This essay was prepared by Professor Michael S. C. Thomas. Professor Thomas is Director of the University London Centre for Educational Neuroscience. The Centre for Educational Neuroscience was established in 2008. It combines the research strengths of three institutions – Birkbeck, University College London, and the UCL Institute of Education – in the fields of neuroscience, child development, psychology, and education research and its applications to education practise. The Centre’s objective is to advance the dialogue between researchers and educationalists in order to further translations of research into practise, ultimately to improve education and well-being across the lifespan.
Professor Thomas would like to acknowledge the following who contributed invaluable advice and inspiration to the writing of this essay: Dr. Philip Clapson, Dr. Iroise Dumontheil, Professor Barb Finlay, Dr. Gillian Forrester, Neil Forrester, Dr. Simon Green, Professor Mark Johnson, Professor Paul Johns, Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith, Dr. Victoria Knowland, Cathy Rogers, members of the Developmental Neurocognition Laboratory, and members of the Centre for Educational Neuroscience Research Group. The writing of the essay was supported by a Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund Career Development grant.