Claire Zhou takes first place and will represent the United States at the International Brain Bee
Piscataway, NJ––The 2025 USA Brain Bee National Championship has crowned its champion. Claire Zhou, a high school student representing the Atlanta Regional Brain Bee, took first place in the national neuroscience competition for teens. The championship was held on May 3 at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The USA Brain Bee is the national championship of the International Brain Bee, a global neuroscience competition with participants from over 50 countries. During the months leading up to the national competition, regional Brain Bee chapters around the country host competitions to identify winners, who advance to the national competition. This year, 48 regional champions from 26 states gathered to compete in three intensive rounds of competition focused on the human brain and brain disorders.
Zhou will go on to represent the United States at the International Brain Bee, where she will compete against champions from over 50 countries.
Claire described the win as “a complete shock. It felt like a dream honestly, like I could just suddenly wake up and vaguely think: ‘Well that was crazy.’” She shared that studying for the competition was no small feat: “Going through Brain Facts challenged me the most, especially in remembering all the details. There’s so much content and breadth in that seemingly unassuming book! I’m proudest of my growth in neuroanatomy because I still remember not being able to identify the basic lobes not too long ago.”
Claire’s father added: “Claire has always been a curious learner, and it’s been wonderful to watch her dive into neuroscience with such excitement and commitment. We’re so proud of her—and so grateful for the Brain Bee for creating this platform for young minds to thrive.”
In round one, students were asked neuroscience facts and concepts. In round two, students completed a practicum, identifying neuroanatomy, reflecting on patient diagnosis vignettes and responding to questions about the scientific method. The top 12 performing students advanced to participate in the live elimination round, where students answered rapid-fire neuroscience questions live on stage in front of a panel of expert judges. In addition to the competition, students attended two keynote lectures and connected with graduate students during a poster session over lunch.
“The Brain Bee is about more than just knowledge, it’s about sparking a lifelong connection to science,” said Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa, USA Brain Bee Director. “These students are tomorrow’s scientists, physicians, and leaders. The Brain Bee gives them a community and a platform to dream bigger and to know that they belong in science.”
The USA Brain Bee was founded in 1998 by Dr. Norbert Myslinski at the University of Maryland and is directed by Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa of the University of California, Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. The competition aims to inspire teens to learn about the brain and pursue careers in neuroscience and related fields. The 2026 competition will take place at UC Irvine.
The top 12 competitors are below.
1st place – Claire Zhou – Atlanta Brain Bee
2nd place – Momin Waqar – Vermont Brain Bee
3rd place – Tarun Venkatesh – Kansas City Brain Bee
4th place – Christian Cryssos – Rutgers Central New Jersey Brain Bee
5th place – Navneeth Bahri – Pacific Northwest Brain Bee
6th place – Saharsh Bangaru – Princeton Brain Bee
7th place – Nitya Kathiravan – Newark New Jersey Brain Bee
8th place – Elaine Hu – Philadelphia Regional Brain Bee
9th place – Isabella Fong – Long Island Brain Bee
10th place – Ameya Balaji – Los Angeles Brain Bee
11th place – Graysen Lee – University of Minnesota Brain Bee
12th place – Amit Bhatt – Iowa Brain Bee
A complete listing of all 48 competitors can be found in the program here.
The championship was hosted by Dr. Michael Matise and his team at Rutgers University. Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Matise shared, “Programs like the Brain Bee provide the fertilizer that encourages the seeds of curiosity to germinate and grow into a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and service through research and medicine. It’s a rare and valuable opportunity to share our passion for neuroscience with young talented high school-age students—to provide a window into this unique scientific pursuit where ‘the universe can know itself,’ to paraphrase the late Dr. Carl Sagan.”
About the USA Brain Bee:
With over 25,000 students participating globally each year, the Brain Bee is the world’s leading neuroscience competition for high school students. It is part of a global initiative to inspire the next generation of scientists, clinicians, and innovators working to understand the human brain and combat neurological disease.
Interested in participating in the Brain Bee? Find your local chapter here.
Interested in supporting the Brain Bee? We are seeking sponsors and partners. Please contact Dr. Manuella Yassa to learn more.
Media Contact:
Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa
Director, USA Brain Bee
(949) 824-5193
Photo Credit: Steve Hockstein, Harvard Studios
