In late February, junior Alvira Tyagi became the first Shaker High School student to win the regional Brain Bee competition at Albany Medical College.
The Brain Bee is a neuroscience competition where 40 students from around the region compete against one another. The goal is to motivate students to learn about the brain and to inspire them to pursue careers in neuroscience so they can help treat and find cures for brain disorders.
“Studying and researching in the field of neuroscience has been vital in showing me the complexity of the brain, and how critical it is to understand the nervous system thoroughly, as it not only works to produce thoughts and emotions, but it also controls immensely important body functions such as breathing,” Alvira said. “Studying for the Brain Bee, along with researching for my lab, has allowed me to take on my own part in working to improve the lives of the 50 million afflicted dementia patients worldwide. I am so grateful for everything this field has given me and all of the powerful knowledge I have gained as a result of my work.”
Alvira does research in a lab at Albany Medical College that studies neurodegenerative disorders, specifically Alzheimer’s, and how gender affects cerebrovascular pathology, and thus contributes to dementia. One of her long-term goals is to help develop gender-specific therapeutic strategies to improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.
Alvira will now move on to the national USA Brain Bee Championship at Northeast Ohio Medical University, which has been postponed due to the coronavirus.