Neurodiversity – it’s not in your head, it’s in your brain
We are all wired differently. Dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder are all variations that arise in the brain. For example, some dyslexics use a different side of the brain to read than neurotypicals, and those with autism also process information in a different way.
In this talk, psychologist Professor Karen Waldie will cover 20 years of her own research into neurodiversity, outlining how our knowledge of these conditions has improved vastly with advances in magnetic resonance imaging and molecular genetics, as well as New Zealand’s own longitudinal child developmental research.
Along the way, Karen will dispel some long-held myths and answer some of the big questions about the brain. Are dyslexia and ADHD real? How is the diverse brain different from neurotypical brains? What is neuroplasticity? And while genetics are clearly influential, do environmental factors also play a role in neurodiversity?
Bio
Professor Karen Waldie’s research focuses on the neural, environmental and genetic bases of neurodevelopmental disorders, problem behaviour and depression. Karen was born in British Columbia, Canada, and received her BSc from the University of Victoria. She received her MSc and PhD from the University of Calgary where she met her Kiwi husband. She and her husband subsequently moved to New Zealand where Karen worked with the world-famous Dunedin Study before joining the University of Auckland School of Psychology and the Centre for Brain Research.
She was at the forefront of emerging neuroimaging techniques in Australasia in the early 2000s, and combines these with neuropsychological testing to better understand child development (including depression, dyslexia, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder).
Karen has also been involved in two local longitudinal studies: the Auckland Birthweight Collaborative and Growing Up in New Zealand. She is now passionate about how the intrauterine environment affects development and how genes interact with events to influence child outcomes.
Event
6:30pm @The Paw Bar and Eatery, 225 Parnell Rd, Parnell
Also speaking at this location at 8:00pm is Ali Lowrey
