UNE hosts high school students for annual neuroscience competition

Twenty-three students from local high schools competed in the 2020 Southern Maine Brain Bee hosted by UNE’s Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences (CEN).

Students competed in a spelling bee-like neuroscience competition, with the winner having the opportunity to compete at the National Brain Bee.

Participating schools included Biddeford High School, Thornton Academy, and Acton-Boxborough Regional High School from Massachusetts.

This year’s competition went into a sudden death round with first place being captured by Chris Sousounis of Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. Thornton Academy students Maya Trahan and Chase Buzzell finished second and third.

Prior to the match, students participated in sheep brain dissections organized by the CEN K-12 Outreach Program and were given guided anatomy tours of human brain tissue samples provided by College of Osteopathic Medicine students.

Jennifer Malon, M.P.H. ’14, CEN program manager, organized the event.

“This is a great event for all participants—volunteers and students alike,” she stated. “The medical fellows gave an amazing anatomy lesson prior to the competition, which really made the bee extra special.”

Ian Meng, Ph.D., director of CEN, served as master of ceremonies for the event.