Neuroscience Brain Bee
Preparation Program
Learn Neuroscience. Prepare for Brain Bee. Learn at Your Own Pace.
Presented by Dr. Anwesha Banerjee and Dr. Roopa Holehonnur
Why Learn Neuroscience?
Neuroscience explores how the brain controls learning, memory, behavior, emotions, and human health. It combines biology, psychology, medicine, and technology to answer some of the most fascinating questions about the human brain.
For students interested in medicine, psychology, biology, biomedical sciences, or neuroscience, learning these concepts early builds a strong academic foundation. It also prepares students for prestigious competitions such as the USA Brain Bee and International Brain Bee while strengthening critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills.
Program Overview
The Neuroscience Brain Bee Preparation Program at iStart Valley is a self-paced online program designed to help middle and high school students build a strong foundation in neuroscience while preparing for Brain Bee and other science competitions.
Unlike traditional live classes, this program follows an Asynchronous + Drip Learning model. Lessons are released in a structured sequence, allowing students to gradually build their knowledge while learning at their own pace. Students can watch professionally recorded lessons whenever it is convenient, revisit topics as often as needed, and progress through the course with confidence.
Each module includes presentations, study materials, quizzes, and assignments, helping students strengthen their understanding before moving to the next topic. Students also receive instructor support and live mentoring sessions throughout the program.
How the Learning Experience Works
The program is designed to provide flexibility while maintaining a structured learning journey. Students receive:
- ✔ Professionally recorded lessons released in weekly modules.
- ✔ Self-paced access from anywhere.
- ✔ Interactive quizzes after every learning module.
- ✔ Downloadable study materials and presentations.
- ✔ Assignments to reinforce key concepts.
- ✔ Two live virtual Office Hour sessions for mentoring and concept clarification.
- ✔ Instructor support through the online learning platform.
This structured drip learning approach improves knowledge retention while allowing students to balance school and extracurricular activities.
Learning Outcomes
- • Understand the fundamentals of neuroscience.
- • Build a strong foundation for Brain Bee competitions.
- • Strengthen scientific reasoning and analytical thinking.
- • Improve confidence in answering competition-style questions.
- • Develop a deeper understanding of the brain and nervous system.
- • Apply neuroscience concepts to future STEM studies.
Who Should Enroll?
This program is ideal for:
- ✔ Middle school students (Grades 6–8).
- ✔ High school students (Grades 9–12).
- ✔ Students preparing for the USA Brain Bee or International Brain Bee.
- ✔ Students interested in medicine, psychology, biology, neuroscience, or biomedical sciences.
- ✔ Students who enjoy science competitions and independent learning.
Neuroscience Curriculum
The curriculum introduces students to the core concepts commonly covered in Brain Bee and neuroscience competitions.
Students will learn about:
*Each module includes recorded lessons, study resources, quizzes, and assignments to reinforce learning before students move to the next topic.
Competitions Students Can Prepare For
Neuroscience Competitions
Science Competitions
- • Envirothon
- • Google Science Fair
- • Intel International Science & Engineering Fair
- • International BioGENEius Challenge
- • National Science Bowl
- • National Science Olympiad
- • Regeneron Science Talent Search
- • Stockholm Junior Water Prize
- • TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students
- • Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge
- • ExploraVision
- • National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
Why Choose iStart Valley?
- ✔ Flexible asynchronous learning.
- ✔ Structured drip learning modules.
- ✔ Learn anytime from anywhere.
- ✔ Interactive quizzes after every lesson.
- ✔ Instructor support throughout the program.
- ✔ Two live Office Hour mentoring sessions.
- ✔ Competition-focused curriculum.
- ✔ Course Completion Certificate.
- ✔ Opportunity to compete for $750 in cash prizes.
Program Schedule & Fees
Students access new learning modules throughout the program and complete lessons at their own pace. Two live mentoring sessions are scheduled during the program to answer questions.
Payable in two installments:
Student Success & Reviews
"Dr. Anwesha's Brain Bee Program was very helpful for the Brain Bee competition. Information Dr. Anwesha gave was very thorough. It had information from the Brain facts book as well as additional information... The practice questions were also very helpful as there are no practice questions written for the brain bee available."
Shouri Bochetty
1st Place, National Brain Bee Competition at NSF and Top Contestant at US National Brain Bee Contest"This program was really helpful for me in studying for my Brain Bee competition because it helped me grasp the concepts very easily. It was also very convenient because there were always recording if I had to miss a class or wanted to re-listen a chapter. I also found the quizzes for each chapter to be very helpful."
Priyanka Senthil
3rd Place, National Brain Bee Competition at NSF"This course is very thorough and helpful if you are planning to compete in the brain bee competition. It is a good course to take regardless of if you are competing or not because the content of the course is useful to know in general."
Neil Kondapalli
Brain Bee Winner"The program was taught very well. Dr. Anwesha Banerjee was very knowledgeable on the topic. She helped us to understand very difficult concepts in an easy way, and she answered all of our questions."
Sahana Narayanan
Brain Bee WinnerMeet the Instructors
Dr. Anwesha Banerjee
Dr. Anwesha Banerjee, DTM, currently residing in California, is a neuroscientist, nonprofit executive, and advocate for lifelong learning whose work bridges science, education, and leadership. She earned her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas and serves as a Medical Science Liaison at Axsome Therapeutics, partnering with healthcare professionals to translate complex scientific research into meaningful clinical insights that improve patient care. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Banerjee received the Women in Bio Behavioral Scholarship and was later selected as a Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation Fellow to conduct independent research. She has authored multiple scientific publications in autism, Fragile X syndrome, and myotonic dystrophy.
As Executive Director of iStart Valley, she leads initiatives that connect education, industry, and innovation to prepare students and professionals for careers in emerging technologies. Under her leadership, iStart Valley expanded workforce development programs and launched virtual STEM initiatives that have reached hundreds of students across North America. A dedicated Toastmaster since 2013, Dr. Banerjee served on the Toastmasters International Board of Directors from 2022 to 2024, helping shape the organization's strategic direction. Her communication journey also includes delivering a TEDx talk in 2019, reflecting her passion for empowering others to communicate with confidence and purpose.
Dr. Roopa Holehonnur
Dr. Roopa Holehonnur has over 8 years of research experience in understanding the molecular basis of Neuropsychiatric and Neurodevelopmental disorders. She currently works as a Scientist with Dr. Laura Lavery at Rice University, Houston to discover novel therapies patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. Following her masters and doctoral degree in Neuroscience from University of Texas at Dallas in 2016, she completed her first postdoctoral training at UT Southwestern Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Craig Powell.
She then completed her second postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston under the mentorship of Dr. Huda Zoghbi who has received many accolades including the Breakthrough prize, Brain Prize and the Kavli Prize. Roopashri has over 6 years of experience with teaching and mentoring students.
At The University of Texas at Dallas, she coached students on research design, planning and execution in addition to assisting professors with lectures and evaluations. As an experienced biomedical researcher who is also passionate about teaching, she can effectively coach students. Her diverse educational background combined with her mentoring experiences positions her well to turn her passion into practice. During her free time, Roopashri enjoys photography, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Check out the Videos from Previous Participants
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a live online course?
What is drip learning?
Do I need prior neuroscience knowledge?
Which competitions does this program prepare students for?
What will students receive after completing the program?
Ready to Build Your Foundation?
Join the Neuroscience Brain Bee Preparation Program today.