Originally founded in 1999 by Dr. Norbert Myslinski at the Univeristy of Maryland, the Brain Bee is a neuroscience competition designed for high school students grades 9 through 12. The competition aims to stimulate interest and excitement about brain research by testing students on knowledge about the brain as well as relevant neuroscience research. The Brain Bee is an exciting opportunity for high school students to learn about the brain and the importance of brain research. Students also have the opportunity to visit the university and meet the students and professors involved in brain research. The competition covers core study topics such as memory, sleep, intelligence, emotion, perception, stress, aging, brain imaging, neurology, neurotransmitters, genetics, brain disease, and more.

To compete in the Canadian National Brain Bee, students must first compete in a regional Brain Bee competition in Canada, where the top place winner of each official regional Brain Bee will advance to the national level. Finally, the top place champion of the Canadian National Brain Bee will advance to the final level of the competition: the International Brain Bee.

The BC Brain Bee takes place as an in-person event at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver around April of each year. The event itself is a great entry and opportunity to engage with university level studies, professors, and internationally renowned neuroscience research facilities.

The questions of the competition will be based on content from "Brain Facts" and "Neuroscience: Science of the Brain" textbooks. The exam itself tests a variety of fields within neuroscience, from cellular mechanisms to brain functionality; it consists of multiple choice questions, short answer, diagram labeling, and more.