Gayathri Muthukumar, 17, won the India edition.
By The American Bazaar Staff
BANGALORE: Gayathri Muthukumar, a 17 year-old girl from Bangalore, won the 7th Indian National Brain Bee in Mumbai, and will represent India at the 16th International Brain Bee Championship in Washington, DC, this August.
Muthukumar beat students from Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, and Pune to take the title for all of India. A high-ranking student in Grade 11, Muthukumar is passionate about science, and wants to pursue biology and chemistry in her higher studies.
According to The Times of India, Muthukumar said that she intends to study medicine in some capacity, and is deciding between becoming a physicians and staying in research. She is also an avid dancer, and spends her free time learning music as well.
The Brain Bee is a contest for high school students around the world, which tests their knowledge of neuroscience and other brain-based knowledge. For example, Muthukumar won her event earlier this week by correctly diagnosing five diseases that were acted out by adults on a stage.
Winners receive trophies, recognition, and cash prizes of up to $3,000 for the first-place winner. Local districts hold their own Brain Bees, with winners going onto the National Brain Bee, and finally the International one. This year’s International Championships will be held in Washington, DC, from August 7-10, in sync with the 122nd American Psychology Association Convention.
According to the competition’s website, contestants will need to master not only patient diagnosis, which accounts for 20% of their total score, but also two written portions totaling 50% of their score, a human neuro-anatomy practical, and a section on neurohistology.