Winnipeg teenager finishes second in international competition
A Grade 11 student at Winnipeg’s Vincent Massey Collegiate is helping put the city on the map after she became one of the best in the world when it comes to neuroscience.
Lisa Wei took part in the International Brain Bee, a competition that tests high school students’ knowledge of neuroscience. More than 3,000 students from 40 countries engaged in the battle of the brains, and Wei came second in the world.
“I felt mostly surprised by the result,” Wei told CTV News in an interview. “To be honest, it took me roughly 20 seconds to actually process the whole information.
“It was not expected at all.”
Wei said the competition focuses on facts about the brain, ranging from basic functions to higher function levels like emotions and memory. When it came to the test and live judging, Wei and her Australian competitor answered the questions about the brain so flawlessly, they ran out of questions to ask them.
The secret to her success? A lot of studying.
“I spent my summer months learning it, setting goals … and I spent the rest of September to pretty much review the sections I read during the summer,” she said.
Wei worked with Dr. Robert Beattie, a professor in the University of Manitoba’s College of Medicine.
“This competition is incredibly difficult, and these questions are postgraduate level, and so she's only in Grade 11, which is mind-boggling when you think about it,” Beattie said, no pun intended. “But she's really just a phenomenal student, and we're extremely proud here.”
Beattie said Winnipeggers have been successful in the competition over the past few years. He believes it’s because students here have a passion for neuroscience.
“We're training, through this competition, the next generation of neuroscientists and next generation of healthcare workers, and just instilling that passion for science in these students,” he said.
For other students who may be interested in the Brain Bee, Wei said they should try it out.
“Go for it,” she said. “This competition is open to anyone, regardless of your background knowledge of neuroscience.”
- With files from CTV's Alex Karpa.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Alberta Premier Smith gets 91 per cent support in leadership review
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith received a dominating 91.5 per cent vote of support from her United Conservative Party members in a scheduled leadership review vote on Saturday.
'It’s a dream come true’: Holt, Liberal cabinet sworn-in to office
Susan Holt, the province’s first female premier, and 18 cabinet ministers took the oath of office in the chamber of the legislative assembly.
Kamala Harris will appear on SNL in last episode before U.S. election, AP sources say
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris has made an unannounced trip to New York to appear on an episode of 'Saturday Night Live,' briefly stepping away from the battleground states she’s been campaigning in with just three days to go before the election.
Vancouver quietly proclaimed Chip Wilson Day as billionaire installed sign calling B.C. NDP 'communist'
On the same day Chip Wilson erected a controversial sign at his Vancouver mansion, the city was quietly honouring the billionaire and his wife.
Florida's convicted killer clown released from prison for the murder of her husband's then-wife
A woman who pleaded guilty to dressing as a clown and in 1990 murdering the wife of a man she later married was released from prison on Saturday.
Here's what you can buy for $729,000 in 8 Ottawa neighbourhoods
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what you can buy for the average Ottawa home price of $729,000 in eight Ottawa neighbourhoods.
Calgary police issue warning after receiving over 150 calls relating to personal fireworks
Calgary police issued a media statement Saturday reminding residents about the rules regarding personal fireworks after receiving over 150 complaints.
2 people charged in Queen West incident that left police horse and officer injured were out on bail, police say
The driver of a pickup truck who allegedly struck a police horse and rammed several cruisers on Queen Street West on Friday afternoon was out on bail at the time of the incident, Toronto police say.
'The height of hypocrisy': Protesters slam Indian consulate's event at Vancouver gurdwara
A small but vocal group of protesters gathered across the street from the Khalsa Diwan Society gurdwara in South Vancouver Saturday to protest the presence of Indian consulate officials at the temple.