Nicolas Echlov, a Rye High School Senior, took first place at the Westchester County Brain Bee, held recently at Burke Rehabilitation in White Plains.

The local neuroscience competition for high school students is designed to encourage students to learn more about the brain while inspiring them to pursue careers in neurology and neurological research. Echlov has now qualified for the 2024 USA Brain Bee at the University of Central Florida April 19 to 21 and will attend courtesy of Rye High School.

To compete, the students learn the anatomy and physiology of the brain and nervous system and then relate that

information to diseases of the brain. They do not see the questions that will be asked of them. Echlov was no rookie, having competed in the Brain Bee the last three years, placing third for the last two years.

He has spent the past three years researching neuroscience in his science research class, starting with enrolling in a pre-college class in neuroscience at Columbia University. He has since shadowed physicians in neurosurgery, learning about strokes, co-authored a research paper with professionals, worked with histological tissue staining and research, and studied the effects of pressure on the brain.

If Echlov wins the national competition — which offers prizes of $1,500, $1,000, and $500 to the first-, second-, and third-place winners — he will qualify for the International Competition, which takes place in October and brings together students from around the world.

The USA Brain Bee was founded in 1998 by Dr. Norbert Myslinski at the University of Maryland/Baltimore and is co-directed by Myslinski and Dr. Manuella Oliveira Yassa.