Program Berlin,Germany July 5th-9th 2018 Welcome to Germany! It is a true privilege to welcome you to the 20th International Brain Bee (IBB) World Champi- onship in Berlin, Germany, organised in conjunction with the 11th Forum of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS). We would like to congratulate all participants on reaching the IBB World Championship. You are the best in your countries and this represents an exceptional achievement! We look forward to a friendly, inspiring but also challenging competition this year in Berlin! The 2018 IBB will allow you to test and expand your neuroscience knowledge. During the neu- roanatomy exam, you will have a chance to analyze real brain specimens and then for an hour you will become a neurologist who will diagnose patients suffering from neurological disorders. Your knowledge and speed will be challenged in a written exam and in the live podium session where you will be intellectually engaged by a panel of world-renowned neuroscientists. Like the real scientific community, the IBB is not only about knowledge but also about meeting new people that share passion for neuroscience. During your stay in Berlin, you will be encouraged to get to know fellow national champions and build connections and friendships that have the potential to last a lifetime. Furthermore, in the IBB you will meet experienced neuroscientists who will serve as role models for your future career. Therefore, we recommend reaching out to and socializing as much as possible with them to make the most out of the 2018 IBB experience! All attendees will also be invited to join the International Youth Neuroscience Association (IYNA), which was created to connect the IBB alumni and promote neurosciences in schools across the world. During the 2018 IBB, you will also get a glimpse of Germany and its capital city, Berlin. Among the many planned activities, students will visit important landmarks of the history of the capi- tal. Furthermore, the neuroanatomy and neurohistology examinations will take place at one of the most prestigious medical universities in Europe, the Berlin Charitè, which recently cele- brated its 300th Anniversary. Thus, 2018 IBB will be a great opportunity to explore the German scientific community as a possible location for your future studies. Therefore, we also encourage you to take advantage of the social activities and learn about German and Europe- an culture. Neuroscience is a wonderful field that captivates our interests and continues to inspire us as we pursue our own careers as scientists. We hope that during the 2018 IBB, we will share our enthusiasm by offering you a window into the life of a neuroscientist as well as to give you the chance to make long lasting contacts that will guide you throughout your personal and pro- fessional adventures. We hope you will have a great experience at the 2018 IBB. Lastly, we are sure in a few years, we will meet you again as budding scientists and medical doctors, doing groundbreaking work around the world and inspiring the future generations of neuroscien- tists! Best wishes, 2018 IBB Organizing Committee 1 2018 Brain Bee World Championship Volunteer Organizers Martyna Petrulyte 2018 IBB Organizing Committee Chair United Kingdom Brain Bee Coordinator Catarina Luis, DNO-Berlin Michaela Müller, DNO-Berlin LaShae Nicholson 2018 IBB Host Sub-Committee Chair Marketing Manager, Deutsche Neurowissenscahften Olympiade e.V. Mostafa Nashaat, DNO-Berlin Johanna Meichsner, DNO-Frankfurt Sandra Nungeß, DNO-Frankfurt Mandy Watson, DNO-Berlin Ionut Dumitru 2018 IBB Scientific Sub-Committee Chair Academic Manager, Deutsche Neurowissenscahften Olympiade e.V. Tiziana Cesetti, DNO-Hedeiberg Anja Dorn, DNO-Berlin Aman Maharjan, DNO-Heidelberg Marta Orlando, DNO-Berlin Tijana Radic, DNO-Frankfurt Friedrich Schwarz, DNO-Berlin Paola Suarez, DNO-Berlin Kai Lun Teh, DNO-Heidelberg We are thankful for the dedication to science outreach shown by these and other members of the Deutsche Neurowissenschaften Olympiade e.V. 2 Experiment 2018 Brain Bee World Championship Table of Contents 4) Special Thanks 5) Letter From the Founder 7) About the International Brain Bee 9) Letter from Sojas Wagel, 2017 IBB Champion 10) Past International Brain Bee Winners 11) 2018 International Brain Bee Judges 15) Helpful Information 16) Useful Contact Information 17) Program Overview 20) FENS Forum Tour Program 21) FENS Fourm Tour Guides 23) Brain Bee National Champions 24) National Champion’s Biographies 37) Neuroscience Inspired 39) Thank you! 3 Special Thanks! The 2018 International Brain Bee Championship is taking place with the generous support of the Hertie Foundation 4 Letter From the Founder & IBB Board Chair Congratulations on winning your Regional Brain Bees, and taking up the challenge of representing your country, school, and family at the 20th Anniversary World Championship in Berlin. You have a lot to be proud of and to look forward to in the decades to come. The promise of neuroscience is real, and the future of neuroscience will be revolutionary. I know because I lived through it. I am writing you this message in the year 2048, at the 50th Anniversary of the International Brain Bee. Let me tell you what has been happening for the last 30 years. Dr. Norbert Myslinski There are now 114 countries participating in the Brain Bee Championship including some new ones you never heard of (30years Ago) because in your time they have not been created yet, and some have been combined into larger ones. We have added more parts to the competition, including the Brain in Space, Robotic Brains and Artificial Intelli- gence, Personalized Brain Medicine, Enhanced Cognitive Methods, Advanced Brain Map- ping Techniques, and Neuroethics. In addition, a highlight of the year was the placing of the Brain Bee flag on Mars. Since 2018, three Brain Bee winners were awarded separate Nobel Prizes for their work on brain chips that prevent epileptic seizures, retinal implants, and a cure for brain cancer; and the International Brain Bee itself won the Nobel Peace Prize for fostering world-wide cooperation using social neuroscience to reduce pain and suffering in the world. Stronger families and increased understanding of executive functioning and reward pro- cessing in the brain has led to a reduction in drug addiction, obesity and unwanted preg- nancies in our world of 2048. Despite all these advances, we still know much less about the brain than about the heart, the kidney, or the lung. Many brain-related innovations from imaginative minds that were introduced to us by-way-of old fashion science fiction movies and holographic virtuals are still becoming reality. As a result, we have made progress in amygdaling, serotoning, neural dust, groking and neural enhancement. Archaic invasive brain surgeries have been replaced by noninva- sive technologies. Understanding of brain-machine interfaces and nervous system replacement parts has advanced at a ballistic rate, as well as their integration into everyday life. The publication in 2032 of The Ethics of Altering Memories, Enhancing Cognition, and Reading Minds has led to much controversy and debate. Many of the advances in neuroscience are misused which has led to a surge in the fields of neuroethics and neurolaw. There are many more wondrous developments in this Golden Age of Neurosci 5 ence, but we still have not solved the mysteries of consciousness, free will, and many others. Back in 2018, The World Health Organization estimated that neurological disor- ders affected up to one billion people around the world. That number should challenge you to advance our understanding of neuroscience and the human brain, and to expand and grow the field. The potential within the subject is limit- less. Neuroscience is not only for scientists and people with brain disorders but for everybody: Parents, teachers, lawmakers, businessmen, carpenters, farmers, astronauts, and you and me. I am now 101 years old. Because of neuroscience, I am still fit of mind and body, and can expect to live another 30 years. Many of my friends from 30 years ago are still with me because we have developed effective treatments for many age-re- lated brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Because of neuroscience we now have a richer understanding of ourselves. But despite all our advances, will neuroscience make us a happier and more loving so- ciety? That is up to you. It is in your hands, for better or worse Dr. Norbert Myslinski 6 About the International Brain Bee The primary goal of the IBB is to motivate students to learn about the brain and to inspire them to pursue careers in neuroscience so they can help treat and find cures for brain disorders. It was founded in 1998 by Dr. Norbert Myslinski at the University of Maryland in the United States as a competition for high school students and has grown from a grassroots effort to a successful global educational and outreach initiative. Almost entirely run by volunteers, there are currently approximately 175 local Brain Bee competitions in more than 50 countries, engaging over 25,000 students across six continents every year. The culmination of this program is the international com- petition held every year in conjunction with major scientific conferences, providing an enriching experience for the participants and those who witness the event. In early 2018, five major organizations dedicated to brain research and education came together with the Brain Bee Founder to support the formal establishment of the International