Newark New Jersey Regional Brain Bee Champion: 10th Grade Student Eason Yuze Lu Ignites His Curiosity for Neuroscience

The 18th Newark New Jersey Regional Brain Bee, sponsored by the Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI), was held on March 22 at New Jersey Medical School, drawing 98 students from 42 New Jersey high schools who competed to showcase their neuroscience expertise across topics including learning, memory, sleep, vision, movement, and brain diseases and disorders. Eason Yuze Lu, a 10th grader from Livingston High School, emerged as the first-place winner and earned a spot to compete in the National Brain Bee championship that will take place at the University of California, Irvine on April 25th, 2026. BHI awarded Eason $300 as the first-place prize and will also cover travel expenses for him and his family to attend the national competition.

Far more than an academic competition, the Brain Bee is a cornerstone of BHI’s mission to inspire and nurture the next generation of brain health researchers and clinicians, and Eason is a shining example of that mission coming to life.

For Eason, the Brain Bee ignited a deep curiosity for neuroscience, combining his interest in biology with a competitive framework that laid out a clear learning goal. “I became interested in neuroscience largely because of finding this competition! I enjoy learning about biology, and I wanted to bring that interest to a more competitive format. The Brain Bee was the perfect way to enjoy learning about biology while giving me a clear goal to work toward,” Eason said.

A fan of cognitive neuroscience, he is particularly fascinated by “how decision making and perception work,” an interest he first cultivated after discovering the Brain Bee online while researching neuroscience topics. The competition also deepened his curiosity for neurodevelopment and clinical biology, solidifying his goal to pursue medicine and neuroscience in the future.

Eason is planning to perform a neuroscience research internship with a keen focus on Rutgers and BHI laboratories that are either performing cognitive neuroscience or neurodevelopmental studies.

Rutgers Giving Day is on April 24 — your support of BHI makes events like Eason’s possible, where young minds are ignited, and their curiosity for brain science is nurtured, setting the stage for lifelong careers in brain health. At BHI, discovery extends far beyond the lab: it translates groundbreaking research into real-world impact for patients, families, and communities across New Jersey and beyond.