The Department of Neuroscience (NS) at City University of Hong Kong is committed to share the latest advance in brain research with the bright minds of our next generation. A laboratory visit for secondary school students was hosted by NS on 28 July 2022, during which finalists of the Hong Kong Brain Bee Competition 2022 have learned about the latest development of epilepsy research and neuronal imaging. Dr Geoffrey Chun Yue Lau and his graduate student have introduced the different experimental approaches to study epilepsy in the mouse and the innovative analysis based on artificial intelligence. In Dr Kwok-On Lai’s laboratory, the secondary school students explored the use of different microscopes to image the tiny neuronal synapses with high resolution. They also learned the application of time-lapse imaging to monitor and analyse the movement of RNA molecules in neuron.

The Hong Kong Brain Bee Competition 2022 is an annual event organised by the Hong Kong Brain Foundation (HKBF), which tests the knowledge of secondary school students on various aspects of the nervous system, including neuroanatomy, neurohistology and neurology of different disorders. The competition this year attracted more than 200 students from 21 schools to participate, from which 7 top students were selected for the Final Context. The winner represented Hong Kong in the Brain Bee World Championship which involved participants from more than 50 countries worldwide. Following the mission of the International Brain Bee (IBB), HKBF holds the Hong Kong Brain Bee Competition with the aim to motivate high school students to study the brain, and to inspire them to consider careers related to neuroscience and therapies for neurological dysfunction. NS looks forward to more collaborations with the HKBF and organizing more laboratory visits to inspire our future neuroscientists.