Young Neuroscience Talents Gathered at Brain Bee Türkiye 2026

Haber tarihi: 14/07/2026

Last update date: 14.07.2026

The International Brain Bee, an international neuroscience competition for high school students, was hosted by our university on June 13, 2026. Building on last year's success, the competition expanded across five cities in Türkiye.

Known internationally as the International Brain Bee, the competition is organized worldwide in collaboration with the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO). It provides high school students with an interest in neuroscience the opportunity to test and expand their knowledge.

This year's competition was held simultaneously in five different cities: at the central examination site on our university campus and at examination centers in Ankara, Diyarbakır, İzmir, and Kocaeli. The questions, prepared by Dr. Mehmet Ergen (School of Medicine, Department of Physiology) and Dr. Bernis Sütçübaşı (Department of Psychology), assessed participants' knowledge and competencies in the areas of human neuroanatomy, neurohistology, and patient diagnosis. Students from our university's Neuroscience Club also played an active role in organizing the event.

The competition's jury and academic committee consisted of:

• Dr. Mehmet Ergen (Istanbul)
• Dr. Bernis Sütçübaşı (Istanbul)
• Prof. Dr. Nursu Çakın-Memik (Kocaeli)
• Prof. Güvem Gümüş-Akay (Ankara)
• Dr. Hasan Onur Keleş (Ankara)
• Prof. Dr. Şermin Genç (İzmir)
• Dr. Ufuk Özer (Diyarbakır)

In the final stage of the competition, the first-place student from each examination center participated in a live evaluation session via video conference. Following the final assessment, Asya Irmak Usta from Kocaeli examination center was selected as the winner and earned the right to represent Türkiye at the International Brain Bee World Championship to be held in the United States. Gölgem Göbel from Istanbul placed second, while Ayşe Ece Bayhan from Ankara was awarded third place.