Ukrainian Brain Bee

Mariia Dzhelmach
"Naukova Zmina" lyceum, Kyiv

"Incredibly fascinating and still mostly unexplored, the brain of each person is like a starry sky with myriad neurons, each holding so many mysteries! Scientists continue to discover new facts that truly benefit humanity. And I want to be part of this community of pioneers! The Brain Bee is the first step into neuroscience that fuels even more desire to explore further. I am also interested in botany, genetics, and pharmacology. In the future, I dream of combining these fields with neuroscience to create cutting-edge neurotechnologies."

Nazar Drugov
"Basis" school, Kyiv

"I started studying neurobiology just two weeks before the competition and immediately realized the value of this knowledge. Firstly, in my opinion, exploring the workings of the nervous system provides an alternative view of life as a whole, as you begin to perceive humans as highly sophisticated mechanisms. I believe that, besides medicine, neuroscience can be effectively used for the advancement of computer technologies and artificial intelligence, making it a highly promising field. Apart from biology, I am interested in architecture and football, but I spend most of my time with mathematics. I hope that the 21st century will be marked by significant progress in neurobiology, as nothing holds as many secrets and potential as the human brain."

Myron Lutskiv
"Basis" school, Kyiv

"I passionately started studying biology in the 9th grade. I am very interested in biotechnology, specifically bioengineering. I believe it is promising to modify the genomes of organisms to provide them with new traits, such as through the use of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. In my opinion, this direction will significantly propel the development of humanity, pushing the medical field forward with discoveries. For thousands of years, people have struggled with how to control and overcome all kinds of diseases, including incurable ones. Humanity always needs rapid progress, and it can indeed be achieved by making substantial advancements in this field."

Vladyslav Ostrouhov
"Naukova Zmina" lyceum, Kyiv

"You know, the brain is such a strange thing: it emerged as a machine meant to analyze the environment and help organisms act more efficiently, considering changes in their surroundings. But somehow, it happened that it became self-aware. And now, with its help, we, humanity, build cities and launch rockets into space. Neuroscience has never been my biggest passion, but there's this strange feeling that cannot be compared to anything else: learning something new about the brain, and understanding that you are essentially studying yourself from the inside. And then participating in a competition of minds researching themselves. I confess, it inspires. If, by some miracle, you've come to the site and read all the way here, listen to a friendly piece of advice: try yourself in the neuroscience competition. Who knows, maybe it will help when, in thirty years, you have to sign a user agreement for the installation of a neuro implant :)"

Nazar Serhiienko
lyceum № 4, Kremenchuk

"Nazar started his biological Olympiad journey in the 8th grade and always seeks opportunities to compete at the highest level of knowledge with others. In these challenging times, the Ukrainian Brain Bee has become a relief since other prestigious biological competitions in Ukraine are currently not held. 'I am happy to have such an opportunity and am grateful for it,' says Nazar.

In his free time, he enjoys walking around the city, reading, especially Hemingway, and learning Latin. Regarding the latter, he appreciates how it sounds, and, of course, the practicality of its application. The entire field of medicine uses Latin, and even today, knowing this language allows you to understand the statements of Roman figures, who are still admired by modern writers and filmmakers. Neurosciences attract him with their complexity and practicality. In our time, this is a very relevant field because society is trying to quickly and effectively combat neurological diseases. And, of course, professionals in this area have many perspectives, which only motivates him to study it more. People in the future will be happy if neurosciences continue to develop at a high level."

Semen Skrypnykov
Poltava lyceum № 1

Yelyzaveta Tsepovatenko
"Podil" lyceum № 100, Kyiv

"I am passionate about exact and natural sciences, and in my free time, I engage in sports. The motivation for studying the nervous system was primarily its complexity and the opportunity to apply knowledge in various fields, from researching the behavior of different organisms to creating neural networks. I aspire to dedicate my future to medicine, where I can apply cutting-edge technologies and scientific discoveries to treat human disorders."

Mahir Yaman
"Intelekt" lyceum, Kyiv
Marienau gymnasium, Germany