of Outreach and Education, founding director of the Irvine Brain Bee, and co-director of the USA Brain Bee. “The Irvine Brain Bee would not be possible without the dedication of over 50 volunteers—undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty—who give their time to inspire and train the next generation of neuroscientists. Their efforts make an immeasurable impact on these students’ futures and I’m immensely grateful to work with such an amazing team.”
For more information about the Irvine Brain Bee and opportunities to support future initiatives, please visit irvinebrainbee.org or contact Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa at Manuella.Yassa@uci.edu, (949) 824-5193.
About the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory:
Established in 1983 by the UC Regents, with James L. McGaugh as its Founding Director, the CNLM is the first research institute in the world dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of the fundamental brain mechanisms of learning and memory. It is credited with numerous seminal discoveries about how memory works and is recognized as a global leader in the area. Led by Director Michael Yassa, the CNLM is home to more than 120 faculty scientists at UCI and beyond. The Center’s Office of Outreach and Education has also developed a number of successful neurosciene education programs that aim to inspire and train the next generation of neuroscience leaders. For more information about the CNLM, visit cnlm.uci.edu.