Max Brain Challenge
The Max Brain Challenge is a high-energy team competition that puts your neuroscience knowledge to the test!
The Max Brain Challenge
The next Max Brain Challenge will take place on Saturday, February 6, 2027
The Max Brain Challenge is a high-energy team competition that puts your neuroscience knowledge to the test! Teams of three will go head-to-head, tackling questions on fascinating brain topics like:
Learning & memory
Emotion & sensation
Movement & aging
Neurobiology & brain anatomy
Neurological disorders that impact millions
But the experience goes far beyond the competition. Every student who takes part will also explore behind the scenes at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience on a guided tour and enjoy a complimentary lunch with peers and scientists
It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it’s your chance to step into the world of discovery where the future of brain health is being shaped today.
Team Format
Students of grades 8-12 can form a team of three to compete in the Max Brain Challenge. Each team will work together to decide on a single answer within an allotted time period. Students attending different schools can form a team together, but they can have only one teacher sponsor.
Study Materials
The study materials listed here are provided as resources to help students prepare for the Max Brain Challenge. All content belongs to the original creators or publishers. Unless otherwise stated, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience does not own or claim rights to these materials and provides them for educational purposes only.
Measuring Calcium Signals in Neuroscience
In Vivo Microscopy of the Brain ·
Drosophila- A Versatile Model in Biology & Medicine
Neuroplasticity: Your Changing Brain
ALS: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Place Cells: Internal Navigation
Neurotransmitters and Emotions
Memory Loss and Aging: How Can We Use Smartphones to Better Remember?
Rules
- Students compete in teams of three students.
- A maximum of three teams per school can register.
- If a team is made up of students attending different schools, we will not count the team as part of one specific school.
- Additional teams from a school that have already registered three teams are welcome to register to be placed on the waitlist. Waitlist spots will be offered to teams a few weeks before the competition on a first-come, first-serve basis, independent of the school they attend.
- The first round of 20 questions will be multiple-choice. After the first round, there will be a mix of multiple-choice and open questions.
- All answers must be submitted in writing. We will provide writing materials. The moderator may only repeat the question once after it has been initially asked.
- Students have 30 seconds to respond after the initial question has been asked. Since there are often several correct answers to a question, the judges may overrule the moderator at any time.
- 1st place winners from previous years are not eligible to compete.
- Students who have attended MPFI events or classes that lasted more than a day (e.g., summer internships) are not eligible to compete.
Awards
- Each student in the top three teams will receive a gift card ($150 per student for the 1st place team, $100 per student for the 2nd place team, and $50 per student for the 3rd place team).
- Teachers who commit to sponsoring and guiding a team through the competition will receive a gift card. To be eligible, teachers need to respond to MPFI communications regarding the competition and make sure that their students confirm their participation by January 6, 2027
- If a team or its sponsor teacher fails to confirm their participation by January 6, 2027, we will assign the spot to a team on the waiting list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Registration will open on September 8, 2026. A registration link will be provided on this webpage on the day registration opens. All teams must have an agreed-upon “Team Name” and a Teacher Sponsor for the purpose of registering.
The Max Brain Challenge is open to all students in grades 8-12 who attend a Palm Beach or Martin County middle or high school.
Registration takes place online via a registration link that will be found on this webpage. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended. If after registering your team wants to withdraw from the competition, please email education@mpfi.org so we can offer the spot to one of the teams on the waiting list.
This event is sponsored by our generous donors. Participant registration is free.
Three.
Yes.
There two rounds. After the first round of 20 multiple choice questions, there will be a short break, in which students can get up and stretch but are asked to stay at their table. The second round has an additional 20 questions that may include open response and “Brain Buzz” questions. If after the two rounds a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place team has not been decided, additional sudden death questions will be used.
A “Brain Buzz” question is a question in which every member of a team must provide an answer without consulting with their teammates.
Yes. Please remember to agree on a team name and a sponsor teacher before starting the registration process.
Judges are neuroscientists from Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.
Yes, teachers who are supporting students in the competition can attend. Teachers may join their students during morning tours and lunch. Observation of the competition will take place via live stream to our auditorium to preserve the integrity of the contest. Please email education@mpfi.org, so that we may have an accurate count of attendees.
Parents are welcome to observe the competition. This will take place via a livestream to our auditorium to preserve the integrity of the contest. Due to space restrictions, parent may NOT join morning tours or the participant luncheon.
