RSE Research Award to fund a workshop on Specific Learning Disorders in Scotland
Edinburgh and St Andrews researchers awarded new RSE Research Workshop Grant for Scottish study
Dr Michelle Luciano, Reader in Psychology, at University of Edinburgh and Dr Silvia Paracchini FRSE, Reader at the School of Medicine at the University of St Andrews, are recipients of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Research Awards in the RSE Research Workshop Grants category.
RSE’s Research Awards programme
The new awards programme was launched in Spring 2021 with a view to support Scotland's academic researchers, stimulating research in Scotland, and promoting international collaboration, which will be of lasting benefit to the individuals, communities and to broader society. The Research Workshop Grants are specifically designed to encourage collaborative investigations into a research proposition at the early stage of development.
Workshop on Specific Learning Disorders – Summer 2022
Dr Luciano, who studies the genetic and environmental influences on dyslexia and cognitive abilities, will join forces with Dr Paracchini to organise a major workshop in the Summer of 2022 to bring together researchers from different disciplines but united by common interest in learning disorders such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and language difficulties. The goal is to shape the direction of research in this field to make it relevant to the key stakeholders. An important component of the workshop will be the dialogue with families, teachers, and charities to understand how research can address the priorities of individuals with direct experiences of learning disorders.
By delivering this workshop and bringing people together to engage and discuss ideas, they plan to raise awareness of these conditions and formulate a coordinated research agenda for Scotland and beyond.
I am very excited to be collaborating with St Andrews’ researcher Silvia Paracchini to organise a workshop which will bring together advocates for specific learning difficulties, educators, clinicians, geneticists, cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists. Here, we will map out the best approach for setting up a valuable Scottish research resource that will advance our understanding of learning differences and to support those people with difficulties.
About Michelle Luciano
Michelle Luciano is a Reader in Psychology. Her research focuses on the use of twin studies and population biobanks to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to human behaviour.