The New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge, launched in 2007, encourages high school students to take an interest in the human brain and neuroscience.

The Challenge includes both a team competition and an individual competition, and Year 11 students compete to determine who is the "best brain" on such topics as intelligence, memory, emotions, sensations, movement, stress, aging, sleep, addiction, Alzheimer's and stroke.

The competition is held in two stages. Initially, schools run an in-house multiple choice quiz to determine their Brain Bee challengers. The Round Two (regional finals) are held at The University of Auckland and the University of Otago, with individuals competing for a place at the Australia-New Zealand Brain Bee Final held in conjunction with the Australasian Neuroscience Society meeting. The national Brain Bee Challenge winner then has the opportunity to compete in the International Brain Bee in the USA.

The New Zealand Brain Bee is the regional competition of the Australia-New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge

Watch Brain Bee Challenge taster video on YouTube.