Prizes for Neuroeducation Research Presented At Aspen Brain Forum
Kimberley Lakes and Usha Goswami were awarded unrestricted funds for their work translating cognitive neuroscience discoveries into innovative curricula.
Published November 10, 2011
NEW YORK, October 18, 2011-The New York Academy of Sciences and the Aspen Brain Forum Foundation awarded two prizes of $7,500 each in unrestricted funds-one to a senior scientist and one to a junior investigator-for innovation and excellence in the field of neuroeducation at the Second Annual Aspen Brain Forum conference, "Cognitive Neuroscience of Learning: Implications for Education," which took place in Aspen, CO, September 22 to 24.
President of the Aspen Brain Forum Foundation and Academy President's Council Member Glenda Greenwald announced the winners: young investigator Kimberly Lakes and senior scientist Usha Goswami. Both winners were chosen for their ability to translate discoveries from cognitive neuroscience into innovative curricula and tools that enhance learning inside or outside of the classroom.
Kimberley Lakes, assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, is currently studying approaches to physical education that could optimize effects on brain development. Lakes' prior published research has demonstrated that Taekwondo is an exercise intervention that promotes self-regulation and executive function.
With the support of key community partners, Lakes, also co-director for the Community Engagement Unit of the UC Irvine Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, recently expanded her Taekwondo research intervention into a public middle school where she plans to study the long-term impact of intervening during this critical stage of development.
Usha Goswami, professor of Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, examines relations between phonology and reading, with special reference to the neural underpinnings of rhyme and rhythm in children's reading. A major focus of her research is the brain basis of dyslexia.
Goswami, who is also a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, and director of the Centre for Neuroscience in Education, has received a number of career awards, including the British Psychology Society's Spearman Medal (1992) and President's Award (2011), the Norman Geschwind-Rodin Prize for Dyslexia Research, and Fellowships from the National Academy of Education (USA), the Leverhulme Trust, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany).
About the Aspen Brain Forum
Jointly sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences and the Aspen Brain Forum Foundation, the Aspen Brain Forum is a high level think tank convened annually in the retreat setting of Aspen, CO, to bring together science and industry leaders to present and disseminate the most cutting-edge innovations in brain science. The Aspen Brain Forum receives grant support from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke and the National Science Foundation. For more information, please visit http://aspenbrainforum.com.
About the New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide since 1817. With 25,000 members in 140 countries, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.