Rutgers University is preparing to host the National Brain Bee competition for the first time. The event will take place at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) in New Brunswick from May 2 to 4, following regional competitions at RWJMS on February 22 and at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) in Newark on March 16.
Charles Solazzo, a senior at Monmouth County Academy for Allied Health & Sciences in Neptune, has been actively involved in these competitions. Solazzo won the 2024 Central New Jersey Brain Bee and placed in the top ten nationally. He expressed that his participation was about more than just winning: “It’s more about everything you learn, the fun you have and the people you meet.”
The Brain Bee competition encourages high school students to pursue careers in neuroscience by testing their knowledge of brain research and neurological disorders. Students prepare using “Brain Facts,” a publication by the Society for Neuroscience, and compete through written tests, oral rounds, and a Jeopardy-style format.
Michael Matise, an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology at RWJMS who has led the Central New Jersey Brain Bee since 2011, emphasized the program’s educational value: “There are very few opportunities for high school students to learn about what real scientists do in their labs every day. That’s why I really like this program. It offers students a wonderful opportunity.”
Matise coordinates these events with Steven Levison from NJMS. The NJMS Brain Bee is sponsored by the Rutgers Brain Health Institute. The competition helps students understand how various brain functions relate to different aspects of human experience such as memory, emotions, intelligence, stress, sleep disorders, aging, and other brain disorders.
Reflecting on his own experiences with science education during high school, Matise noted: “When I was in high school… I didn’t know about research until my sophomore year in college when I took a neuroscience course.” He added that Rutgers provides numerous research opportunities that can inspire future academic careers.
Solazzo recalled a memorable moment from his competition experience involving a question on Tay-Sachs disease: “I wrote down my answer on the whiteboard and thought he would get it right, but he didn’t,” said Solazzo. Despite feeling nervous during the competition, he does not regret participating.
