Tassie students stretch their brains at annual Bee
Fifty-five outstanding year 10 students from 12 high schools across Tasmania took part in a day of neuroscience competitions today (Tuesday 6 August), after winning a place in the Tasmanian State Finals of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge (ABBC).
The students completed challenges and neuroscience quizzes at the UTAS Faculty of Health Science's School of Medicine to test their knowledge of the brain and how it works.
ABBC state finalists will also met with neuroscientists at UTAS, including the Faculty of Health Science Wicking Dementia Centre and Menzies Research Institute Tasmania.
Neuroscience is the largest area of medical research at UTAS and involves understanding the brain and how it is affected by neurodegenerative disease as well as traumatic brain injury.
“This competition gives students a feel for what a career in neuroscience might be like. The very best students from around the state will be challenged in a fun and exciting competition,” ABBC National Co-ordinator and neuroscientist Professor Linda Richards said.
“Neurological and mental illness account for a huge proportion of the disease burden in our community so we need to attract the best and brightest minds to take up a career in science.”
5,550 students from 300 schools across Australia and New Zealand took part in the first round of this year’s competition.
This year, more Tasmanian schools and students competed in round one than ever before, making this the largest Tasmanian final yet.
"We’re excited to see more students than ever interested in the brain and neuroscience, at a time when Tasmanian brain research is rapidly growing in international standing.
"We hope these students will build on their neuroscience knowledge to join us in future studies to further enhance the state’s contribution to this important field," said state coordinator, UTAS’ Dr Matthew Kirkcaldie.
"Brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s are critical health issues for the 21st century and Tasmanian initiatives such as the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre are at the leading edge of efforts to meet this enormous challenge."
Team winners -
1st: St Marys District High School
2nd: Burnie High School
3rd: The Fahan School
Each won a copy of Ken Ashwell's The Brain Book for the school library courtesy of Macmillan, and first place won a Zeiss microscope for their school, courtesy of Zeiss.
In the individuals competition -
1st: Finn Buchhorn (St Marys District High School)
2nd: Avalon Chippindale (St Marys District High School)
3rd: Callum Tate (St Helens District High School)
Finn won the Academic Press book "The Brain" (Watson, Kirkcaldie, Paxinos), which will help him revise for his place in the national final at the Australasian Neuroscience Society annual conference in Adelaide next January.
All the individual winners received prizes courtesy of the School of Medicine.
Image: (left to right) Celine Debicki, Corrie Lagewaard and Hannah Woodruff, all from Calvin Christian School.