–Excerpts from The Brain Brief Vol. 5, No. 1 January 2008“Canadian Idol is for Sissies!”
First Canadian National Brain Bee Competition http://schools.ibro.info/Pub/Pub_Main_Display.asp?LC_Docs_ID=2832
 
The Brain Bee is a competition for high school students, grades 9 through 12. It is fashioned after a traditional Spelling Bee, except that students answer questions about the brain and neuroscience research.
 
The Brain Bee is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about the brain and the importance of brain research, and it gives them an opportunity to visit the university in their area and meet students and professors who are doing this research. One of the goals is to attract bright young minds to the study of neuroscience, and the Brain Bee is an effective recruitment tool.
 
This is an exciting year for Canada and the Brain Bee. Canada will host the First Canadian National Brain Bee, organized by the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, on May 9-10. Also, for the first time ever, Canada will host the International Brain Bee later that month in Montreal as part of the Second Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting (see details below).
 
The Brain Bee is part of Brain Awareness Week ( http://www.sfn.org.baw/). Each year in March local Brain Bee competitions take place in countries around the world. There are currently 12 local Brain Bees across Canada, including competitions in Calgary, Edmonton, St. John’s, Halifax, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Saskatoon.
 
The winner from each of these local Brain Bees will travel to McMaster University in early May to compete for the first ever Canadian National title. Local organizers are Dr. Judith M. Shedden, Dr. Joe Kim and Chris McAllister. They are joined by a large team of other volunteers including faculty, staff and students. McMaster’s Brain Bee has enjoyed great media attention over the years, including an article in the Globe & Mail last year entitled “Canadian Idol is for Sissies”:  http://brain.mcmaster.ca/brainbee/GlobeMail.2007.copy2.jpg
 
The Canadian Brain Bee champion will join a small group of other national winners for the first truly international event in Montreal. This will include 16-year-old Australian Quinn McGennisten who won the Australia/New Zealand Brain Bee competition held during the International Brain Research Organization World Congress in Melbourne in July 2007 (see August 2007 Brain Brief at www.ibro.org). Past International Brain Bee competitions were held at the University of Maryland with most of the competitors coming from North America.
 
Canadians have won the international title on more than one occasion. 2002 International Brain Bee winner Marvin Chum, now studying medicine at the University of Western Ontario, is a member of the local organizing team. He is a living testimony of the Brain Bee as an effective recruitment tool.

Details for the Canadian Brain Bee and the International Brain Bee are still being worked out but events promise to be an opportunity to highlight brain research and young talented students from Canada and abroad.
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Second Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting
Montreal, Quebec, May 25-28, 2008
 
The second Canadian Neuroscience Meeting will be held at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure Hotel in May, jointly organized by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience and CIHR’s Institute for Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addictions.
 
Building on the success of their first meeting in Toronto last spring, organizers are expecting over 1,000 delegates in Montreal. The Scientific Program Committee is organizing an exciting program of symposia and plenary talks. Highlights will be the presentations by Brain Star awardees ( http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/8585.html) and presentation of the Marlene Reimer Brain Star of the Year Award. Another highlight of the program will be the International Brain Bee Competition, the sequel to the Canadian Brain Bee (see above), and everyone is looking forward to an exciting finale!  For more information, see CIHR-INMHAs next issue of Brain Brief. Meeting and registration details available at http://www.can-acn2008.org/

–Excerpts from The Brain Brief Vol. 5, No. 1 January 2008