Samuel Richards is a 16-year-old student who attends year 11 at Rehoboth Christian College, in Perth. While born in Perth, he spent the majority of his childhood living in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, moving back to Australia at age 13.

At school, Samuel enjoys a range of topics such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and human biology. He spends his free time playing music, reading, beekeeping, playing soccer, and researching various topics that pique his interest. While not too sure of what the future holds for him, Samuel aims to study some form of science at a university, perhaps to pursue a career in research or medicine.

From a young age, he has always held an interest in the sciences, but it was not until reading a school advertisement for the Brain Bee that his fascination with neuroscience was truly sparked. As he began to study for the initial rounds, he was soon captivated by the incredible complexity yet explainability of the organ that seems to house all of our thoughts, memories and emotions. His particular interests are in the study of higher cognition and its disorders from a physiological perspective, as well as in the relevance of neuroscience to philosophy.

Lisa is a high school student who has a passion for science and math, which began with her obsession with pufferfishes in elementary school. During her spare time, she likes spending time learning about math and likes watching nature documentaries. Occasionally, she plays the piano for fun and likes to draw on paper with a pencil. She likes spending time with her fraternal twin sister. In addition, she also took lifeguarding courses and a swimming instructor course. She is looking forward to meeting other students who also share similar interests in the diverse field of science.

Siqi Pans interest in neuroscience started from studying retinitis pigmentosa. One of his family members has this disease. He investigated it and found several possible pathways, one of which is neuroscience. He became drawn to neuroscience and read many books and papers. He is very glad to participate in the IBB World Championship and to meet other contestants.

Many aspects of neuroscience fascinate him, including connectomes, computational approaches, visual processing and perception, gene therapies, and stem cell therapies.

This summer, he met a scientist who is studying how Muller cells divide and differentiate to replace dead retinal cells in zebrafish. If human Muller cells could be manipulated in a similar way, degenerative retinal diseases would have a cure. The scientist feels very excited about this prospect and so does he.

He wants to become a researcher in the future and work together with many other people to unravel the unsolved mysteries of neuroscience and seek therapies for many diseases.

Micaela Fernanda Escobar lives in Buenos Aires, where she is studying psychology in her first year at Universidad Favaloro. She loves meeting new people, helping them with their problems, breaking the routine by doing new things, making jokes, and laughing with friends. Her hobbies include listening to music from different parts of the world, going to the gym, hanging out with friends, watching philosophy videos, and, at least once a week, reflecting on her future and writing those reflections in her diary. Since childhood, she has always been interested in what happens in people’s minds and wondering how the human brain works. Mica feels that this competition can give her the opportunity to meet friendly people, step out of her comfort zone, and learn interesting things about neuroscience.

In the future, she would like to contribute to society to help make the world a better place. It doesn’t have to be something huge and complex; although if it were, she would be very proud. She means contributing her small part to humanity’s improvement. This contribution could involve educating people about drug use, making donations, creating educational content, or even helping those most in need.

Hrant is a high school rising senior at Heratsi high school in Yerevan. Science is his area of interest and as such, he is determined to participate in various courses , projects and competitions like the Brain Bee where he is proud to be the National Armenian Champion for 2024.

Apart from academics, he enjoys drawing, listening to music (Taylor Swift mostly), and writing. These hobbies allow him to express the way he sees the world and maintain a balanced lifestyle. He is always eager to learn new things and take on challenges.

He looks forward to connecting with like-minded people and continuing to pursue his passion for science through this competition.

Zilan Alasgarova is a dedicated 11th grade student in Sumgait, Azerbaijan. She has a strong interest in neuroscience and recently won the Azerbaijan Brain Bee, which helped her to expand her knowledge in neuroscience. She has always been fascinated by medicine and she is confident that she was born to pursue and improve herself in this field. She actively seeks opportunities to learn about discoveries in the medical field and to keep up to date with developments in neuroscience. For the reason that she’s very interested in neuroscience, she aims to become a future neurosurgeon. Neuroscience captivates her because it allows her to understand the complexities of the human body and mind and discover connections between them. Her goal is not only to become a successful neurosurgeon in the future but also to explore the unsolved mysteries of the brain and contribute new insights in science.

Curiosity has driven Gabriel Albuquerque for as long as he can remember. Questions and doubts have always surrounded his mind, and one that has been intriguing him lately is “What is the mind?” As a result, consciousness, cognition, and perception are topics that deeply interest him. He discovered that neuroscience is a path to attempting to answer these questions, perhaps one of the most fruitful at the frontier of human knowledge. Gabriel is a student from Rio de Janeiro, who plans to study cognitive sciences and live each day as consciously as possible. Besides being a 12th-grade student and conducting research in linear algebra, in his free time, he studies neuroscience, philosophy, psychology and does some magic tricks. Additionally, he enjoys listening to music, appreciating nature, and meeting new people and places.

Omar Abdalraouf is a 17-year-old student currently attending Kafr El-Sheikh STEM school in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate. Biology and Physics are his favorite subjects at the school. His future aspiration is to attend medical school and specialize as a neurologist. He is also deeply committed to scientific research, having completed several courses focused on medical research, and is working towards publishing his first paper soon.

His motivation to study neuroscience stemmed from the fact that the brain, the most complex known biological structure in the universe and the advantage that humans have leveraged to dominate the planet, remains largely a mystery. He was surprised when he found out that we still don’t fully understand the basics and we can’t even grasp how a worm’s brain works, let alone the complex human brain with its billions of neurons.

An additional motivation was seeing that many of the world’s deadliest diseases are related to the nervous system and most of which remain without a cure, it fueled his passion for neuropathology to help improve the lives of hundreds of millions of patients around the world in the future.

Ayda Durubal is an 18-year-old student from Louis-le-Grand high school in Paris, and will be attending Université Paris Cité in the fall to start studying medicine. Since her childhood, Ayda has always been interested in the brain and the surprising and intricate ways it functions. After seeing live brain surgeries as a teenager, she became truly fascinated by the brain, and how our understanding of it allowed humanity to discover increasingly efficient and skillfully executed treatments to the diseases affecting this very complex organ. She discovered she had a real passion for neurosciences when she first participated in the Brain Bee and started learning about the details of the nervous system, as this knowledge gave her the key for accessing a world of scientific research in this field. In her free time, Ayda enjoys playing the piano, reading, swimming, and traveling. She is grateful for having this opportunity, and is looking forward to meeting others who share the same passion!

Krzysztof is an 18-year-old with a passion for learning who recently graduated from the Max Steenbeck Gymnasium. Now, he is preparing for an exciting new chapter in his life as he will study medicine at the University of Heidelberg, one of Germany’s most renowned institutions.

He is not only academically engaged but has also great interest in a variety of extracurricular activities. He has a love for music, particularly singing and playing the piano as well as for physical exercises. He enjoys going to the gym, running and cycling, all of which keep him energized and focused.

In addition to his academic and physical pursuits, Krzysztof has a keen interest in foreign languages. He is fluent in German, Polish, English, and Spanish and is currently learning French.

Krzysztof’s aspiration to become a neurologist is driven by his desire to work closely with patients while also contributing to medical research. He envisions a career where he can make a real difference in people’s lifes by diagnosing and treating neurological disorders, all while staying at the forefront of scientific advancements in the field.

Irma is a high school graduate from Tbilisi, Georgia. After being introduced to neuroscience at a young age, Irma became fascinated with the research process. She observed experiments performed on rats while conducting her own research and quickly developed an interest in bordering sciences.

Irma has a wide range of interests. Outside of neuroscience, she likes all kinds of music, drawing , hiking, reading, and trying out new hobbies.

Shreshta Pottabhathini is a multifaceted individual whose fascination with the intricate workings of the human brain has shaped her academic and athletic journey. Her deep admiration for neuroscience fuels her ambition to understand how the brain influences personality, memories, emotions, and cognition, making her participation in the IBB World Championship a pivotal opportunity for expanding her knowledge in this field. In the realm of sports, she has carved a name for herself as a formidable athlete. She has achieved notable successes in basketball and handball, including multiple victories at state and district levels. Her accolades include being awarded “Most Valuable Player” multiple times and securing top positions in prestigious tournaments such as KheloIndia and the District School Sports Games. Off the court, Shreshta finds solace in artistic pursuits like sketching and painting, which complement her active lifestyle involving outdoor games.

Academically, her achievements are equally impressive. She has been recognized as “Student of the Year” and has garnered gold medals in esteemed competitions like the Ignited Mind Lab and Silver in Silverzone Maths Olympiad. Her artistic talent has earned her the KalaRatna award for drawing, showcasing her multifaceted abilities beyond athletics and academics. Her goal is to deepen her understanding of neural mechanisms and contribute to advancements in neuromedicine, aiming to improve treatments for mental illnesses and neurodegenerative disorders. In all facets of her life, she embodies determination, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, making her a role model for aspiring young individuals in both sports and scientific endeavors.

Yuli is a year 11 student at Leo Baeck Education Center, Israel. She thrives in a gifted musicians program where she plays the saxophone and benefits from masterclasses with renowned international professors. In her academic pursuits, Yuli shines in mathematics, chemistry and physics, taking these classes at an advanced level. Her curiosity extends to the natural world, where she finds wonder in both human biology and the intricacies of animals and ecosystems.

When she started studying for her Local Brain Bee, she discovered her fascination with the field of neuroscience – watching videos and lectures and reading the scientific literature as well as recent exciting research papers.

She is thrilled to participate in the International Brain Bee as a representative of Israel, looking forward to sharing ideas and competing with future leading neuroscientists.

Francesco Contasti was born on 25th January 2006, in Rome, where he lives and will attend his last year of scientific high school. At school, he has taken courses in mathematics, physics, history, and biomedical science.

The University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’ has invited him to participate in research laboratories on neurophysiopathology and cellular neurobiology.

Francesco has a keen interest in science and has been fascinated by medicine for as long as he can remember. Ever since his childhood he has loved reading books about the human body. In addition to medicine, Francesco is passionate about chemistry, physics, mathematics, psychology, and technology.

Francesco is also involved in a programme promoting neuroscience on an Italian radio network. He dreams of becoming an excellent doctor and mastering the medical discipline to be able to investigate the complexities of the human brain.

He is honored to represent his country in the IBB World Championship. He appreciates this opportunity to share his knowledge and passion for neuroscience and is eager to exchange ideas with his peers.

In addition to Francesco’s academic interests, he is a black belt in karate, loves spending time with his friends, reading, and listening to music in his free time.

Misaki Ozawa is an 11th grade student at Hiroo Gakuen Senior High School in Tokyo. She loves to learn about neuroscience and environmental science. She is currently conducting research about neurotoxicity, and how heavy metals can affect the nervous system. She is also interested in business and entrepreneurship, and how she can bring her ideas to life. She hopes that in the future, her efforts in research will be able to increase the quality of life and save those with neurological and psychiatric diseases.

In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her family, friends, and meeting new people. She also enjoys watching anime, playing games, and playing tennis.

She is honored to represent Japan in the 2024 IBB World Championship and is really looking forward to meeting everyone who also shares the same passion for neuroscience.

Sunnat is a high school student from Kazakhstan and represents his country in the 2024 IBB World Championship. He is outstanding in biology and shows great results; he got a silver medal in the National Biology Olympiad, bronze medal in the British Biology Olympiad, and silver medal in the Central Asia Biology Olympiad. He also participated at many summer programs, such as the NYU (New York University) Abu Dhabi University Prep Program, the HKUST (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) Guangzhou PLACE summer program, the iGEM Summer Camp, and the Summer Program at IYNA. Outside of his academics, he engages in playing table tennis and volleyball as well. In his free time, he enjoys reading books and hanging out with his friends. He believes that in the future he can build an advanced neuroradiological career.

Valerie is a student at Kianda School. She is passionate about medicine, and dreams to become a doctor in the future. Aside from academics, she enjoys sport and music. She is also open and eager to learn new things.

Valerie discovered her interest in neurosciences when she attended an Ubongo Workshop, where she got to learn about the nervous system. She especially enjoyed the laboratory session where she got to see the human brain and a spinal cord. She is excited to have the opportunity to represent her country in the 2024 IBB World Championship, and she looks forward to learning and interacting with fellow students from around the world!

Eunseong Kim is a second-year student at Korea Science Academy of KAIST. She received excellent grades in upper-level biology courses including neuroscience at school, and is participating in a study on ‘Exotic Expression of ErbB4 Leads to Chronic Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease’ at the Biology Lab at KAIST.

Gabrielė Toliušytė is 16- year- old high school student from Tauragės Žalgirių Gymnasium. She loves everything related with human psychology and neuroscience. In her free time, she reads books, listens to music, volunteers, helps family and others who need help. She also loves to write poems.

She does not associate her future with medicine or neurosciences, but it is like a hobby for her.

She is really excited to represent Lithuania at the 2024 IBB World Championship. She thinks that this is a great opportunity to learn more and to get acquainted with representatives of other countries.

Siti Nadiah Amirah binti Mohd Fadhil, a 17-year-old student at MRSM Kubang Pasu, Kedah, has consistently excelled in both academics and extracurricular activities. Her passion for biology has driven her success, reflected in her impressive CGPA of 4.0 and her strong performance in biology, history, and mathematics. Nadiah Amirah’s commitment to learning is evident through her participation in the Mathematics Olympiad and Science Olympiad, where she continually pushes herself to excel.

Outside the classroom, Nadiah Amirah plays an active role as the Secretary of the Young Scientists Club, demonstrating leadership and dedication. Her involvement in the World Youth STEM Invention Innovation (WYSII) 2024 and the National Sustainability and Innovation Challenge (NaSIC) 2023/2024 highlights her ability to manage multiple responsibilities effectively. Additionally, she contributes to the school community as the Academic and Education EXCO in the Student Representative Council, where she brings enthusiasm and a collaborative spirit to all her efforts.

Nadiah Amirah is recognized for her determination and creativity, qualities that have earned her the respect of peers and mentors alike. Aspiring to become a neurologist, she sees this competition as a crucial step toward her future goals and is eager to embrace the opportunity for growth.

Kavya Pokharel is a guy full of curiosity and wonder. He has been interested in neuroscience for a long time now. Constantly learning and constantly evolving, he is passionate about how the human brain functions the way it does. But his life doesn’t only revolve around neuroscience. When he isn’t turning the pages of complex neuroscience textbooks, Kavya makes sure to spend time playing Badminton with his elder cousin. He is also fond of collecting coins. The reason he got interested in neurosciences is, surprisingly, due to coins. With a deep love for both domains, he thinks coin collection, just like neuroscience, is a way of appreciating the nuances and history behind each subject.

Gina is a 12th-grade student at Dutch High School Lek and Linge, who will be studying medicine at Leiden University in the fall. She hopes to learn more about the psychiatric illnesses plaguing her bipolar father and autistic little brother, as well as the mechanisms behind the brain tumors of both her grandmothers.

Aside from medical neuroscience, she is also captivated by the world of psychology. Her initial interest in poignant emotions, free will and cognitive neuroscience has led her to apply for the Dutch Brain Bee, which catalyzed further exploration of these interests. She is intensely grateful for this opportunity, as this journey has led her to meet brilliant and passionate people, and she would love to continue to meet many more.

Besides neuroscience, she loves reading, watching, and discussing philosophy. Running and exercising are also valuable parts of her life. Overall, she is curious and loves to meet new people and is therefore incredibly excited for this amazing opportunity.

Xinxin is a 16-year-old high school student from New Zealand, whose interest in neuroscience first emerged from reading ‘Do No Harm’ by Henry Marsh. At school she most enjoys studying economics, chemistry, and latin.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, baking, and stargazing. She also enjoys watching movies; her current favourites are Dead Poets Society, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Giver. While walking or commuting she likes listening to various video essays on Youtube.

Participating in the Brain Bee has provided her with wonderful experiences, including meeting inspiring neuroscientists and like-minded individuals. She is excited for what the IBB World Championship has to offer and hopes to learn more about the intricacies of the brain and nervous system.

Mustabshera Bisharat is from a small village Gadwal, in Wah Cantt, Pakistan. She is fond of reading books. She found her deep interest in history and medicine and thus decided to serve her country in medicine. Throughout her studies she won a Spelling Bee and two quiz competitions. Currently, she is waiting for her intermediate result while preparing for the MDCAT test so she can apply to a medical college for further studies.

In her opinion, a beating heart is the most beautiful picture to see in the world, however, it is incomplete without a functional brain. Thus, she decided to apply for the National Brain Bee competition and won. Now, she is studying to win an International Brain Bee award and bring glory to her country.

This interesting journey of hers from an ordinary student to a National Brain Bee winner to an IBB national champion opened some new doors for her. She realized that many websites are working to provide knowledge in different fields to medical students and make the world a happy place. Also, she found that there are doctors in the world serving altruistically to humanity and not for money. Hence, she is inspired to be one of them in the future.

Tia is a 15-year-old junior with a deep fascination for how the brain functions and the ways in which diseases and environmental factors affect people differently. She aspires to become a researcher and surgeon across multiple disciplines, hoping to help the general public and make groundbreaking discoveries. After completing the To-Be program and the science internship program at UCSC, she aims to pursue these ambitious goals.

In addition to her academics, Tia has excelled in extracurricular activities. She has won the Best Delegate award in every MUN conference she has attended, and she was the youngest person ever to join her MUN team. Outside of MUN, Tia is also a national champion in both horse show jumping and dancing, having won multiple national competitions in both disciplines. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the Qanun, riding horses, and dancing.

Joanna Urbaniak, an 18-year-old student in the IB Diploma Programme in Gdańsk, has long been fascinated by biology and psychology. At 16, she discovered her passion for neuroscience after reading one of Jerzy Vetulani’s books on the mysteries of the human brain. This discovery has inspired her to pursue a career as a neuroscientist in the future.

In addition to her scientific interests, Joanna loves crocheting, bodybuilding, and cycling. She also has a deep appreciation for jazz music and enjoys playing chess.

Ioana is from Bacău and a first-year student at the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. She has been interested in biology ever since she was little, but she discovered her passion for the complexity of the human brain in seventh grade when she was studying for the National Olympiad of Biology. She realized that what she was learning was barely scratching the surface and became deeply fascinated by the structures and functions of this unique organ and how they correlated to visible, real-life effects on the human body, which led to her dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.

Apart from her love for biology, Ioana likes listening to music, especially rock and classical, reading, and writing poetry in Romanian, English, and French. She enjoys mysteries and solving puzzles as well, which pushed her in an interesting direction and discovered linguistics, a scientific approach to understanding language. Academics are not her only hobby, though. Ioana has been practicing Shotokan Karate since she was five, earned her 1st black belt at 16, and has successfully participated in several national and international competitions.

Gülce Ağartan is a 16-year-old student at Kabataş Erkek High School. She has been captivated by the wonders of biology ever since she was young. This passion led her to excel in the competitive arena of biology olympics as she started high school, shaping her into the accomplished individual she is today. Gülce eagerly shares her knowledge, inspiring those around her to appreciate the mesmerizing world of biology. Gülce has distinguished herself on both national and international stages, earning a silver medal in the National Biology Olympics and placing 2nd in the prestigious University of Toronto Biology

Competition. Through the Brain Bee competition, she has found the opportunity to delve into one of her favorite subjects in physiology and acquire a profound understanding of the human brain. She is striving to understand how the intricate neural structure of humans evolved and what underlies the phenomena of consciousness and arbitrary thought.

Tomos is a Scottish secondary school student in S6, at James Gillespie’s High School in Edinburgh. He is currently studying 3 Advanced Highers; math, chemistry, and biology.

He is a keen cricket fan and loves playing, coaching, watching and umpiring.

Tomos’ interest in neuroscience stems from a fascination with the complexity of the brain and how much is still to be discovered. He finds that neuroscience is relevant to everyday life, and brain function is critical to everything that occurs in the body.

He hopes to become a doctor in the future. In October he will be applying to medical schools in the UK. He currently enjoys working as a volunteer in the emergency medicine department.

Nguyen Khac Gia Bao grew up in the more bustling part of Ho Chi Minh city. He was by no means well-off, but still he had much accessibility to books and education. When he was 13, he stumbled upon a chemistry book; the book described the various atomic interactions between substances and also covered the basics of chemistry. It may seem unusual, but he was quickly hooked. Bao was turning page after page, marveling at the molecular structures of elements. Unbeknownst to Bao at the time, a spark of a chemist ignited within him.

The catalyst for Bao’s infinite passion in neurology was ninth grade biology. Back then, he went to Tran Dai Nghia School for the gifted, equipped with crème-de-la-crème academic teachings, especially their biology class. He learned all about photosynthesis, DNA and cell organelles, about how they interacted and, crucially, the underlying chemical reactions that fueled these otherwise fragmented processes. Bao then pondered: “If these processes help us live, and the brain monitors said processes, what processes drive the brain?”. This one question plunged him into a spiral of research. It was not until 11th grade did he hear about Brain Bee, and the rest is history. Even though Bao is an English Major at his high school, his love for neurology has not quivered one bit.