South Burlington High School sophomore Momin Waqar has brains on the brain. As a member of his school’s neuroscience club, the 16-year-old competed in the annual Vermont Brain Bee, a competition held in February at the University of Vermont that covers the science of sleep, brain anatomy, and neurological and psychological disorders, among other topics.
Waqar was the top finisher, earning a spot in the USA Brain Bee at Rutgers University in New Jersey. The full-day event, held on May 3, pitted him against state champions from across the country.
Following multiple rounds of competition — including a written test, a lab section involving a real brain specimen and a diagnostic component that required students to identify possible diagnoses based on MRI scans — Waqar earned a spot in the final oral elimination round. After a fierce back-and-forth with a competitor from Georgia, Waqar won second place — and a $1,000 prize.
It was the first time since the Vermont Brain Bee was founded 16 years ago that a local student placed in the top three of the national competition.
Waqar won’t be able to go for the gold in the national Brain Bee again next year; students are only allowed to compete once. But he hopes to help local high schools create or grow neuroscience clubs in coming years. Waqar thinks that if students understood the kind of hands-on learning that happens in these clubs — dissecting cow eyes, for example — it would entice them to join.
“It’s crazy for me to think about how everything we do — from the second we wake up to the second we take our first step or brush our teeth,” he said, “is so meticulously planned out in your brain.”
Learn more at vermontbrainbee.com
The original print version of this article was headlined “Head of the Class”
This article appears in May 14-20, 2025.
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