Current Research in Brain and Cognitive Development

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Professor Natasha Kirkham
• Assessment: two 1000-word blogs (50% each) and attendance of 10 seminars (0%)

This module introduces you to current cutting-edge research on brain and cognitive development and will integrate you into the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development (CBCD) through the ongoing seminar series.

Through lectures and seminars you will have access to both national and international scholars currently working in the field. The seminars consist of talks on multiple themes, including behavioural, neuroscientific and genetic methodologies investigating both neurotypical and neurodivergent developmental trajectories from infancy into adolescence.

Indicative module syllabus

• Lecture 1: an overview of the CBCD, its history and current research
• 10 seminars, with opportunities to meet the speakers to ask further questions, supervised by the module convenor
• Lecture 2: how to write for a broad audience

By the end of this module, you will:

• have a good understanding of the current state of the field in the study of brain and cognitive development
• be able to clearly and concisely summarise the research presented in a scholarly seminar talk
• be able to clearly and concisely write an assessment of research for a broad audience
• have developed the confidence (and skills) to ask critical questions.