Midwestern University welcomed some of the state’s top high school science students Feb. 8 for the 24th Annual Arizona Regional Brain Bee, an educational competition similar to a spelling bee that focuses on neuroscience.
The top three Brain Bee finishers were champion Baochan Fan of Hamilton High School, runner-up Catherine McInnes of BASIS Chandler charter school and third-place finisher Pranati Chintada, also of BASIS.
This year’s Brain Bee featured 45 students from15 Valley high schools, testing their knowledge of the human brain and how it governs human behavior. They were also grilled on the science that helps medical professionals understand brain function.
The event final lasted for 19 rounds.
Fan is now eligible to compete at the 2023 U.S. National Brain Bee at the University of California, Irvine, this spring, with Midwestern covering the travel, hotel, and food costs up to $2,000.
BASIS Chandler was also recognized for having the overall highest-scoring team at the event.
Questions ran the gamut from identifying physical features of the brain itself to naming brain disorders and diseases to surgical and medical practices that modify neural behaviors.
The Brain Bee is funded by the BHHS Legacy Foundation, which is an Arizona charitable organization whose philanthropic mission is to enhance the quality of life and health of those it serves.
